Poll of the Day > Are throwing knives a good weapon?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Accuracy is important

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B203twyaMfM

no.

you will most likely miss
---

Pretty good weapon if you are good at throwing them. Terrible weapon if you are not.

---

No. If they catch it now theyve got a knife.

---

Firewood18 posted...

defense

How would throwing-knives be useful in defending oneself? It seems like the sort of weapon meant for solely for offense, with no defensive utility whatsoever.
---

Krazy_Kirby posted...

no.

you will most likely miss

---

EclairReturns posted...

How would throwing-knives be useful in defending oneself? It seems like the sort of weapon meant for solely for offense, with no defensive utility whatsoever.

self defense
---

In a game, yeah. In real life, no
---

casual defense lol

---

No, Skallagrim does a good video on this... IIRC

---

Krazy_Kirby posted...

self defense

dude come on

dude

---

SaltyAndSweet posted...

dude come on

dude

I mean, technically, you could use them for self defense. Youre attacked by someone, but get away. They chase after you and you run. But get backed into a corner. Theyre closing in, so you start throwing knives at them. Highly unlikely, but possible. That said, if you miss, or they catch it, now they have a weapon. So, probably not the way weapon to use in most cases
---

Krazy_Kirby posted...

no.

you will most likely miss

This. You'd need to carry several so you can take another shot if the first misses, which isn't very practical and is also generally going to be pretty slow. If you're going to carry a knife for self-defense, hold on to it and stab people then old-fashioned way instead of trying to get fancy for no reason.

EclairReturns posted...

How would throwing-knives be useful in defending oneself? It seems like the sort of weapon meant for solely for offense, with no defensive utility whatsoever.

Also this. As a defensive measure, throwing a knife is really only going to help if you have plenty of advance notice and can see your assailant coming. In close quarters, you're going to be vastly better off just knifing them.

---

A throwing knife is the perfect weapon for self defence. Not only can it be used to instantly kill any attacker, but in an emergency it can also slice distant pieces of cheese.

---

Great if you're Jack Burton

Terrible if you're Lo Pan

---

Compared to what? A gun? No.

It takes alot of skill to use one and then it can still be foiled by light armor etc.

That being said instinctive half spin throws can hit very accurately up to long distances.
Here is a video of a dude showing that in fact. If you have a bunch on your belt that are easy
to grab and throw, you could take out quite a few people quietly from range, much faster then
most other types of ranged weapons (and quieter then even a silenced gun..which isn't THAT silent).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuSjZ9mWIHU&ab_channel=AdamCeladin

---

You only get one shot, unless you're carrying a bunch of knives.

I would think that a shuriken or makibishi would be a better weapon. More edges to hit an enemy with, and the latter can be dropped as a caltrop.

---

There's a 50/50 chance you'll hit them with the handle and look like an idiot

---

captpackrat posted...

You only get one shot, unless you're carrying a bunch of knives.

That's why I always carry at least 8 throwing knives with me whenever I leave the house

People can keep fighting you with a stab wound, even if you get them somewhere vital it's still gonna take some time for them to bleed out. I know people who have been stabbed, they all told me it hurts about as much as getting punched.

---

synth_real posted...

People can keep fighting you with a stab wound, even if you get them somewhere vital it's still gonna take some time for them to bleed out. I know people who have been stabbed, they all told me it hurts about as much as getting punched.

Unless you're a badass and can hit them in the center of the forehead every time

OhhhJa posted...

Unless you're a badass and can hit them in the center of the forehead every time

Throat or if no body armor heart....good knife throwers can totally hit that target for 5-10 meters every time.

Walk into a room with 6 throwing knives and 6 people without a gun/ranged weapon and you could potentially take em all out before they could reach you.

---

For casual defense? Ehhh... They're a good concealed weapon, but for self-defense there are so many better options. (And, as far as user-friendly weapons go, variations on throwing quills are a lot easier to learn, and they can be concealed roughly the same way, and in roughly the same quantity.)

However, the way you see them thrown in a lot of movies -- with the weird rotating full spin -- is just flat-out wrong.

OhhhJa posted... Unless you're a badass and can hit them in the center of the forehead every time

Honestly, you'd be better off going for an eye because you wouldn't necessarily get a deep enough wound in the center of the forehead.

---

Thank you all. Now I can forward this advice to my 15 yr old kid and instead invest in a samurai sword.


---

SaltyAndSweet posted...

No. If they catch it now theyve got a knife.

---

Zareth posted...

There's a 50/50 chance you'll hit them with the handle and look like an idiot

no, because you could completely miss
---

Zareth posted...

There's a 50/50 chance you'll hit them with the handle and look like an idiot

It's probably been done before but that would be a hilarious skit idea. Guy throws a knife and hits the dude in the face with the handle and he still goes down in agonizing pain

Great if you're Brock Sampson

---

Firewood18 posted...

Thank you all. Now I can forward this advice to my 15 yr old kid and instead invest in a samurai sword.

Kind of an iffy "casual defense" weapon because it's not something you can carry on you. Even around the home, I'd say it's less effective most of the time than just a baseball bat.

---

The sword would be just decorative. The knives I would be throwing backhand into plywood for fun.

---

Zeus posted...

For casual defense? Ehhh... They're a good concealed weapon, but for self-defense there are so many better options. (And, as far as user-friendly weapons go, variations on throwing quills are a lot easier to learn, and they can be concealed roughly the same way, and in roughly the same quantity.)

However, the way you see them thrown in a lot of movies -- with the weird rotating full spin -- is just flat-out wrong.

Honestly, you'd be better off going for an eye because you wouldn't necessarily get a deep enough wound in the center of the forehead.

Eye is a really hard shot, but doable from close range some of the time (but yeah wouldn't suggest going for the head at all. Even the leg is a better target as you could cause someone to bleed out quickly and if still the leg is a big target (could slow em down as well).

Still say chest (lung/heart etc) or throat is the best bet, either could be deadly and are fairly large targets. If it's just casual dudes possibly with guns etc but not expecting you (Ie no body armor etc), you could enter, throw the knives and leave/take off, causing massive damage behind you, get around a corner and a bit back after running and then hit whoever chases with a few more knives as well.

Still wouldn't say it's the best weapon and you need more practice then most other ranged weapons but yeah, totally silent (other then the people yelling you just threw knives into), Also VERY re-usable, so if there are just a few people at a time, you could possibly kill em, reclaim the knives and move on/repeat. Safer then using a melee weapon against 2-3 people per room, quieter then most ranged weapons and no worries about arrows etc breaking etc (so no ammo worries).

Back of the neck works just as well as the front btw, so if your silent/careful you could take out 1 or 2 people before they even know whats happening sometimes.

---

EclairReturns posted...

How would throwing-knives be useful in defending oneself? It seems like the sort of weapon meant for solely for offense, with no defensive utility whatsoever.

If you can see them coming it could work. Accuracy is still a issue though.

---

wolfy42 posted...

Eye is a really hard shot, but doable from close range some of the time (but yeah wouldn't suggest going for the head at all. Even the leg is a better target as you could cause someone to bleed out quickly and if still the leg is a big target (could slow em down as well).

Still say chest (lung/heart etc) or throat is the best bet, either could be deadly and are fairly large targets. If it's just casual dudes possibly with guns etc but not expecting you (Ie no body armor etc), you could enter, throw the knives and leave/take off, causing massive damage behind you, get around a corner and a bit back after running and then hit whoever chases with a few more knives as well.

Still wouldn't say it's the best weapon and you need more practice then most other ranged weapons but yeah, totally silent (other then the people yelling you just threw knives into), Also VERY re-usable, so if there are just a few people at a time, you could possibly kill em, reclaim the knives and move on/repeat. Safer then using a melee weapon against 2-3 people per room, quieter then most ranged weapons and no worries about arrows etc breaking etc (so no ammo worries).

Back of the neck works just as well as the front btw, so if your silent/careful you could take out 1 or 2 people before they even know whats happening sometimes.

I don't believe that people are necessarily at a high risk of quickly bleeding out from a throwing knife, and unless you hit a vital area -- or the person gives up after any injury -- it doesn't really have a lot of stopping power.

As for the back of the neck, keep in mind that we're discussing defense >_>

---

Zeus posted...

I don't believe that people are necessarily at a high risk of quickly bleeding out from a throwing knife, and unless you hit a vital area -- or the person gives up after any injury -- it doesn't really have a lot of stopping power.

As for the back of the neck, keep in mind that we're discussing defense >_>

The best defense........

Knife in the leg is actually very deadly, especially if you try to move. That vid I showed above, knives thrown with that much force can do serious damage...I sure wouldn't want to be hit with one!!

---

wolfy42 posted...

I sure wouldn't want to be hit with one!!

Well, I mean, that's not really saying anything. I wouldn't want to be hit by a book, let alone a sharp object.

---

Zeus posted...

Well, I mean, that's not really saying anything. I wouldn't want to be hit by a book, let alone a sharp object.

Depends on the book. If it's a new Dresdin book or the next book in a Song of Ice and Fire, I'm so down.

---

Zeus posted...

As for the back of the neck, keep in mind that we're discussing defense >_>

self defense is defending yourself or another's life. you could hit them from the back and still have it be self defense if they were headed for someone
---

If your opponent is unarmed, a regular knife would probably be a much better weapon. A KA-BAR, M9 or the like.



If your opponent is armed with a knife and you miss with a throwing knife, then you're unarmed.

If your opponent is armed with a gun, then you're stupid for bringing a knife to a gunfight.


---

^
21 foot rule means knifes can win
---

captpackrat posted...

If your opponent is armed with a knife and you miss with a throwing knife, then you're unarmed.

Even if you do hit them, now they have a knife and have a reason to be pissed off. Humans are pretty resilient when it's life or death.

captpackrat posted...

If your opponent is armed with a gun, then you're stupid for bringing a knife to a gunfight.

Depends on how close you are. There are certainly distances that favor a knife. The image you posted certainly isn't a "gunfight," that's melee which guns aren't really suited for unless you know gun-fu.

---