What would be the use of throwing spikes?

[Minotaur]

Forget the vaguely pointless use as a weapon and the evidence seems to be they were carried for multiple other uses so what are those uses?
Samurai and Ninja History on Youtube has I seem to remember a historic record of them being used as climbing spikes.
You do have to wonder if enough of them to make a pot stand makes sense.
I do wonder if they have some green woodworking uses?

 

[Buckshot]

I wonder how much has been transformed from the original item that was thrown to make it 'exciting' and/ or 'sexy' for todays market.
for instance...
I remember stories from old country folk (gamekeepers and poachers) of people who could kill a rabbit in the head through a thick bramble bush by throwing a short stick. Often the stick was weighted at one end. These stories are generally from times when firearms/ ammo were either not available or too expensive to use on a rabbit.

It's easy to see how a throwing stick could be turned into a throwing spike for todays market.
Strategic use of 'ninja' here and there in the marketing and bobs your uncle!

Just a thought...

 

[Minotaur]

Due to the way the Japanese have preserved their history you would have thought that there is something obvious that re-enactors are carrying that fits the bill.
This is something that enough people carried for it not to raise red flags when seen by other people so it must have had some other purpose or purposes.
Also you would have thought something similar would be found in China and elsewhere nearby.
I wonder if we are missing a trick.

 

[British Red]

I remember stories from old country folk (gamekeepers and poachers) of people who could kill a rabbit in the head through a thick bramble bush by throwing a short stick. Often the stick was weighted at one end. These stories are generally from times when firearms/ ammo were either not available or too expensive to use on a rabbit

I was raised on rabbit sticks - I still always have one around for fun and nostalgia. A rabbit stick to me is the perfect dimensions when its the diameter of the hole made by touching the index finger to thumb in an "ok" sign.

For length, if the arm is held loosely at the side, fingers curled, it should tuck into the armpit, held by the fingers.

As a 6' guy, my current stick is 2 foot long and oval in cross section an inch and a half across the long side.

I make them from blackthorn - its hard and really heavy.

Throwing wise they are normally thrown spinning, parallel to the floor - out to 20 yards they hit really, really hard. They can be thrown end on through foliage, but don't get the same force so its a shorter range.

Happy to show pictures if anyone is interested

 

[oldtimer]

British Red, you could be describing the stick and throwing action used in the Oxfordshire pub game Aunt Sally. I wonder if there is a connection?

 

[Minotaur]

interested

 

[British Red]

British Red, you could be describing the stick and throwing action used in the Oxfordshire pub game Aunt Sally. I wonder if there is a connection?

I wouldn't be at all surprised. Using a stick takes a great deal of practice to be even close to accurate and powerful

 

[Robbi]

I was raised on rabbit sticks - I still always have one around for fun and nostalgia. A rabbit stick to me is the perfect dimensions when its the diameter of the hole made by touching the index finger to thumb in an "ok" sign.

For length, if the arm is held loosely at the side, fingers curled, it should tuck into the armpit, held by the fingers.

As a 6' guy, my current stick is 2 foot long and oval in cross section an inch and a half across the long side.

I make them from blackthorn - its hard and really heavy.

Throwing wise they are normally thrown spinning, parallel to the floor - out to 20 yards they hit really, really hard. They can be thrown end on through foliage, but don't get the same force so its a shorter range.

Happy to show pictures if anyone is interested

I'd be very interested BR

 

[Wildgoose]

Would love to see the rabbit stick.

 

[Wander]

Ninja training?

 

[StevieE]

I was raised on rabbit sticks - I still always have one around for fun and nostalgia. A rabbit stick to me is the perfect dimensions when its the diameter of the hole made by touching the index finger to thumb in an "ok" sign.

For length, if the arm is held loosely at the side, fingers curled, it should tuck into the armpit, held by the fingers.

As a 6' guy, my current stick is 2 foot long and oval in cross section an inch and a half across the long side.

I make them from blackthorn - its hard and really heavy.

Throwing wise they are normally thrown spinning, parallel to the floor - out to 20 yards they hit really, really hard. They can be thrown end on through foliage, but don't get the same force so its a shorter range.

Happy to show pictures if anyone is interested

Would love to see some pics if possible British Red. Not that I'll ever go rabbit hunting but it never hurts to learn new things.

 

[Riven]

Back in the mid 80s a friend of mine worked on the QE2 and brought back some cool things from his travels. As well as throwing stars he had throwing spikes which were small metal rods with a sharp point that came in a wrist holder. I remember them being pretty easy to throw although the main purpose was for close quarters.

 

[British Red]

Would love to see some pics if possible British Red. Not that I'll ever go rabbit hunting but it never hurts to learn new things.

I've started a new thread in "Fair Game" with some pictures

 

[Minotaur]

Ninja training?

The thing is that it was basically like modern special forces or spy training. Almost everything said about them does not hold up historically.

Back in the mid 80s a friend of mine worked on the QE2 and brought back some cool things from his travels. As well as throwing stars he had throwing spikes which were small metal rods with a sharp point that came in a wrist holder. I remember them being pretty easy to throw although the main purpose was for close quarters.

The spikes were what they actually used however the reason for my question is that this is something that people carried so they would not raise eyebrows and then the Ninja used them for other things like as a weapon.