Spikes

Spikes are very low cost throwing devices, not so bad for learning. In the hardware store you can get spikes up to 10 inches and more.

Spikes
(Dummy for picture to come) Spikes

To make the spike a little bit more similar to a knife, a simple treatment with hammer and/or file is sufficient.

(1) Point. Just beat it flat with a Hammer on the anvil and point a little bit it with the file. Only drawback: The flat point bends quite easily. But as easy as well you can bend it back straight.

(2) Head. For pure "blade throwers" the head makes no difference. But for handle throwing the head of the spike is nasty, because it scratches, when the spike slips out of the hand. Two solutions:

(2.1) Simply cut off the head with the metal saw and grid the edge smooth with the file.

(2.2) But as a lazy man I prefere the follwoing solution: doing nothing at all, leaving the head as is. And this has even its own advantage, as you will read next.

Remember John Bailey's advice: Do not let the knife slip slowly out of the hand, but open the hand most quickly, as if the knife were a hot potatoe all of a sudden. Yes - with that head attatched, you automatically give attention to the sudden opening of the hand, otherwise it scratches. So the nasty spike-head resembles exactly that "hot potatoe", John Bailey tells about. So it is good for the technique. Smile.

Have fun throwing the "hot potatoe"