Having a throwing knife has been a popular pastime in various cultures for centuries. It’s an amazing skill that can be used for a variety of reasons, including hunting and cooking.
However, learning how to throw knives isn’t as simple as it sounds. Getting it right requires understanding which balance, weight, handle shapes, and tip types make your knife stick to the target.
Blade
Throwing knives are great for a wide variety of purposes. They can be used to cut things from wires to ropes, and they are also useful for striking animals at a distance during a hunt.
They aren’t as sharp as other blades, but they are still effective cutting tools. They are also incredibly durable, so you can use them for repeated slams against a solid target.
Despite their durability, throwing knives can get damaged in practice. Luckily, nicks on the blade are easy to fix with a metal file or flapwheel attached to a drill.
Before you begin learning to throw a knife, you need a soft target and the proper gear. You should also make sure to stand straight and not overthrow the knife. Then, you can start experimenting with different rotations to practice your skills.
Handle
Knife handles can be made from a variety of materials. They may be molded, textured or even reinforced with kevlar, fiberglass or polyphthalamide.
Handles can also be wrapped in paracord for extra grip. Cord-wrapped handles are a popular choice for knife throwers, but be sure not to use too coarse of wrapping material, which could lead to a wobbly release.
Another type of handle is a skeleton handled blade, which uses the tang itself as the handle. This reduces weight while enhancing the ability to throw the blade.
The handle of a throwing knife should be symmetrical and balanced for proper aim, with even weight distribution on either side. Unbalanced knives tend to spin in different directions when thrown and can fall short of the target.
The handle of a throwing knife can be made from antler, wood or bone. Antler can be shaped with a file or a belt sander after being roughly sawed to shape, while jawbone and some other bones can be socketed in their naturally hollow portions.
Center of gravity
When you throw a knife, the balance determines how it flies. If the balance tips more toward one end or the other, then the trajectory will be less predictable and harder to throw accurately.
If the balance is in the middle, then both ends of the knife will trace out equal circles as they fly through the air. When a balanced knife is thrown, it will spin in tight circles and stay on the same trajectory until it hits its target or the ground.
As a rule, a throwing knife should need at least one full rotation to stick in the target. This explains why some throwers may be able to move forward or backward at discrete, one-revolution distances and still make their knives stick in the target.
Before throwing a knife, you need to understand how to stand correctly and establish your throw line. The first step is to find a target that’s about 10 feet away from you, and then set up the target in a place that’s easy for you to see.
Length
Throwing knives are a type of knife that can be thrown. They can be used to practice self defense or to compete in throwing competitions. The key to making a good one is finding the right balance of blade steel, handle, and weight.
The best throwing knives are blade heavy, and have a sturdy handle made from tough materials. This can include bone, staghorn, or rivets.
A well-made blade will be at least 1/4 inch thick at the base and a little over twice as long as the handle. If possible, the blade tang should pass all the way through the handle and be of one piece with the helt cross-piece.
The blade should also have a balanced center of gravity, which will help it spin in tight circles when released from your hand. If the center of gravity tips more toward the blade or the handle, both sides of the blade will spin at different intervals, which can make it difficult to accurately throw.