Dagger throwing

[Jay Vail]

Hello Jake

About throwing a knife
Yes it is possible to be relatively good at it; I have seen a few guys that were very good at it during my time in the army but I would be on Jays opinion. I can only throw reliably about 3 paces. That is awfully close if I bugger it up.


phil

This afternoon, I got out my knives and my target and had a go with them. I am still unable reliably to get a point hit with the overhand throw, although I am way out of practice. However, at three paces I can get a point hit 90 pct of the time with an underhand cast irrespective of the type of blade I am throwing, even though it has been years and years since I have done this. I say this for what it's worth. I have not tested whether such a cast will penetrate thick clothing, such as was worn in the middle ages. I can only tell you it will stick in the target (a styrofoam archery target).

As Phillipe says, three paces is awfully close to bugger it up. You have to be really desperate to throw your dagger. At three paces you can make a stab on the pass. So why throw the blade?

[Jon Pellett]

Hello

This article includes translation of parts of a Mamluk military manual - it mentions that a warrior should be able to throw his khanjar (dagger) like a javelin. Not European, but it is the right period.

According to this SFI thread Marcelli has a section on dagger throwing as well.

On sword throwing, McBane says: "...or perhaps, if he sees an Open, he will dart his Sword at you, and if he misses, trust to his Heels. I would not advise you at any time to do the last mention'd...."

Cheers

[JeremyDillon]

This afternoon, I got out my knives and my target and had a go with them. I am still unable reliably to get a point hit with the overhand throw, although I am way out of practice. However, at three paces I can get a point hit 90 pct of the time with an underhand cast irrespective of the type of blade I am throwing, even though it has been years and years since I have done this. I say this for what it's worth. I have not tested whether such a cast will penetrate thick clothing, such as was worn in the middle ages. I can only tell you it will stick in the target (a styrofoam archery target).

As Phillipe says, three paces is awfully close to bugger it up. You have to be really desperate to throw your dagger. At three paces you can make a stab on the pass. So why throw the blade?

Interesting, thanks for putting some time into experimentation for us! I think a possible advantage of throwing at such a short range is demonstrated in the aforementioned Talhoffer plate. When facing an opponent with a long weapon (i.e. a spear), throwing a dagger successfully (the key word here being successfully) would eliminate the range advantage of the spear. Although I definitely agree that it would be a desperate action, and in most cases disadvantagous, because there are many effective techniques to close past the point of a spear. I also highly doubt that a dagger thrown with human force could penetrate even the lightest of armors.

[philippewillaume]

Hello
Have any one tried the spear like throwing. ?
I have tried it yesterday and today and I would like to compare result and have you impressions.
I used the same technique I use to throw spear from a horse.

phil

[Nathaniel Bacon]

I am not trying to cross periods but as everything today was built on the shoulders of those before us…

I look to how prevalent throwing weapons were during roman times. Aside from the well known pilum, javelins and darts (plumbata) were used. The Merovingian and Carolingian Franks used the Francisca throwing axe to good effect. In later periods a similar weapon, the hurlbat, was used.

All of the before referenced weapons are mentioned in texts and/or pictures. Based on this and my own experience in throwing knives and axes I would be very surprised if a fighting man of any medieval period were not trained in a variety of throwing weapons.

The weapons mentioned above are all designed to pierce shield or armor and serve one purpose, war/hunting. The dagger is more like the tomahawk in that it is both tool and weapon. I am sure the dagger could be, and was, thrown during a fight; that men trained to do so; but that it would not be a first choice if other options were available.

I keep thinking of how dumb it would be to toss a weapon away in a 1vs1 fight but in a battle there may be more opportunity or need to use your dagger this way.

Ehh, thats my two cents.

[Will Adamson]

Sorry about resurrecting this thread, but I talked to my brother-in-law the side show performer about this discussion last night. He said this website might be of interest regarding throwing sharp, pointy things.

www.throwzini.com

He also said that an aquaintance of his did some sort of overhand technique that did not involve rotation and thus he could make it stick at any distance (within range of course.) He didn't think it was akin to a javalin throw, but was more like what I can only describe as casting.