Is it really feasible to create throwable knives, axes, and maces at TL0?

[awesomenessofme1]

I'll freely admit that I have pretty much no expertise in this area, but it seems a bit off to me that according to Low-Tech, both Thrown Weapon (Knife) and Thrown Weapon (Axe/Mace) begin at TL0. Is it actually possible to do that using only stuff like stone knapping, wood and bone carving, tying together pieces, etc?

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

I'll freely admit that I have pretty much no expertise in this area, but it seems a bit off to me that according to Low-Tech, both Thrown Weapon (Knife) and Thrown Weapon (Axe/Mace) begin at TL0. Is it actually possible to do that using only stuff like stone knapping, wood and bone carving, tying together pieces, etc?

It certainly is with axes and maces. They're a head (of stone in this case) and a haft of wood. Nothing tricky about them. A throwing knife is probably also possible, though as such a carefully shaped piece of flint would take a lot of time and expertise to make I doubt you'd want to be throwing it.

[khorboth]

I know this journal article is a little out of date (119 years old) but the illustrations pretty well hold up for what can be done with flint knapping and attaching wood. Seems like not much problem.

[Anaraxes]

You can throw sticks and rocks with no work done on them whatsoever. They won't get less throwable because you sharpen them.

Some of them will throw better than others, of course. But you can keep the ones you like and don't throw the others. After a bit, you'll start to see common traits among the ones that throw well, and try to make new ones more like those. It's not like the weapons need to be specially weighted, made out of particular materials, with knowledge of aerodynamics and calculation of moments of inertia.

[Keampe]

A flint knife is about as hard to make as a flint axe, sometimes easier. Making a flint arrow head is more difficult. Thing about a flint knife is it probably wouldn't be balanced and even if it was it wouldn't remain balanced as it got sharpened. Flint tools get dull rather quickly and you have to sharpen them - by further knapping the edge. They shrink.

Also, just like today, you're not going to throw the only knife you have and if you can afford more than one, you can afford better things to throw like javelins or spears. Better yet, get a bow and arrows.

So, you could throw your knife (or your axe or mace for that matter) but you probably wouldn't. Nothing would prevent you learning the skill, though.

- Shane

[Anthony]

I think there's a tendency to use either more disposable or less breakable objects, such as a fire-hardened spear or a throwing stick, but certainly should be possible to make a throwable axe or knife.

[Verjigorm]

I particularly like the zulu knobkerrie. A hardwood mace often used for throwing.

[Polydamas]

A 8" stake with the tip pointed and hardened in a fire is Paleolithic and uses Knife and Thrown Weapon (Knife) skills in GURPS. The Bayeux Tapestry shows people chucking what look like stones wedged into a crotch of a branch and lashed in place. Just like a sling stone or a brick today, those will do someone an injury even though they aren't the latest weapon!

[Shuckster]

I use Machinist/TL0 for creating tools, components or anything that isn't a weapon and Armory/TL0 (melee weapons) or (Throwing weapons) for stone or wood weapons personally.

You could have one skill used for grinding or chipping the stone into the weapon's head, straitening and shaping the wooden haft and another skill to tie them together?

[Bruno]

Boomerangs come in two types, one of which is essentially a wooden club, pick, or axe. These can certainly be thrown.

New Zealand Maori make absolutely beautiful carved wood or carved stone clubs[1] which definitely can be thrown; these days they're entirely ceremonial cultural implements but they used to be practical. The Maori are a martial culture, and the stone clubs got a lot of use; they were a highly refined weapon. Now they're a gorgeous art piece.

[1] not stone socketed onto wood, just plain old stone. Usually out of something hard and dense-grained like jadite - something made by griding and scraping, not knapping. These kinds of stones are not brittle and do not suffer damage easily on use, and do not have their weight changed drastically by re-edging them. They take forever to make though, very labor intensive.
Ground stone tools were used for tool-axes as well, and made a real difference in wood-working; while not as sharp on the first blow, they're consistent, rather than rapidly blunting. These kinds of constructions make for excellent weapons - you do not need a sharp edge to kill humans. We have delicate skulls. Our natural attack mode is a stick or bone held in the fist, and swung downwards onto the head and shoulders. Our shoulders can take a fair amount of punishment, but our heads definitely can't. The kinds of helmets you can make at TL 0 only offer minimal protection against a stone-headed mace or axe wielded in anger.
In the same mode, thrown knives can be made about as "sharp" as an antler or animal horn - which isn't really very sharp compared to a flint tool. We don't have thick hide that needs to be ripped to be pierced, a reasonable point to focus the force of impact can do the job.

Obviously sharp edges are even worse, but they only really matter if you have layers of protective material. Plenty of people get their heads cracked open by things as blunt as ash-trays.