The History of Throwing Knives

When you think of knife throwing, you probably think of a twirling wheel with someone strapped to it and a blindfolded person throwing knives. This is a more modern form of knife throwing that is used as entertainment. Knife throwing is rich with history that dates back to prehistoric times.

Prehistoric use of throwing knives

In prehistoric times, knives were used for hunting. These early weapons were called throwing sticks. Other prehistoric knife-throwing cultures include the Tutankhamun in Egypt and the Aborigines of Australia. These early throwing sticks evolved into what are recognized today as throwing knives.

Samurai warriors and ninja stars

The throwing knife quickly became a practical weapon with the advancement of metallurgy. A culture that embraced this new weapon is the legendary Samurai warriors of ancient Japan. The weapon of choice for the Samurai was the ninja star, or shuriken. There are two types: hira-shuiken and bo-shuriken. The bo-shuriken more closely resembles what is called a throwing knife today.

Native and African American battle knives

Across the continents, other cultures throughout history continued to use the throwing knife as a weapon. The most well-known cultures incorporating throwing knives include African American and Native American tribes. The tomahawk, a throwing axe, was used extensively by Native Americans in battle.

Knife throwing as entertainment or recreation

In the 1800s, the focus of throwing knives began to shift away from weapon usage and started evolving into a sport. Competitions where men competed for accuracy were considered events for the truly brave. From this early form of entertainment, the modern-day fascination with theatrical knife throwing evolved. Circuses, talent shows and competitions keep this sport alive by providing opportunities for highly skilled knife throwers to wow their audiences.

The history of throwing knives spans continents, centuries and cultures. From the prehistoric men who used throwing knives to catch prey to the Samurai warrior wielding a ninja star, these early uses and the evolution to today's knife throwing as entertainment provide an interesting look at how the knife throwing of today came to exist.