- Joined
- Sep 23, 1999
- Messages
- 3,831
Hello Everyone! Its Crayola, winner of the throwing knife from a contest run by Bobby Branton. First of all, I must apologize to Bobby because this review should have been written a week ago
I know that there is a lot of info on Bobby Branton's web site about throwing knives but I decided that evaluating his knife based on his info would be a little biased. So, I am evaluating this throwing knife based on Gil Hibben's Knife Throwing Guide.
Length: Gis says that 10-12 inches in length will suit most purposes. Bobby's #12 is 15 inches OAL. It is definitely the biggest thrower I have handled. The extra length is not a problem though, as this knife is used by many pros in competition.
Also, Gil mentions that small knives should be avoided by all but adolescents because there is a lack of length and weight to make a good throw. There is NO lack of weight or length in this knife. It is definitely not a knife for adolescents, but easy to handle by anyone else.
Balance: Gil says that balance in a throwing knife should be close to mid length or slightly towards the handle. The balance point on this knife is right at the finger cutout, or about 6 inches from the butt end. Holding the #12 by the handle is interesting because the knife is blade heavy, but not like a kukri is. It feels like the knife is trying to fly out of your hand because of that forward pressure! Kinda neat. This should make it throw nicely.
Blade Shape: No double edges or upswept points should be on a good throwing knife, according to Gil. The #12 passes with flying colors here. Also according to Gil, if you draw a rectangle the width and length of a throwing knife and divide the rectangle into thirds lengthwise, the point should lie in the middle third. The #12 passes again.
Materials: Gil (and evryone) says that a throwing knife should be built to take abuse. Bobby constructs his knives out of spring steel which is a great choice. Gil Hibben actually uses 420 j2 with a rockwell of 50-52. Good rockwell for a throwing knife, but I'm not so sure about 420j2 for a thrower (actually, I won't touch that stuff at all- well, maybe for butter knives...)
Others: The pommel should not inhibit the throw, the handle material ought to be durable (wood and some plastics will chip from impact) and large guards are not a good idea. The #12's handle is rectangular with rounded corners, so there is no pmmel to get in the way really. The handle material is vulcanized fiber which should not chip or crack at all. Bobby can put a leather handle on it if you want.
So, according to Gil Hibben's criteria, Bobby Branton's #12 thrower passes with flying colors. In fact, I like the steel choice better than Gil Hibben's and I really like the forward pressure created when holding the handle behind the finger cutout. It is as if the knife is trying to throw itself. The #12 gets a 100% rating for function.
I want to highlight some comments on the looks of this knife now. The blade has a satin finish that is awesome! I love satin finishes and it looks sooooo good on a knife this size. The handle is comfortable for a throwing knife and the corners are chamfered (excuse poor spelling) to smooth it out. Grind lines are clean and the bowie look of the knife is really impressive. Also, the handle material is going nowhere, securedto the handle by two 3/8" bolts (and maybe epoxt too, but I'm not sure.) As far as negative things, I have only two. The very tip of the knife (1 milimetre)is burned and the ends of the bolts, which have been peened, wouldn't win any beaty contests. These refer only to the look of the knives though. A little bit of burned steel at the very tip wil not hurt the function of the knife at all, and the peened bolts aren't ugly and will never fail- they will keep the handle material on this knife forever. Originally I also questioned the grind along the edge, as it is thicker for the first 3/4 and then is sharper for the last 1/4 at the tip. I don't know whether this was done on purpose or not, but I now think this will be a great advantage for throwing. The edge at the tip is a little thinner (thinner is a relayive term. It is thinner compared to the rest of the blade, nit is extremely thick when compared to my AFCK. The edge at the tip will scrape a few hairs off my arm- this means it has a sharp enough edge for its intended task.
So, as far as looks go, I'd pass this throwing knife off with at least a 90% as far as throwing knives go. Well Done Bobby!
Bobby's #12 throwing knife fits well, feels awesome and looks great. Here's the second best part- it is only $75! Try and find a 15" long hand made bowie for that price elsewhere! The best part is Bobby Branton himself. Through various e-mails I have concluded that Bobby is a great guy who cares about hsi product and his customers. That I really like, and find especially important when ordering a handmade knife. If you don't get good customer service from someone who is handmaking something for you, I think there is something wrong. You can't call up Cold Steel and ask them how your knife is coming along, but you should be able to chat with a custom maker. Bobby is really friendly and his e-mails have been very educational too!
Recommendation: BUY THIS THROWER!
Please check out Bobby's web site:
http://www.brantonknives.com/index.htm
If you go to the throwing knives section, Bobby has a pic of all of this knives side by side. And you'll notice that Bobby is the President of the American Knife Throwers Alliance, so he really knows his stuff and you'll always get a quality product that performs 100% from him.
Thanks Bobby! Look for a second part to this review in the future. When I go to my Granny's place I'm going to throw it and I'll let everyone know how well me and the knife do!
------------------
"Come What May..."
I know that there is a lot of info on Bobby Branton's web site about throwing knives but I decided that evaluating his knife based on his info would be a little biased. So, I am evaluating this throwing knife based on Gil Hibben's Knife Throwing Guide.
Length: Gis says that 10-12 inches in length will suit most purposes. Bobby's #12 is 15 inches OAL. It is definitely the biggest thrower I have handled. The extra length is not a problem though, as this knife is used by many pros in competition.
Also, Gil mentions that small knives should be avoided by all but adolescents because there is a lack of length and weight to make a good throw. There is NO lack of weight or length in this knife. It is definitely not a knife for adolescents, but easy to handle by anyone else.
Balance: Gil says that balance in a throwing knife should be close to mid length or slightly towards the handle. The balance point on this knife is right at the finger cutout, or about 6 inches from the butt end. Holding the #12 by the handle is interesting because the knife is blade heavy, but not like a kukri is. It feels like the knife is trying to fly out of your hand because of that forward pressure! Kinda neat. This should make it throw nicely.
Blade Shape: No double edges or upswept points should be on a good throwing knife, according to Gil. The #12 passes with flying colors here. Also according to Gil, if you draw a rectangle the width and length of a throwing knife and divide the rectangle into thirds lengthwise, the point should lie in the middle third. The #12 passes again.
Materials: Gil (and evryone) says that a throwing knife should be built to take abuse. Bobby constructs his knives out of spring steel which is a great choice. Gil Hibben actually uses 420 j2 with a rockwell of 50-52. Good rockwell for a throwing knife, but I'm not so sure about 420j2 for a thrower (actually, I won't touch that stuff at all- well, maybe for butter knives...)
Others: The pommel should not inhibit the throw, the handle material ought to be durable (wood and some plastics will chip from impact) and large guards are not a good idea. The #12's handle is rectangular with rounded corners, so there is no pmmel to get in the way really. The handle material is vulcanized fiber which should not chip or crack at all. Bobby can put a leather handle on it if you want.
So, according to Gil Hibben's criteria, Bobby Branton's #12 thrower passes with flying colors. In fact, I like the steel choice better than Gil Hibben's and I really like the forward pressure created when holding the handle behind the finger cutout. It is as if the knife is trying to throw itself. The #12 gets a 100% rating for function.
I want to highlight some comments on the looks of this knife now. The blade has a satin finish that is awesome! I love satin finishes and it looks sooooo good on a knife this size. The handle is comfortable for a throwing knife and the corners are chamfered (excuse poor spelling) to smooth it out. Grind lines are clean and the bowie look of the knife is really impressive. Also, the handle material is going nowhere, securedto the handle by two 3/8" bolts (and maybe epoxt too, but I'm not sure.) As far as negative things, I have only two. The very tip of the knife (1 milimetre)is burned and the ends of the bolts, which have been peened, wouldn't win any beaty contests. These refer only to the look of the knives though. A little bit of burned steel at the very tip wil not hurt the function of the knife at all, and the peened bolts aren't ugly and will never fail- they will keep the handle material on this knife forever. Originally I also questioned the grind along the edge, as it is thicker for the first 3/4 and then is sharper for the last 1/4 at the tip. I don't know whether this was done on purpose or not, but I now think this will be a great advantage for throwing. The edge at the tip is a little thinner (thinner is a relayive term. It is thinner compared to the rest of the blade, nit is extremely thick when compared to my AFCK. The edge at the tip will scrape a few hairs off my arm- this means it has a sharp enough edge for its intended task.
So, as far as looks go, I'd pass this throwing knife off with at least a 90% as far as throwing knives go. Well Done Bobby!
Bobby's #12 throwing knife fits well, feels awesome and looks great. Here's the second best part- it is only $75! Try and find a 15" long hand made bowie for that price elsewhere! The best part is Bobby Branton himself. Through various e-mails I have concluded that Bobby is a great guy who cares about hsi product and his customers. That I really like, and find especially important when ordering a handmade knife. If you don't get good customer service from someone who is handmaking something for you, I think there is something wrong. You can't call up Cold Steel and ask them how your knife is coming along, but you should be able to chat with a custom maker. Bobby is really friendly and his e-mails have been very educational too!
Recommendation: BUY THIS THROWER!
Please check out Bobby's web site:
http://www.brantonknives.com/index.htm
If you go to the throwing knives section, Bobby has a pic of all of this knives side by side. And you'll notice that Bobby is the President of the American Knife Throwers Alliance, so he really knows his stuff and you'll always get a quality product that performs 100% from him.
Thanks Bobby! Look for a second part to this review in the future. When I go to my Granny's place I'm going to throw it and I'll let everyone know how well me and the knife do!
------------------
"Come What May..."