Most throwing knives are cheap, in all ways. That’s great for practice, but if you know what you’re doing and want to step up to something real, try the Boker Ziel.
Boker’s Ziel meets the specifications of most tournament throwing clubs, making it the choice of professionals who need a balanced tournament-grade throwing knife built to uniformly high standards. Made from one piece of 420J2 stainless steel with a double-edged fullered blade, the stock of this 14-ounce knife is a full one-quarter inch thick. Countersunk depressions in the solid stainless steel handle shift the balance point to just forward of the hilt. Designed by John Bailey, the Ziel II is intended for maximum penetration and predictable rotation with a sharpened blade tip but no functional cutting edge on the blade sides. Putting a working edge on this thick steel will be beyond the ability and patience of most users.
You’ll probably be uncertain about whether to actually throw this excellent knife for fear of beating it up — even this heavy knife could be badly damaged by poor throws. The Boker Ziel isn’t the best choice for learning this old skill, since it’s a shame to ruin such a fine piece of work with the mistakes a beginner unavoidably makes. A set of cheap practice knives would be the smarter way to start, moving up to the Ziel when ability matches the blade.
Some touch-up will be required before putting the the 13.25-inch Boker Ziel to work. Check the edges of the knife blade and handle for burs. Those minor imperfections clean up easily with nothing more than a whetstone, and taking care of them first eliminates nicked fingers. Boker’s Ziel throwing knife comes with a leather belt sheath for convenient and safe carrying.
