Books and videos on knife throwing

The books and videos on knife throwing presented here will help you to dive deeper into the sport.

As with every sport, there is no such thing as the one and only correct technique, but rather many different styles, and you will like some better than others. So, I recommend that you first read the pages here at Knifethrowing.info thoroughly to get familiar with the basic facts and throwing styles, and with this solid background knowledge then use the media list below to learn about other variants of throwing knives.

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There are other knife throwing book lists at Sticking Point, and Thrower.

	Recreational Knife Throwing (John Bailey) recommended
	Recreational Knife Throwing II (John Bailey)
	The Fundamentals of Knife, Hawk and Axe Throwing with an Introduction to the Impalement Arts (David R. Adamovich)
	Le lancer de couteaux (Michel Dujay)
	Knife Throwing: A Practical Guide (Harry K. McEvoy) recommended
	Knife & Tomahawk Throwing: The Art of the Experts (Harry K. McEvoy)
	Guide to Knife & Axe Throwing (Dieter Führer) recommended
	The Art of Throwing: The definitive Guide to Thrown Weapons Techniques (Amante P. Mariñas, Sr.)
	The Cutting Edge. West Central African 19th century throwing knives (Annette M. Schmidt and Peter Westerdijk)
	Some more "knife throwing" related books

Recreational Knife Throwing, DVD by John Bailey (recommended)
Bailiwick Enterprises, Florida
first published in 1999
Order here / read our review

This is a very nice video to get started with the sport of knife throwing, but it also offers interesting chapters for the advanced thrower. The author, John Bailey, has taught many people how to throw knives using his "brach-chopping" technique.
We have a review of this video online, and you can buy it on DVD in our online-shop.

Recreational Knife Throwing II, DVD by John Bailey
Bailiwick Enterprises, Florida
first published in 2001
Read our review

This is the sequeal to Recreational Knife Throwing (obviously :-) You will be see demonstrations of some new throwing techniques, and John will show you round his collection of throwable objects. The video is intended for the advanced thrower.
We have a review of this video online.

The Fundamentals of Knife, Hawk and Axe Throwing with an Introduction to the Impalement Arts, DVD by David R. Adamovich
Dr. David Adamovich, Freeport, New York
first published in 2001
Read our review

"The Great Throwdini", the knife flinging minister, shows his skills and demonstrates his style of throwing. Also included is an introductionary chapter for beginners. We have a review of this video online.

Le lancer de couteaux, VHS and DVD by Michel Dujay
Michel Dujay, France
first published in 1996, completely revised in 2015
Language: French
Read our review of the original 1995 version, and of the 2015 remake.

In the first version, the authors shows how to throw pocket knives in such a way that they stick in the target. He always uses a blade grip, even on the handle. The second (2015) version is proof that sports knife throwing has taken a hold, with Michel Dujay now using heavier knives, and stressing proper technique.

Knife Throwing: A Practical Guide, book by Harry K. McEvoy (recommended)
Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc.
first published in 1973
ISBN 0-8048-1099-0
about 5 £

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The standard; The author was a master of the art and founder of the famous Tru-Balance Knife Company.
Here you will find explanations of different grips and throwing styles. They are all tailored for the heavy American throwing knives, but most can be adapted for lighter ones. The professional style used by circus-artists and professionals is also detailed.
A whole chapter is dedicated to the throwing of tomahawks and axes, another presents famous knifethrowers and their stunts.

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Knife & Tomahawk Throwing: The Art of the Experts, book by Harry K. McEvoy
Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc.
first published in 1988
ISBN 0-8048-1542-9
about 14 £

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This sequel to Knife Throwing: A Practical Guide first sums up the the basics presented there. The history of knife throwing is interesting to read. A part of the book deals with the throwing of tomahawks.
In the remaining chapters are little anecdotes about famous knife throwers, their lives and stunts (in more detail than in the first book).

Guide to Knife & Axe Throwing, book by Dieter Führer (recommended)
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
first published in 2014 (

German edition in 2011)
ISBN 9780764347795
about 21 £
read our review

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A comprehensive handbook on knife throwing, with nice photos of the throwing motions. All important topics are covered, on occasions with rather compact explanations. Absolutely to be recommended for beginners!

Cover of the "Guide to Knife and Ax Throwing"

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The Art of Throwing: The definitive Guide to Thrown Weapons Techniques, book by Amante P. Mariñas, Sr.
Tuttle Publishing
first published in 2007, second edition 2010
ISBN 0804840938
about 16,95 $ / 17 Euro
read our review

Order now at Amazon #CommissionsEarned

For the advanced knife thrower, who wants to put its own experiences into a bigger concept. For those that want to read about throwing weapons beyond axes and knives.
Includes a DVD.

The Cutting Edge. West Central African 19th century throwing knives in the National Museum of Ethnology Leiden, Catalogue by Annette M. Schmidt and Peter Westerdijk
National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden, The Netherlands
first published in 2006
ISBN 9054500077
30 Euro
read our review
Available dirctly at

Ethnographic Art Books, the museum's publisher.

Beautiful photographs of the collection of African throwing knives in the Ethnographic Museum in Leiden. The catalogue contains introductionary chapters on the origins of the collection, and on the proliferation and use of throwing knives in Africa.

More "knife throwing" books

The man with the knives, short story by Heinrich Böll
First published in 1948 in Kassel, Germany, titled "Der Mann mit den Messern"
English translation by Leila Vennewitz published in "The Stories of Heinrich Böll", Knopf 1986
ISBN 039451405X

Germany, just after WWII. An ex soldier is living in the ruins for and off his knife throwing skills. But even his most astonishing solo act (wooden block on the head) fails to engage the audience at the varieté.
I very much enjoyed reading this short story, which is readily available at antiquarian booksellers.

Absinthe & Flamethrowers, book by William Gurstelle, first published by Chicago Review Press in 2009, ISBN 978-1-55652-822-4

For William Gurstelle, knife throwing is one of the "art[s] of living dangerously". The brief chapter on throwing knives is well written and accurate, but of course less throrough then the books above or our own instructions on how to throw a knife.

The knife thrower, short story by Steven Millhauser, first published by Random House in 1998, ISBN 978-0-7538-0821-4

The short story relives the performance of an artistic knife thrower. Hensch, the artist, gained a sordid reputation for going beyond the thrill of ususal knife throwing acts. Hi is drawing human blood.
Luckily, such stupidly dangerous performances only exist in works of fiction.

Sergeant Shenk's Comprehensive Book on Knife Throwing, book by Timothy J. Shenk, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2010, ISBN 978-1478118169

Collections of bits and pieces on knife throwing, based on decades of experience as a knife thrower. The work is non-comprehensive, all hints can be found elsewhere (see books above), and any interesting aspects mentioned do lack detail or explanation. Shenk's most useful and very true remark: Don't throw if it's getting dark, because you won't be able to see bouncebacks.

The prices given are intended as rough indication for the reader. They are nonbinding and also refer to the time the article was added to this list.
The video-icon (icon_video.png) above was made by Hbons and was published under a Creative Commons (Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported) - license. The book-icon (icon_book.png) above was made by Mark Andrew.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.