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We’ve got some of the best throwing knives for beginners over here at Grindworx. The art of knife throwing is lots of fun, but there’s a lot you have to know to get into the hobby like how to throw properly, and of course, what knife to get in the first place.
We’ll get to throwing techniques another day, but before you can practice throwing, you need yourself a good throwing knife! Here are some general guidelines you can use to find the perfect throwing knife for you.
What to know about throwing knives for beginners:
Size
Size and weight are often all relative; what’s small to you might be considered to be fairly large to someone else. I’ve looked around quite a bit, and it seems like the average size that expert knife throwers recommend for throwing knives is 10-12” or 12-16”, depending on your preference. Anything that’s too much shorter (7-8”) is more likely to bounce back at you if it doesn’t stick in the target. This is especially likely in hard targets like wood.
Weight
I found some great weight guidelines for throwing knives for beginners from a YouTuber—Xolette. What she said about weight is that lighter knives are easier to handle and take little effort to throw, and they’re great for throwing from close distances.
Heavier knives, on the other hand, are more difficult to throw and handle, but they’re great for throwing from further distances (once you get the hang of the extra weight).
However, this still begs the question, “What classifies as a light knife and what classifies as a heavy knife?”
Fortunately for you, Xolette has an answer to that, and it’s the best, most straightforward answer I’ve found so far. Here’s what she says:
In summation:
Again, weight is kind of relative, but these are some general guidelines to help you figure out what weight will fit your preferences and requirements best.
Shape
The best shape for a throwing knife is the one that’s easiest for you to throw (duh). Typically, simple knives that don’t have lots of crazy spikes, etc. and have great ergonomics will be best for knife throwing.
Cost
You don’t need to spend a fortune on your throwing knives, but you don’t want to get the very cheapest knives you can find, either. For example, a set of three knives for $10 probably won’t get you knives that are going to last very long. A good rule of thumb is to spend a minimum of $10/throwing knife, but ideally around $20/knife.
I’ve heard several throwers say that pretty much anything from Gil Hibben or John Bailey is a great option; both of these gentlemen are throwers themselves, so you know their throwing knives are going to be top notch.
Here are some of their throwing knives we carry:
Gil Hibben throwing knives:
John Bailey throwing knives:
Other General Guidelines
Buying throwing knives in sets instead of individually is always a great idea because then you can throw multiple knives before you have to retrieve them. With only one knife, you don’t get as much practice in before you have to go get the knife and try again. Repetition with knife throwing is extremely helpful when you’re learning how to throw knives, and the more repetition you can get in before having to stop what you’re doing, the better.
Also, your knives don’t have to be (and shouldn’t be) sharp. When you’re buying a normal folding knife that you’re going to use for everyday carry, of course you want it to be sharp! You’re going to be using it to cut things, and you want that edge to last. If your throwing knife is extremely sharp, however, you’re probably going to wind up getting cut. The function of a throwing knife is very different from that of an everyday carry, so you don’t want it to have a razor-sharp edge.
What other questions do you have about throwing knives for beginners?
We have more coming about how to throw knives, but in the meantime, you can check out these DVDs we carry at Grindworx that show you the ins and outs of knife throwing.
