Perfect Balance Thrower

The "Perfect Balance Thrower" by the company Cold Steel is a remake of a throwing knife that was very popular in the USA in the 1960s: the Bowie-Axe. The ancestor was designed and sold, as early as 1959, by the Tru-Balance Knife Company (TruBal), which was founded by Harry McEvoy and Charles V. Gruzanski. The company still being in existence today, with a bit of luck it is still possible to buy some of the original models. The new Perfect Balance Thrower is made from different materials than the Bowie-Axe, for example another steel was chosen (carbon content: 0.5 - 0.6%) to improve the properties required for throwing. But, the blade must now be coated to prevent rust. The sheath for this knife is sold separately.

The most prominent feature of the throwing knife is its sharp blade. In theory an all-purpose knife, it can not be used for finer cuts required in carving or even when peeling an apple because the blade is too thick. By virtue of its weight, it is well-suited for hacking wood. As a knife thrower, you will want to dull the blade to prevent injuries when training. But even then, owing to the wide blade, it can not be thrown comfortably from the blade.

After taking off the plastic slabs from the handle, the knife throws very well from the handle side. It requires a rather forceful throw, and the thrower has to stand at exactly the distances he trained for.

A cheaply made Sport version of the Perfect Balance (review) is also available.

The photo below shows an original Bowie-Axe which Dieter Führer bought in 1981 for 30 Dollars. Made from spring steel, it has been thrown for more than 30 years without suffering any damage. Dieter could not use it as daily knife either, the convex edge did not lend itself to sharpening.

You can buy the Perfect Balance Thrower at Toolshop.