Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Craftsmanship => Hawks and Knives => Topic started by: cwgrizz on January 27, 2026, 09:43:20 PM
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I attended a rendezvous a few months ago and was participating in a hawk & knife throwing competition. About half way into my throwing, I was stopped and told that my knife was not legal for the competition. This really surprised me as it is the same knife I have used at vous for over 30 years. They said it was illegal because it had a point which had cutting edges on each side of the point. They said that the bowie knife style was all that was legal which only has a cutting edge on one side. I think the knife I was using had probably been purchased at the Winter Nationals in Phoenix back when they still existed and never had an issue. They told me that they were going by NMLRA rules. What is correct? TIA
CWGRIZZ
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Check this site.
https://www.nmlra.org/rules
There is no rule for knives that I saw. YMMV.
doggoner
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I'm glad this question was asked. Because several years ago, I searched for some info on that exact topic. And I struck out. The group I shoot and throw with is very relaxed when it comes to knife and hawk rules. Basically because we are trying to encourage others to join us. Sometimes strict rules discourages newcomers. The knife I throw has one edge. I've only thrown at one vous years ago. Was no problem there. I'm really interested in hearing what anybody has to add.
The only thing I read one time was, the knife had to have an edge the whole length of the blade. But it didn't say anything about using a double edged blade being wrong.
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Can't really see why it would matter.
Probably stitch counters trying to keep it close to a " bowie" knife.
I've found trying to be HC/PC is very subjective.
I've seen throwing knives stick in a punky hawk block by the handle and they still counted it!
What's 2 edges gonna do?
I say throw whut cha brung !
Kevin
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I think I remember a scene in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" about this subject - "There ain't no rules in a knife fight!"
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As long as it only has only ONE pointy end what's the difference?
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Sounds sort of like, back in 1986 I started shooting with the Forest Hills Black Powder Brigade in Oregon, and the bourgeois said we could not rest our supporting arm against our side. He wanted to be able to put his fist between your elbow and your body, because that was required by the NMLRA. I still shoot unsupported, but from photos I see in Muzzle Blasts most folks have that left elbow (for right handed persons) firmly pressed against their sides. I should look if there is anything in the rules on that....
~Kees~
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The NMLRA has some wonky rules.
At least one is dangerous to limb and life.
I avoid the NMLRA as much as possible and employ my personal common sense rules.
To each their own!
YMMV.
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Sounds sort of like, back in 1986 I started shooting with the Forest Hills Black Powder Brigade in Oregon, and the bourgeois said we could not rest our supporting arm against our side. He wanted to be able to put his fist between your elbow and your body, because that was required by the NMLRA. I still shoot unsupported, but from photos I see in Muzzle Blasts most folks have that left elbow (for right handed persons) firmly pressed against their sides. I should look if there is anything in the rules on that....
~Kees~
What NMLRA nonsense. How you address yer long gun is yer business, as long as there isn't a public safety issue.
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Good philosophy. Safety is #1.
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I think that that bourgeois had heard from a friend of a friend that this was the rule, and that it really wasn't as evidenced by the photos I see now where the shooters have their elbows tucked tight against their sides, like Rob demonstrates in his photo. Which was the point I was trying to make that just because somebody says something is in the NMLRA rule book doesn't mean that it really is.
Enough of this, before i get accused of hijacking the thread....
~Kees~
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Strangely enough, I have tried that tuck the elbow and balance the rifle on your fingertip routine and I felt it was terribly insecure.
Extended arm for me and just let the rifle sit on the hand works well enough.
Well, I must amend that last statement. When I was shooting the 8 bore and the 4 bore rifles, I hung onto either of them really tight, else the recoil would have sent them flying backwards, up and over. 400 grains of Fg does things like that when it's pushing a 1,450 grain round ball. I wonder why I ever thought that was fun? Maybe because it felt so good when it stopped hurting.
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Schuetzen offhand is not much different than palming the near forestock and using the rifle side elbow for balanced rifle weight leverage.
This post is NOT about the firearms, it's about the shooting FORM correlation as used by some folks (me) with trad MLs.
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