Thrown Weapons:Equipment Standards

Equipment Standards

General Standards

1. Each thrower has the final responsibility for the proper care and safe use of their weapons, and for knowing and following their Kingdom's thrown-weapon rules.
2. A thrower shall not knowingly use unsafe equipment.
3. If a thrower is unsure of the safety of their equipment they shall request the assistance of a Thrown-Weapons Marshal in inspecting their equipment.
4. The Thrown-Weapons Marshal assisting in the inspection shall make a reasonable attempt to locate any unsafe conditions or violations of Kingdom rules and inform the thrower of what is found and how to correct it.
5. The inspection by the Thrown-Weapons Marshal may not find all equipment faults and is conducted as a service to all the throwers on the line. It does not remove the throwers' primary responsibility for the safe condition of their own equipment.
6. Any equipment observed by a Thrown-Weapons Marshal to be unsafe shall not be used until it is made safe and re-inspected by a Thrown-Weapons Marshal.
7. Equipment and safety standards vary greatly depending upon the type of thrown weapon and the techniques that are used to throw the weapon. All inspections and decisions should be made with the following considerations:
   1. How will the user be throwing the weapon? For example, will a knife be thrown by the handle or the blade?
   2. Is the weapon designed to be thrown?
   3. Is the weapon sturdy enough to be thrown?
   4. How sharp is the blade?
   5. How balanced is the weapon? If the weapon is so unbalanced that it would be awkward to swing, the thrower should demonstrate that it can be thrown safely.
   6. Is the weapon either excessively light or heavy in weight?
   7. Is the weapon either excessively short or long?
   8. Is the handle taped? If a weapons handle has been taped or reinforced, it must have been done for a reason. Ask the owner about it. Give it extra attention; make sure that it is structurally sound and safe. Duct tape is not an acceptable fix for a handle with a major crack. If it cannot be inspected due to coverings, it should be failed.

Knives

1. Throwing knives should be of a size and weight that allows them to be thrown safely and easily.
2. The handle of the knife should be firmly attached.
3. The throwing surface should be free of burrs or protrusions that can cut or injure an unprotected hand upon release.

Axes

1. Axes should be of a size and weight that allows them to be thrown safely and easily.
2. The handles of all axes should be firmly attached.
3. Some axes are designed to allow the head to slide up a tapered handle and pressure-fit on. The heads will come off if they are pushed toward the butt of the handle. When the axe is used, the head is forced into place and seats tightly. The inspecting marshal should ensure that the head does indeed seat tightly and will not slip over the taper.
4. The haft cannot have any major cracks.
5. The haft cannot have any burrs or rough surfaces that can cut or give splinters to an unprotected hand upon release.

Spears

1. Spears may not be excessively long or heavy.
2. Spearheads must be firmly attached to the shaft of the spear.
3. The shaft cannot have any burrs or rough surfaces that can cut or give splinters to an unprotected hand upon release.
4. The shaft must be sound and without major cracks.

Specialized Throwing Weapons

1. Specialized throwing weapons are any weapons that have been designed with more than one impact surface to increase the chances of the weapon sticking in the target. Because they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, they must be judged on an individual basis.