Knife/Ax Throwing.... Huron County Chuckers

I think I have mentioned something like this before, but people are serious at the things they do.  Or, there is a lot of seriousness at the top end of all kinds of activities.  No matter what the activity, there is a select group who are vested.  Serious model airplane pilots are meticulous in the craft of aerodynamics, flight, controls, and the like that that world involves - model air planing.  So anyway, knife and ax throwers have a heightened awareness within their craft.  Weighted knifes calibrated to the ounce.  Set distances which can't be fudged.  Targets hung at a precise vertical limit.  Fancy holsters for the knives.

It was out to a buddies place the other day with Tara, Trevor, and Craig.  There is an indoor throwing facility only a few kilometres outside of town.  I know many people throw knives in town, but this group prefers to keep in all on the down-low so that they aren't really a business, rather just a social club.  I get it.  But when it comes to the actually throwing, sets of rules and norms are strictly followed to a tee.

I started with the knives.  There are no sharp edges on them whatsoever.  They have a tip, but it is not sharp at all.  If the knife does get a burr on it, they immediately polish/grind.buff it off.  I think I was throwing from between the 2m and 3m line with 1 spin.  I held the knife by the handle, of course, and after its spin it either penetrated the wooded stop, thudded to a crash, or ricocheted back at me.  One does have to be very mindful.  Whether it was luck, maybe some skill, but I ended up getting the hang of it.  But like bowling and golf, there were plenty of off-the-marks despite getting a number of smooth throws to land.

As you move back with the knives, the spin increases.  Maybe between the 3 and 4m lines it is a 1.5 spin, therefore you throw while gripping the "blade", which is not sharp, part of the knife.  I can't say I hit too many of those throws in their respective mark, so I just moved forward and worked on the 1 spin throw.

It was actually a hatchet, not an ax, but hatchet throwing was also on the menu.  The same principles applied, although I don't recall any throwing done by its "blade" end, which again is not sharp.  Maybe a bit easier, but this throwing was fun and satisfying in that way bowling a strike is, or hitting a hole in one in mini-golf is.  When the hatchet leaves your hand you can almost instantly sense its worth.  Immediately you can feel whether it is on the mark and will impale into the wood.  Like knife throwing, it is all finesse and feel.  This is not a sport for muscle heads.  The speed or thrust in which you throw makes little difference - although in Game of Thrones that does not appear so.  I can tell you it is more about rhythm and touch.  Just for some fun, Craig also chucks a shovel which is about a foot and a half in length, and sure enough thump!