Trying to find a good throwing knife for a beginner?

H

his_lady

Joined
Mar 19, 2017
Messages
6
Hello,

I am trying my best to learn about a subject that is largely foreign to me, so please be patient with me while I learn. :)

I have spent the last several days trying to figure out where I should start with buying a throwing knife or set of knives. My boyfriend is, I suppose, what you'd call a knife enthusiast, and wants desperately to add throwing knives to his repertoire of skills. Our anniversary is coming up fast, and I know it would thrill his heart to be able to start learning. I am trying my best to find the right thing for him, but all the sites I find about what is good to buy are either geared towards professionals or are just advertising plants.

From what I've researched, since he is a beginner it would probably be better to get him a longer blade (what he was looking at himself are all very small and harder to use), and one that is center balanced or has the balance towards the blade end. I also know that carbon steel is better, so I've been trying to look for that. Right now I am looking at the Condor 7" Dismissal throwing knife, but am unsure if it is a wise buy or not. I'd like to get three knives for around or under $90. (Ideally I'd get him a beautiful custom set, but I'm broke!)

I was wondering if you all had any advice or suggestions for me. I want to get him something that will work well and won't be likely to break if he misses, but also not completely break my bank. It's hard to find actual feedback or genuine reviews, and I'd be very grateful for your help and expertise.
 
Cold Steel TruFlight knives are Great starters. You should be able to find them for $20 each, a set of 3-4 would be ideal.
Warning they come SHARP, way too sharp for a throwing knife.


Sent via telegraph by the same fingers I use to sip whiskey
 
In the mass-produced category, Condor (made in Central America) and Cold Steel (made in Asia) are good. Condors are a good choice - keep in mind that the "7 inch" Condor is 12 inches overall (7 inches is the 'blade length').

Generally, he'll want a minimum length of 12" for 'regular' rotational throwing, or 10" for no-spin throwing.

In the custom category, if you click my signature website link, I have a knife that is close to your budget.

The most sincere knife reviews tend to be on social media (YouTube, Facebook, etc).
 
Unfortunately, most of the chatter in this forum has migrated over to facebook groups.

Lots of information and links to videos on styles of knife and tomahawk throwing (Rotational vs no-spin vs instinctive).

Some of the groups include -

International Knife Throwing Hall of Fame
Instinctive Knife Throwers
Kick-ass Knife Throwers
American Knife Throwers Association

You can track down other groups via the folks that post in these groups.

And if y'all end up liking to throw knives, y'all are gonna want to get into tomahawks as well. Lots of options there as well.

As far as what kind of knives to get, lots of folks brag on Pat's throwing knives. You wouldn't go wrong getting some from him.
 
Thanks so much for your recommendations and advice so far, everyone. I really appreciate it.

I think he'd prefer rotation to a no-spin throw, because he's somewhat familiar with throwing axes.

I had actually already been looking at your knives as an option, @p-brewster! Thank you for the recommendation! Do you have any advice for which one would be best in my situation? I have a hard time parsing things like weight and whatnot, since I'm unfamiliar with what is considered ideal in that area.

Also, if I were to get the Condor, there is one that is 12" (with a 7" blade) and one that is 14" as well, which is a bit pricier. Which would you guys think is a better option? I'm trying hard to narrow down what I'm looking at.

And I'll definitely check out those facebook groups. I really want to get this right!!
 
These are just MY recommendations. :D Ask 10 knife throwers a question and you're liable to get 15 answers.

For spin throwing, I prefer larger knives. I throw 14" to 16", 16 to 20 ounce knives. The longer the knife, the further the throwing distance for each rotation/half-rotation added. Just an inch or three with each extra half-rotation added, but an incremental increase.

Paraphrasing the founder of IKTHOF, Mike Bainton, heavier knives help throw themselves. Obviously, that is not literally true, but I have found that larger knives leave my hand more easily and they seem to be less taxing on the wrist and elbow.

Another factor is safety. Heavier knives are safer due to them bouncing back less that light knives. When a knife does not stick, it will bounce back to some extent. The safety factor comes in at shorter distances. I have had light weight knives (8 -10 ounces) bounce back past the 3 meter line when throwing from 2 or 3 meters and had to dodge them. Not often, but often enough that I don't like it.

IIKTHOF rules specify a minimum length of 12 inches for spin throwing and 10 inches for no spin, with a recommendation of 1 ounce per inch weight for rebound safety. When competing in side by side throwing lanes, you don't want to be worrying about the knives of throwers on either side of you bouncing at you.

I started with 12", 12.8 ounce knives. I still have them and still throw them, but I prefer the heavier ones.
 
Y tube has some great info.
I'm a no spin thrower so search for Tom Tom Arrows and Sur-knives. Flying Steel does good throwers.

Half Cold Steel offerings are good, and half next to useless. The True Flight are good if a bit neutral (the paracording will be lost quickly which doesn't matter), the rest are heavy and OK; stay clear of the light weight ones which are poor.
Hibben are rubbish. In truth most offered by retail shops are are junk, better to find specialist makers that know how to throw.
I like the Flying Steel offerings and the two styles to get are the Sur-knives and the Arrows.


Knives need to be made for throwing otherwise they break. Most offered are junk. Better to do the research and buy good quality that will last. $25-60 should get you something that works. Buy at least three of each style.

Your biggest decision is what style to start to go for. Frustrating to begin with but brilliant once you get the hang of it. Its addictive.
 
his_lady said:
@p-brewster! Thank you for the recommendation! Do you have any advice for which one would be best in my situation? I have a hard time parsing things like weight and whatnot, since I'm unfamiliar with what is considered ideal in that area.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your interest! My Talisman knife is the only one that fits your budget, but it is too short for rotational throwing by most standards.
 
GREENJACKET said:
The True Flight are good if a bit neutral (the paracording will be lost quickly which doesn't matter).
Click to expand...

Yep about 5 throws in...
d1b6e7444dbe528597b4f90b7206a687.jpg




Sent via telegraph by the same fingers I use to sip whiskey
 
P.Brewster said:
Thanks for your interest! My Talisman knife is the only one that fits your budget, but it is too short for rotational throwing by most standards.
Click to expand...

Yeah, unfortunately I think he'd really like rotational throwing more. I will definitely keep you in mind for future gifts though once he moves on to no-spin! ;)

----

I think, given my options, I'd prefer to have a knife that would bend rather than break in a really noticeable way like losing a cord wrapping. He can easily hammer a bend back out, so I think (after watching a ton of youtube reviews) that I'm going to go for the Condor. I can't decide yet between the 12" and 14" but I'll keep you posted on what I wind up getting -- and his response when he receives it. :) Thank you all so much for your help in this. I really appreciate your feedback and direction.
 
Just ordered three of the 12" Condor. I thought about it a lot and, while my guy is definitely strong, I don't want to give him something with TOO much heft because he already throws axes and I know he's looking for a new experience. I really really hope he likes them. Our anniversary is next week. I will update this thread once it passes and let you know how they were received. (Hopefully well, because he warned me not to spend too much on him but -- $70 isn't a LOT right? LOL!)
 
Those are good u should be happy.. the true flights are also good those are two of my favorite production knives.. if u like it from there I highly recommend u go to flying steel and get one of those knives.. lifetime warranty and you won't be disappointed. In fact the talisman sells for thirty and it will last u a lifetime
 
Hey all, I'm back for what very well may be my last post. :)

We exchanged anniversary gifts - he got me a geode necklace, bless him, he knows I love geology - and he LOVED his gift! He couldn't stop flipping them around and looking them over, and the next chance he got he took them out to throw them. He doesn't stick every time but he's definitely making progress and I'm so happy that even when he misses I don't have to worry too hard about them breaking. I'm going to research further on good tutorial videos for him since he's still learning but I'm really so grateful and happy that he loves them!!!

Thank you guys SO MUCH for your helpful feedback in this matter. You really made this anniversary a special one. I'm so glad such a wonderful and helpful community exists around this subject. You guys are all great <3
 
Hibben are rubbish.

I bought a pair of Gil Hibben throwers, for fun, many years ago. The larger one was the same as Steven Seagal used in Under Siege. After 20 years, they are still as blunt as the day I bought them. I recently bought the BCN rods for my Sharpmaker and applied them to the larger knife, which is allegedly designed to be either thrown or retained in the hand for self defense. I can hear the metal being shaved off the blade, but it wasn't getting any sharper, When I looked closely, all I was doing was shaving the shoulders of the edge, not the edge itself. So heaven only knows what angle they set in the factory.
 
Taiotoshi said:
I use a Schrade SCHF36/39 and have taken of the handles!
Click to expand...

hey! i use a shrade as well! It actually has held up EXTREMELY well, an still sharpens to a razor. If I throw it a lot, might get a small chip, but buff out with my worksharp.

Probably one of the most pleasantly surprised knives I've ever bought.



BUT, while I have a few cold steel and noting bad to say, I'm a HUGE fan of SOG throwing knives. There's definitely a lot of haters out there, but they're usually pretty cheap, sharp as hell, and come in packs of 3 or 4 or 5. I even bought a Cabella's only special pack of TEN. 50 bucks.

Cuz when you're starting off, IMO, it's good to have several of the same kind of knives. Otherwise, it's like shooting a gun, one bullet at a time. Hard to get into a rhythm.


Here's when I was just learning, the first 10 seconds is all you really need to watch. Let's just say, slo-mo, go-pro, close camera casualty.


 
Flip flops and sandals to me is a no no. As you progress and up the power the knives start to come back faster; often slip shooting along the ground. I let them pass and don't try to stop them.
Just saying.

I'm a fan of no spin too.
 
GREENJACKET said:
Flip flops and sandals to me is a no no. As you progress and up the power the knives start to come back faster; often slip shooting along the ground. I let them pass and don't try to stop them.
Just saying.

I'm a fan of no spin too.
Click to expand...

hahaha, TRUE DAT. Although I still throw knives with flip flops from time to time, not anything bigger.

about a month ago, I literally almost chopped my second toe off with a SOG Fasthawk. was flip flopping away, and not really paying attention, was using holes in tomahawk to screw in some large eyelet screws and was done and "put the hawk away" as I sometimes do by throwing it in a close by log round, but did it with my left (weak hand) and in a log that was vertical.

Well it ricocheted off and skipped and sliced about 1/8 inch deep 1 inch strip off my toe, with a tiny litle flap (haha sorry) holding it on. another few milimeters and bye bye little piggie.

Took 5 nurses trying to compress and stop the bleeding at the urgent care place. had to use dermabond (after they tried to cauterize it with this stick thing that hurt like a MOTHER******). Healed up though!

So crazy thing is, now I don't wear flip flops when throwing hawks or hatchets. And usually knives. I say usually, cuz I'm an idiot.
 
3fifty7 said:
Yep about 5 throws in...
d1b6e7444dbe528597b4f90b7206a687.jpg





Sent via telegraph by the same fingers I use to sip whiskey
Click to expand...

I think the True Flight was the first knife throwing knife I bought, like before I even got into it. Cold Steel really do make some bomb proof throwing knives.

But I was gonna say about the paracord, some companies come pre-wrapped (like true flight) and then some peeps, like me, wrap some for the grip.

Couple tips for whoever likes to wrap...

You can cut down on some weight by striping out the inner nylon strands. So end product is pretty darn flat.

That can make it a little less gripy, BUT, and here's something awesome I picked up online somewhere, you can use 2 methods to harden the paracord.

1. Marine epoxy, you gotta get 2 containers and then mix them, I haven't tried this one and forgot name. but seen lots youtubers doing it.

2. Minwax-Wood Hardener. Ha, yup. Just brush it on enough to soak through, sit over night. I've done this with all my wrapped implements of destruction. It protects the cord and adds like 3 times gripness. I'd probably use it on a non thrower like an axe cuz it's that sweet.

I have managed to nick the hardened cord, but it didn't come undone, and on happened once.

can pick up the wood hardner lowes/home depot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top