Hello to all who are interested in taking part in the exciting sport of thrown weapons! In case you didn't realize it, that's you! So who are the creepy people wielding axes and brandishing knives to the right? We are the thrown weapons co-Captains for Gyldenholt, Dyrfinna Drengsdottir and Brynjólfr Brandsson! We discovered this awesome activity back in 2009 and have been hooked ever since. We started our own fledgling program here in Orange County and are working hard to make it grow.

With regular monthly practices now going on, we are forging a fighting force to face our foes throughout Caid. As we build up our supplies and strengthen our skills, we will become a force to be reckoned with!

While there are plenty of thrown weapons competitions throughout Caid, we have not yet secured any sites within Orange County to host our own. We are hoping to secure some locations for events in the near future.

What do we throw?
Typical thrown weapons competitions and practices throughout the SCA consist of three different types of weapons:
Knives: We use specially balanced throwing knives of various sizes, shapes, and weights. Typically they run anywhere from 6-13" long.
Axes: The axes we use are medieval-ish in construction. They have wooden handles, with steel heads. The handles are roughly 19" long. All metal throwing axes are not permitted.
Spears: Buying spears can be expensive, so we construct our own from 6' long dowels. Currently, our practice is in too small of a space to permit spears.

What can I expect in a competition?
There are multiple types of competitions, and the thrown weapons range marshal in charge can create any type of competition they desire, so long as it's safe.
TWIC (Thrown Weapons Inter-Kingdom Competition): This is the standardized competition that all kingdoms in the SCA use for score comparisons and rankings. Each thrower throws five of each type of weapon from each of three different distances. For axes and knives the distances are 10, 15, and 20 feet. Spears are 15, 20, and 25 feet. The rings on the targets score from the outside in 1, 3, and 5 points. The maximum score is 225 points.
Novelty Competitions: Some competitions consist of silly themes that involve hitting very specific targets. For instance, throwers could be challenged with cutting a string to drop a chicken in a pot, skewer a doll with a knife, or toss a spear through a small hoop.

Supplies:
Currently we all share the personal weapons owned by the co-captains. Soon we will be ordering Baronial weapons and other supplies using money that was raised at a fundraiser.

If anyone is curious about cheap throwing knives and axes, there are a few catalogues to keep an eye on.
*Please note that at this time we have not bought or tested all of the knives linked below and cannot speak to their quality. Buy at your own risk. Additionally, be sure to check the size of the knives before buying.
1 Knife $16 - This knife is used by many throwers. It is popular and very durable, but the price reflects that as well.
3 Knives for $22 - These knives are 9" total length, balanced well, but like all cheap knives they are a bit light. They will work well for new throwers from the 10-15 foot mark, but might be tough from 20 feet.
12 Knives for $20 - A lot of cheap knives that will most likely break, but it is a lot of knives.
$10 Axe - A cheap throwing axe. The reviews say that the head comes loose often, but other than that it seems to throw fine.

Want finely crafted knives? There's a man by the name of Craig Pinkerton who forges throwing knives for the SCA. Many of these are based on designs by Cold Steel that are either hard to find or have been discontinued. I recently purchased a set of three of the TWK-5 knives for $55, shipping ran about $9. I'm confident they'll be amazing.
The most recent catalog can be found here.
If you would like to place an order you can call Craig or email him here.

Note: We only posed like this for humor's sake. This is not recommended behavior for anyone wielding a weapon.