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Four awesome knife throwing scenes

June 25, 2011 / Tim / 2 Comments

We’re giving away a set of top-quality throwing knives and a $100 cash. Learn how to win, here:

In the spirit of our throwing knives giveaway, we turn to the big screen for some awesome Hollywood scenes featuring the greatest and most badass fictional knife throwers. There’s nothing scientific about this selection, but the one criteria is the video must feature some flying knives. Here are four awesome knife throwing scenes.

4. The Expendables (2010)

The surprise star of this film featuring an unbeatable cast of all-stars was relative newcomer Jason Statham. He plays the incorrigible Lee Christmas who’s an expert in close-quarters combat, as demonstrated in this scene.

3. Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

The appeal of this knife throwing scene from the comedy action film comes from the utter incompetence of these two supposed troublemakers. From their form to their motion, this is the perfect example of how not to throw a knife.

2. Gangs of New York (2002)

When the image of a knife thrower enters your head, you probably think of those old performers who would throw them at their assistants. In this scene, the “Butcher” played by Daniel Day Lewis demonstrates his knife throwing prowess against former flame Jenny played by Cameron Diaz.

1. V For Vendetta (2006)

You know a character is truly badass when he could take a barrage of hundreds of bullets yet still skillfully destroy his enemies with some amazing knife throwing expertise.

Inspired? We’re giving away a set of top-quality throwing knives and a $100 cash. Learn how to win, here:

Throwing knife instructions for beginners: How to throw a throwing knife

June 23, 2011 / Tim / 4 Comments

The Best Tips on How to Throw a Throwing Knife

There are many reasons why you should buy a throwing knife, but first, if you want to learn to throw a throwing knife, start here.

If you find the idea of hurling an extremely sharp object at a small target intimidating, you’re not alone. Knife throwing has been around for centuries, and is making an increasingly popular comeback – millions of people have yearned to take up the increasingly popular sport of knife throwing, but never did so because they didn’t know how. If you’re one of these individuals, this is the resource for you. In this guide, we will review how to buy the right throwing knife, throwing basics, types of throws, throwing stance, advanced throws, and general tips

Step 1: Pick the right knife

When you’re first starting out, you may be tempted to grab one of your folding knives and throw it as hard as you can at a wall, but that’s the wrong way to begin.

There are a variety of throwing knives to choose from, including throwing stars and tomahawks, but don’t try to show off too soon.

Start with a simple throwing knife that weighs about 200mg and is between 7.5 and 12 inches long. Anything less than 200mg will require more throwing accuracy

Cold Steel knives are by far the best throwing knives. They won’t break like other cheaper alternatives. The 12″ Cold Steel Sure Flight Sport Throwing Knife is a good starter option as it is really well balanced w/a good length. This makes them good for beginners who aren’t sure whether they want to throw rotational or no-spin. It is a bit lighter in weight, which means it won’t be as good for throwing long distances. However, while learning, the lighter weight will keep wrist strain down.

Another option for the more advanced knife thrower is the Magnum by Boker Mini Bo-Kri Bailey. Although oddly shaped, they have a great feel and are balanced in a way that makes calculating rotation easier. The shape means they still rotate well even though they are lighter and shorter than most rotational throwing knives.

Many top throwers use these and they were designed by master knife thrower John Bailey, each of the three blades in this set features unique contours and lines that’ll give you the edge you need to achieve whip-cracking speeds and bullseye hits. Bailey’s personal signature is stamped on every one of these blades, just so you know whom to thank later.

Step 2: Set up a target

With the knife ready, it’s time to set up a target. The target should be something like a wooden post, a wooden board or even a tree, just keep in mind that whatever it’s near could be hit by a sharp projectile. A perfect target is around the height of your chest and should obviously have the ability to catch a knife unlike, say, a brick wall.

For beginners, focus on a soft and large target. This ensures that you do not focus on accuracy or power, and instead focus on working on correct rotations. Feel free to draw a bulls eye on the target, but don’t expect to hit it every time when first starting. Use the first few times to practice holding and throwing the knife rather than aiming for the center of the target.

Step 3: How to throw a throwing knife

The stance

Good throwing posture includes the following —

A relaxed body: If your body is tense, you will most likely try overthrowing the knife which leads to bad form and inconsistent throwing.
Standing up straight: Standing straight, leads to throwing straight, so this is necessary for an accurate throw. Since throwing a knife involves the whole body, you want to make sure you have a stable stance that will help propel the knife forward.
For right handed throwers: Stand several feet away from the target and place your left foot in front and right foot in back. When throwing left handed, switch it. Your heels should be on a line, but your feet should form a 45 degree angle. Then bend your knees and have your weight rest primarily on the ball of your back foot

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Want a free set of throwing knives and $100?

June 22, 2011 / Tim / 3 Comments

Do you dig throwing knives? How about cold, hard cash?

If you answered yes to at least one of those questions, then you’re in for a treat. From now until July 1, we’re taking entries for our first knife throwing promotion, and the winner will get a $100 and a pair of dazzling throwing knives.

There’s a totally hilarious video below explaining how to enter, but if you’re too lazy to watch it (you’ll really be missing out), you just have to do the following:

Go to our Facebook page. If you haven’t already, click, “Like” at the top of the page next to our name.
Post a picture of your favorite hat on our wall.
Wait until July 3 to find out if you are a winner.

You heard it right, all you have to do to win a badass pair of throwing knives and $100 is go to our Facebook page and post a picture of your favorite hat on our wall. Your picture must be posted prior to 10 p.m. Central Time on July 1 to enter. The winner will be announced on July 3 and you must be 18 to win.

And all week, we’ll be writing about the art of throwing knives, so check back for some great content, and possibly, a second video from the knife slinger about an additional way to win.

Thanks for reading The Cutting Edge and good luck.

2011 Blade Show ‘Overall Knife of the Year’

June 20, 2011 / Tim / 1 Comment

And the 2011 Blade Show “Overall Knife Of The Year” is… the Zero Tolerance 0777.

In the first batch of major knife awards, which were doled out at the 2011 Blade Show and included categories like Most Innovative American Design and Imported Knife Of The Year, the Zero Tolerance 0777 took the cake.

The ZT 0777 is a modern looking and highly functional folding knife with a sleek design.

The knife has a 3.75 inch composite blade with a Bohler N360 cutting edge and a 3D machined carbon fiber handle. Although it has a Damascus blade, they made it fully functional and very practical with its titanium steel clip near the bottom of the handle. The knife also has an adjustable sub-frame lock.

Day 3 at the Blade Show: daggers, Damascus steel and balisongs

June 17, 2011 / Tim / 9 Comments

It’s taken me a few days to sort through all the great images and information I obtained at the Blade Show. On day three, I focused my attention on some of the more exotic knives available. Here are a few of my favorite designs.

D’Alton Holder Custom Knives

D’Alton Holder has been making knives for close to five decades; he constructed his first knife, which sold for $8, in 1966. In 1988, he retired from working in the oil industry to become a full-time knifemaker. He was inducted into the Knifemaker’s Hall of Fame in 2003.

The pictures above ( from Holder’s website ) are of a set of drop point hunters, which are priced at $2,500. The Blades are ATs-34 with 416 SS bolsters, which are engraved in gold inlay by Bruce Shaw. The handles are made from Pau shell. These knives are similar to some of Holder’s knives that I saw at the Blade Show, and since his photos were far superior to mine, I opted to use them instead.

Suchat Jangtanong

Jangtanong is a Thai knifemaker who lives in Bangkok Thailand, and I came across his knives at the booth of Keith Newman, who imports them through his company Mr. Damascus. The knives, folders and balisongs, have received rave reviews from knife lovers for their design and functionality. Jangatong’s knives range anywhere from $300 to well over $2,000. You can purchase them, here.

Tahar Nadim Raza

Tahar Nadim Raza makes a wide variety of custom-made knives, check out his huge collection of daggers and Damascus-steel knives.

Well, that’s my day three round up, which one of these knifemakers do you like the most?

Chef makes it past TSA checkpoint with four huge chef knives

June 17, 2011 / Tim / 0 Comments

A few months ago, I wrote a post about how to prevent getting your pocket knife confiscated by TSA: it appears not everyone read it.

Chef Paul Kahan, an award-winning chef and partner in Chicago restaurants Avec, Blackbird, Big Star and the Publican, admitted via Twitter that he accidentally carried four “huge” chef knives past security at Chicago-O’Hare airport and onto a plane. It appears TSA agents were preoccupied with his wallet:

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should try a similar stunt, as not everyone is as fortunate as Mr. Kahan. Last year, an Indian priest was arrested when he boarded a plane with a 4-inch knife and attempted to cut fruit with. it The bottom line: Keep your knives in your checked bag when you’re flying.

Knives save lives: David’s deadly seat belt

June 17, 2011 / Tim / 12 Comments

When you think of dangerous activities, things like skydiving, drag racing, free climbing and white-water rafting might pop into your head.

You probably don’t think something as mundane as putting on a seat belt is dangerous, but our latest installment of knives save lives is a testament that danger can strike at any moment.

In November of 2006, Kaamilya Wilson was on a routine trip in the car with her then five-year-old son David and family when disaster struck.

While putting on his seat belt, David somehow became entangled and the belt tightly wrapped around his neck. An old piece in the ABC local news featured an interview with David and his sister about the incident.

“I was trying to buckle myself and it snatched me back, so it got around my neck,” explained David.

“I was scared because he was turning colors and he couldn’t breath,” said his older sister, Alicia.

When something like that happens, panic usually sets in and it did with Kaamilya who was screaming and hollering in fear. Another passenger in the car waved down an officer passing by, but he couldn’t do anything to untangle the boy because it was too tight around his neck.

Precious time was ticking away.

Maces, daos and neck knives at the Blade Show

June 14, 2011 / Tim / 0 Comments

On day three of the Blade Show, I decided to spend most of my time strolling through the aisles checking out cool knives. There were approximately 900 booths at the show this year, making it virtually impossible to see everything, but here are a few of my highlights.

The Sabersmith

Picture this: You’re standing in line at the grocery, waiting for an elderly woman to tediously count out the dozen or so coupons she brought to save $3 on oatmeal cookies and eggs. It’s agonizing, and when things couldn’t get any worse, she remembers that she has additional coupons in her car and heads out to the parking lot, walking at a snail’s pace, to retrieve them.

How could you expedite this process? Well, demanding that the clerk check you out first by waving around a 5-foot medieval mace would be a good start.

The Sabersmith (real name Tim Lawler) crafts a number of “beyond battle-ready weapons,” such as axes, swords, hammers and daggers. His booth is quite an eye-catcher, as it resembles a a medieval torture arsenal.

Neck Knives

The neck knife works just like it sounds. A great tactical and outdoor knife, this uniquely-shaped blade can be easily hung on a sheath around the neck for quick access. Neck knives are often issued to the military, because they are excellent tactical weapons in dangerous situations. Neck knives are also popular with policeman, who use them frequently during rescues. These neck knives are made by Spartan and retail in the ballpark of $200.

A dao suited for a monk

The CAS Hanwei booth had some pretty sweet knives, but I was particularly interested in this Jie Dao, which is used by Shaolin monks. The dao doesn’t have a sharp point, as monks are forbidden from carrying weapons, and it is used primarily for domestic purposes, such as gathering firewood, clearing a path in the forest and even shaving.

Knifemen slash and dash at the Blade World Cutting Championship

June 13, 2011 / Tim / 0 Comments

Day two at the Blade Show culminated with the World Cutting Championship, in which knife-wielding competitors dashed through an obstacle course while slicing targets to pieces.

It was obscenely hot in the courtyard of the Cobb Galleria at 4 p.m., yet despite the scorching weather, close to a hundred spectators had gathered to watch 13 knifemen chop though wood, water bottles, golf balls and rope in the hopes of being crowned the 2011 champion.

The course took competitors approximately 45 seconds to compete. Time was a component of scoring, but more important was whether or not participants cut through the various obstacles completely.

The favorite was Donavon Phillips, who was coming off a recent victory at the U.S. National Championships in Mountain View, Arkansas. Phillips, who appeared to be at least 6 foot 3 and in the neighborhood of 300 pounds, cut an intimidating figure in the courtyard.

Sporting a black cowboy hat, dark sunglasses and a long goatee, he paced with nervous energy before unsheathing his knife—named Delta’s Edge—and bombing through the course and to the top of the leader board.

However, Philips reign was only short-lived, as Gary Bond would later nudge past him and take the crown.

If you ever have the time, The Blade World Cutting Competition is definitely worth checking out. Scope out the video below and let me know what you think.

Bear Grylls makes surprise visit at Gerber Knives meeting

June 12, 2011 / Tim / 5 Comments

Imagine going to a stuffy meeting with a bunch of suits only to find that the ultimate survivorman makes a guest appearance to say hello.

That’s what happened when Bear Grylls, the star of Man Vs. Wild, made a surprise visit to Portland this week at the annual U.S. management meeting of the Fiskars Corp., according to The Oregonian.

Fiskars Corp. is involved with Gerber Knives, the company that makes Bear’s line of knives, so his appearance isn’t that inconceivable. The news from the conference however, was very astonishing.

The Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife was the best-seller in its category for the first quarter of this year. His knife is a huge hit for two reasons. One, he uses his knife in every episode of his show. Two, the knife is actually extremely well-made.

The Cutting Edge

The official blog of Knife Depot