There are countless ways to use a knife — from opening packages and cutting twine to sharpening pencils and saving lives. While knives are great for accomplishing an array of functional tasks, sometimes they’re good for a little entertainment, such as throwing knives.
Here’s a great video overview from shooter1721 on YouTube:
Like shimmering trout swimming through a river, these wavy throwers from Boker are engineered for speed and efficient movement. The throwers are designed by the great John Bailey, who has won first place in the World Quick Draw Knife Throwing Competition several years in a row.
The host of travel show “Parts Unknown,” which is entering its ninth season, spends more than 200 days a year on the road.
And in a short travel write-up with The New York Times, Bourdain revealed the five things he can’t travel without. He always has to take moleskin notebooks, books, something to rest his head on at airports or on planes, a few jujitsu uniforms, and a “hidden knife.”
Image from Lwp Kommunikáció on Flickr
That’s right, Bourdain keeps a hidden knife on him when visiting shady places. Here’s his rationale:
“If it’s a place with heavy street crime, I have this sneaky credit card that turns into a knife. It’s not something you’d want to get into a serious fight with, but it might be a rude surprise should someone grab you from behind as you enter your hotel room.”
From the image accompanying the article in the Times, Bourdain carries a Cardsharp from Iain Sinclair. This is one of the most popular credit card knives, which you can pick up for about $10, but it may be a mistake.
Why the Cardsharp is awful for self-defense
1) If someone grabs you from behind as you enter your hotel room, this knife is several steps removed from coming in handy. First, you have to take your wallet out of your pocket and pull the knife out. Then you have to go through the laborious process of opening it. Here are the three steps you need to do to open it up.
By the time the knife is out and engaged, it could be too late.
2) It’s not durable. In a pinch, the knife can be useful when open, but I wouldn’t bet my life on it. In fact, you may be better off simply using your keys or even a hotel key, which can be used to slash at an attacker’s eyes. There are ton of reviews saying the knife is not sturdy or well-built. In a real scuffle, there’s a good possibility of it failing in your hand.
“I have no idea where I’m going from here, but I promise I won’t bore you.”
That’s a quote from the late great David Bowie and it’s a creed we should all live by. I guarantee you Steve Calvert of Green Beetle approaches every video he makes for YouTube that way.
Just a few weeks ago, we highlighted his thoroughly hilariously and ingenious video in which he forges the “Murica Knife” using fast food materials like french fries, bacon, and beer. In my humble opinion, his latest video simply titled “Forging a Bowie Knife” is even better.
Badass knives come in all shapes and sizes, but this tactical folder from Kershaw may have the quintessential look of the generally accepted image of a badass knife.
The Kershaw Lifter features a large 3.5-inch blade made of 4Cr14 stainless steel and a modified tanto profile and slight recurve that’ll leave you wondering why all knives don’t have the unique design. The profile offers a strong and piercing point with a curved belly to accomplish nearly any task with ease.
The knife also boasts the lightning fast SpeedSafe assisted-opening mechanism and a built-in flipper to engage the blade in a flash. Ambidextrous thumb studs can also be used to propel the blade open.
Few things are more satisfying than throwing a knife at a target several feet away. The weight of the knife, the feeling of your energy transferring into the piece of steel, the sound it makes sticking into the wood.
I contend that knife throwing has become an increasingly popular hobby just from the interest I’ve seen around the subject and because throwers typically top the lists of best-sellers here at Knife Depot.
So to continue our trend of revealing some of the best-selling knives in each category, we turn to throwing knives. These seven throwing knife sets reveal what types of throwers people are gravitating to the most.
7. United Cutlery Hibben Competition 3-Piece Set
Coming in at seven on the list is a set of throwers designed by the great Gil Hibben for United Cutlery. The three-piece throwing knife set is on the large side with the knives boasting an overall length of just over a foot. We’ve gotten a lot of feedback that these knives are durable, well-balanced, and comfortable.
It’s hard to ask for anything more in a good throwing knife.
6. Magnum by Boker Mini Bo-Kri Set
Next up is the curvaceous Mini Bo-Kri set from Magnum by Boker. These throwers are designed by the great John Bailey, who won first place in the World Quick Draw Knife Throwing Competition and designs knives. Here’s a quick video showing him in action:
The knives have a wavy appearance with a 10.75-inch overall length. Made from 420J2 stainless steel, the knives are made to stick deep in their targets thanks to their clip points.
5. Japanese Shinobi 12-Piece Set
One of the best pieces of advice I heard someone give to knife throwing beginners is to get a set with a lot of pieces. Not only is it a hassle to stop what you’re doing every three throws to go retrieve the throwers (which are likely strewn about pretty far) but you also mess up your flow.
Robots are our servants and should only be forced to work in the factories, vacuum, and occasionally dance. Unfortunately, there’s always going to be that one person who wants to give robots just a little too much power.
Today, that person is YouTuber Irfon Automation. He wanted to show off his skills so he attached a knife to a Staubli TX40 and programmed it to play the knife game or five finger fillet or whatever you want to call it. Here’s what happened:
Sure, it’s downright impressive that his neighbor (or sacrificial lamb) did not get his fingers cut off, but I don’t think it’s quite the best use of a machine that’s known for doing mundane work like precision lathe loading and unloading (whatever that means).
Want to show someone what a real knife looks like a la Crocodile Dundee? Point them to the latest Badass Knife of the Week.
The SP10 Spec Plus Marine Raider Bowie is a beastly blade from the inimitable Ontario Knife Company and is among the best all-around heavyweight knives on the market.
Modeled after the classic American Bowie, this knife boasts a jumbo-sized 9.75-inch blade made of 1095 carbon steel, which is insanely tough and easy to sharpen. Although it’s not corrosion resistant, the steel is coated with epoxy textured powder coating for extra protection from the elements and to minimize the steel’s reflective properties.
Over the years, Spyderco has made it crystal clear that if you disassemble your knife, it will void the warranty.
At one point in 2010, Spyderco marketer Kristi Hunter said it in plain terms on the Spyderco forums:
Disassembling a Spyderco voids the warranty. Period. There was a question about this being a “myth”. It is not a myth. It does not matter if you don’t break anything when you do it. If we can tell that a knife has been disassembled (whether it’s a FrankenSpyder or not) the warranty is technically void.
But earlier this month, Spyderco announced that disassembling your knife does not automatically void the warranty.
Dozens of the classic and iconic Swiss Army Knife exist, but the one that keeps coming out as a perennial favorite also happens to be the direct descendant of an icon.
When most people think of a Swiss Army Knife, they think of the original Victorinox Officer’s Knife. Its spirit and design continues to live on in the Victorinox Spartan.
Although boasting a design that’s more than 100 years old, the Spartan feels as fresh and modern as ever.
Here is a quick overview:
This version of the beloved model features the recognizable red Cellidor scales with the Victorinox shield highlighted in white for the world to see. It’s also available in a sleek and sexy black.
Knife Right’s massive fundraising event called the Ultimate Steel Spectacular is back and — well — it’s spectacular.
Every year Knife Rights launches its Ultimate Steel campaign to raise money because fighting for your right to carry knives doesn’t come cheap.
This year, the knife-advocacy organization has more than $200,000 worth of prizes to give away to those who donate to the cause.
Here’s how it works: You pick one of 10 donation amounts and receive entries based on the amount. For $20, you get one entry. For $60, you get four entries as well as a free bonus entry. As you get to higher amounts, you also get some nice add-ons. For example, at the $300 mark, you get 37 entries (including 22 free entries) and a free Colonial Nemesis, which is valued at $200. Those are available in limited quantities.
