In the middle of the two is this model that measures 25 cm in length or more exactly 10 inches and with a thickness of 8 mm. It gives a weight of 255 g. A slightly longer and thus slightly heavier basic model in other words.
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| 8 mm thick will not break easily. The material is D2 |
The man behind these knives is per usual with AceJet, Adam Čeladin. In this case, the inspiration is probably a traditional dagger of some historical kind, one might think. Excalibur is reminiscent of a stylized one. To resemble the sword it is named after, the blade would probably have had to be longer. Otherwise, the knife is very symmetrical as can be seen and there is a rudimentary finger guard. It certainly fulfills a function as well, however, it has nothing to do with protecting anything. Like all good throwing knives, these lack sharp edges.
The knives come in AceJet's most used finish, a coarse satin. At the time of writing, this particular model is not available in their new "Shadow" version, which is blackened knives. Nice to look at but also damn easy to lose if you throw somewhere other than a dedicated area, read "a forest".
The knives are sharpened like a traditional dagger, ie symmetrically. Despite this, Excalibur has chisel tips, they are flat the last three millimeters and do not end in a needle tip.
Material
Apart from the fact that these knives are one centimeter longer than the original, it is material-wise that they differ most from them. In this case, AceJet has given up the spring steel they normally use in favor of D2.
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| The tips hold well even if they in this picture are freshly sharpened with file and sandpaper after direct contact with each other and concrete slabs |
I'm not really sure whether I think it's an upgrade or not. Certainly, D2 is slightly less prone to rust than spring steel. It is not tougher according to the theory, possibly it is more impact resistant, it is more than I can tell.
On the other hand, in practice, it seems that the tips are slightly more durable than AceJet's other knives. Probably because they are a little harder, it is at least my guess after a number of close contacts with concrete slabs, asphalt, and each other. But whether it is due to the type of steel or hardening is difficult to say.
The regular knives are not bad in that respect either. Like I said before, the only thing that can destroy an AceJet knife is another knife. The knives are easily maintained with simple tools. I use a metal file, sandpaper, and a diamond sharpener.
To throw
Like the Appache-model I previously reviewed from AceJet, Excalibur is designed for allround throwing. That is knives that are very good for those who have not decided whether it is No Spin or rotation techniques that are most relevant or want to do both styles. I can immediately reveal that these knives can handle both main areas with bravura. But that does not mean that they behave exactly the same in all techniques. Excalibur has its clear advantages and disadvantages, I have noted.
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| A bit of weight towards the rear makes the knife excellent for both half-spin techniques and no spin |
The balance point of these knives is found 14 cm from the tip and 11 cm from the end of the handle. This means that they are a bit back-heavy, even if the appearance tricks the eye a bit. The weight ends up in the handle just behind the finger guard. But with more normal proportions with a blade longer than the handle, the weight would have ended up at the blade base instead.
Rotational Throwing
The first thing that can be noted is that Excalibur is better for rotational throws than you might think at first glance. Especially as they are designed by a master of no spin with those techniques in mind. But as I said, the balance is more neutral than it seems. The weight is also enough for the knife to stick with some force. Then the extra centimeter in length is sympathetic and helps to calm down the flight a bit. Simply put, longer knives rotate more slowly and if they are heavier, they flutter less when they fly. However, it's not an absolute truth and there are plenty of exceptions.
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| Sometimes you are forced to group next to Bullseye instead of hitting it. A photo of an old target |
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| Excalibur is surprisingly good for rotational throws and I then grab the knife quite far out and angle it slightly forward in the throwing direction |
With that said, Excalibur spins pretty fast anyway. This means that to ensure that you stick the knife in the target, it should be thrown fairly calmly and in a controlled manner, as if it were a larger knife. I grip the handle quite far out, not too hard, and am careful with the "backswing" to get the right rotation from three meters. From four meters, with grip in the blade, it is even more important not to use too much force. This will inevitably lead to the knife over-rotating. It manages to get around anyway is my experience.
If you get this far, the knives are very accurate. They fly fairly straight and you do not have to "lob" so much. This makes the throwing path easy to calculate.
Half Spin
It's in this area that this knife excels. This might be the best model for the military half-spin I have tried. At least it's one of them! The longer handle and the trick of moving the finger guard further down on the knife make the knife easy to grip correctly. Then, of course, you always have to correct for what distance you are throwing from. The extra width right where the finger guard is located is as made to place a thumb on. The relatively narrow blade also makes it easy to grip around while the thickness feels a little more hand-filling, so to speak.
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| The penetration ability of Excalibur is very high |
Throwing with half a rotation is almost instinctive with Excalibur. This applies to normal throwing if I may call it that. This refers to overhand throwing with the dominant hand from a distance of 3-6 meters. But Excalibur is just as good to use when throwing backhand or underhand. I only use my nondominant, left hand, on rare occasions so far. When I do, it is hardly the knife that is the limitation. But it works too.
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| This knife is extremely good to use for military half-spin |
In addition, the knife works well both with more "slide" -emphasized techniques where you aim with the handle and let the knife slide out of the grip of its own weight and techniques where you control the rotation more with pressure from the thumb. I use the latter at slightly longer distances. That is four meters and up.
But there are also disadvantages associated with this look or rather the design. The finger guard, no matter how small, stops you from placing the index finger on the side of the knife. This means that if you use instinctive half spin, you are limited to putting your finger at the blade. It does not feel natural at all for me and therefore I completely avoid that technique with these knives.
No Spin
If instinctive half-spin felt unnatural, this variant of instinctive throwing is all the more enjoyable. The slim yet thick handle gives an almost square profile that makes it easy to get a good grip and the 8 mm thick knife provides plenty of contact area for an index finger to push against. The shape of the knife also guides towards the right grip. But here you have to think about what technique you use.
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| Variation in terms of targets. In no-spin throwing, it is the thrower who constitutes the limits, not the knife |
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| You do not get a deposit for these soda cans |
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| Excalibur can be used with different no spin grips |
The balance point is located just behind the finger guards and when the finger is put there, it works well for "slide" techniques where you let the knife slide out of the grip when released. That grip is also good when you use a "push" technique where you press with your index finger but only IF the distances are long. On the shorter distances, up to 4 meters, at least I want to grip Excalibur with my index finger much further down on the handle to get a good and consistent throw. But I experiment with both grips.
Conclusion
It must be said that I was a bit skeptical about whether D2 was really an upgrade in terms of material when it comes to throwing knives. Had it been folding knives, that is another question. But in this case, other properties are sought. There is no sharpness to be kept. Then, of course, impact resistance is one of them, but toughness is even more important. Rust resistance is downgraded even though there are stainless steel throwing knives. Then I exclude the cheapest knives on the market that are always made of some more or less stainless material.
But in practice, it turned out that at least these knives were perceived to have slightly harder and more durable tips than my previous knives from
AceJet. This is despite the fact that these are significantly pointier in shape than, for example,
Appache. So maybe the material is a step up anyway. Or just a sideways step, "the jury is out" as the Americans say. However, the slightly increased length is sympathetic. Especially as the knives are quite good to use for rotation techniques as well and in that case a centimeter makes a difference.
However, it is when it comes to half-rotation techniques and then mainly military half-spin that this knife really comes into its own. There, Excalibur is not only good but excellent. It does not get much better than this!
It should be added that it is really good even for no spin. Sure, Excalibur is not as damn good as the model
Stinger when it comes to this discipline, but it does not fall far behind.
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| AceJet Excalibur D2 are excellent knives for those who can't decide or do not feel like limiting themselves to one style of knife throwing |
Overall, I am therefore very pleased with these knives. Especially as I'm improving my underhand throws thanks to them. The feeling is that it is possible to achieve what you want with these knives.
I often say that you have to "trust the knife" when throwing. If you do your part, it will take care of the rest. The limitations are not in the material but in the thrower. It's always a nice feeling.
AceJet Excalibur is definitely a knife to take a closer look at for those who like to vary their knife throwing but whose focus is on half-rotation techniques and especially military half spin, and no-spin.
Since we are talking about premium knives, the price is not low. A set like this requires a price of 290 €/315$ directly from AceJet. The knives can also be purchased individually if desired. The knives are made in Bohemia, Czech Republic, and come with a lifetime warranty.
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When you buy your Excalibur or other product from AceJet, enter code "JOHN" (in capital letters)
and you will receive a 5% discount on your purchase at check-out. |
Specification:Steel: D2
Lenght: 25,3 cm/ 10"
Width: 19,5 mm handle/ 28,5 mm "guard"
Thickness: 8 mm
Weight: 255 g
Point of balance: back heavy, 14/11 cm from handle/tip
