This page is part of the official ARCHIVE COPY of the pioneering but abandoned Thrower website on knife throwing. Copyright and details Complementary page on KnifeThrowing.info: How many knives do I need? |
Jan. 22, 1997
There are only two elements to the economics of knife throwing
as a hobby. These are:
Sometimes there are other considerations like buying or making
sheaths for your knives, but most sport
knife throwers do very well without these, I will not consider them
further, but recommend you check out the link.
Knives consume targets. From time to time they must be replaced.
Sometimes they cost next to nothing. Some people have access to lots
of cardboard boxes which can be used to make indoor targets. Sometimes
even log butts, the preferred target, are available for no cost other
than a little chain-saw gas. For others, access to adequate free
materials is not possible, and wood must be purchased. Again, the
cost will vary from place to place. Log butts are sometimes very
inexpensive from saw mills, and sometimes they are hard to find.
In my case I must purchase my wood. I buy four foot long sections of
Douglas Fir that are twelve inches wide, and four inches deep. I press
three of these together with pipe clamps to make a target thirty
six inches wide, and four feet high. I buy utility wood that costs
about $3/ft, and that's the cheap stuff! Thus a single target costs
me $36. Now these pieces can be used in various combinations, turned
over, etc., so that one set of three pieces lasts me about 4 months
(longer in winter, shorter in summer). Thus my total cost for wood
throughout the year (and I throw almost every day) is about $100.
I must also put a couple of wraps of duct tape at the top and bottom
of the target to help hold the wood in place. One role of duct tape
costs about $7 and lasts through three target changes, about 1 year.
Finally there are the pipe clamps which cost me about $20. I've been
using the same set for a couple of years now. They last indefinately.
Besides wood, other targets can be purchased for indoor use with
small knives. These are like dart-boards without the metal spokes,
and run about $15. Some people have used certain archery targets
made from something like compressed cellophane. These can be priced
in various archery magazines and catalogs, but I do not know how
long they stand up to knife throwing.
KNIVES
The cost of throwing knives is deceptive. By this I mean they seem very
inexpensive compared to real knives, but that cost is deceiving because
you will typically want at least three of a kind when you really get
into throwing, and some people prefer sets of five.
Good professional, even hand made, throwing knives can cost as little as
$25. The most expensive I've seen (Harald Moeller's Vipers) cost
upwards of $200 (those are his most expensive models), with typical
prices falling in the $45 to $75 range. This is very inexpensive
compared to real knives as most knife enthusiasts will tell you. I
even recommend that to get started, you purchase only ONE of a given
knife to see how you like it. When you discover a thrower you really
like (and this varies greatly from person to person as with many other
things in life), you will want to purchase more of them because it
is a pain in the neck to throw one knife and have to traverse to your
target after each throw. Three knives seems to be a good minimum set,
while some throwers like to have between five and eight. Personally
I don't have more than three of anything!
To some, even these prices will be too much to bear. Remember that
throwing knives are easy to
make from all sorts of random pieces
of steel, and
ready made implements like big nails,
and screwdrivers
can be thrown for just as much fun as throwing knives. Put another way,
if you have target material and a few screwdrivers, chisels, or strong
(and relatively heavy) kitchen knives lying around, you can have a lot
of fun developing a throwing hobby for just about no cost at all!
CLOTHING
I didn't mention clothing above because, strictly speaking, you don't
need any at all. Sure, go ahead and throw nude if you want. So long as
the neighbors don't mind, I'm not going to tell anybody. Also, most
people don't consider clothing as a part of the economics of knife
throwing because they throw knives in what ever they happen to be
wearing at the time. This too is perfectly acceptable.
However, if you want to be a romantic/theatrical knife thrower,
or just plain cool, then you must have:
Total cost for above items can easily excede $1000 (you're going to get
a good whip and knife aren't you)! Mix and match with
your existing clothing to taste, and have fun!
Mail to mjr, goto
Survival, or back to
Thrower
This page is part of the official ARCHIVE COPY of the pioneering but abandoned Thrower website on knife throwing. Copyright and details