Review Acejet Maximus

  

Introduction

I have previously reviewed a set of knives for rotational throwing from AceJet. It was the company's first attempt to venture into that domain after previously focusing solely on No spin knives.

Acejet Maximus

Whether this model called Maximus is the second or third contribution to this area is debatable. The reason is that another knife called Achilles was introduced around the same time, about a year ago.

Appearance and Dimension

Throwing knives can be roughly divided into a few different categories. The first distinction that can be made is, as mentioned above, to separate them by which technique they are primarily intended for. Furthermore, knives for rotational throwing can be said to belong to several basic variants. Maximus is a type of dagger. 

The definition is not universal, but here we have a knife that is completely symmetrical and double-edged. A typical dagger in other words. Or maybe not quite typical as the original is of course a Roman sword, a gladius. Contrary to what many people think, they exist in a wide range of variants. Maximus is most reminiscent of a type called "Mainz". Typical of them are the straight edges which give the angular look, the slightly curved middle section, and the blades become wider towards the handle. All this is found at Maximus, although it is rather discreet.

Then this model is characterized by the fact that it is a "spinner". That's what gives the big round hole in the middle. It is only there to make the knife more "fidget friendly". It is easy to spin and get a feel for the knife that way. Theoretically, of course, it is a weakening of the knife, but so far I have not managed to break any of my knives of this type, regardless of brand, so it does not feel like a big risk.

A spinner knife inspired by a Roman sword

Maximus is available in two different lengths, of which this is the shorter one which means 12" or 30.5 cm. The longer one is 13" which is 33 cm. The thickness is 6 mm, which gives a weight of 306 grams. I do not know what the longer model weighs as Acejet does not like to mention it on its website, which is a shortcoming as it is important information for a throwing knife. The width of the blade is a maximum of four centimeters and a minimum of three centimeters. The handle is quite narrow and measures 17.3-23.5 mm.

The finish on these knives is a rough brushed satin and the leather slabs are available in three different colors. In addition to the black seen here, they are also available in white and dark brown. The sides are held in place by three fairly simple stainless steel screws.

Material

Acejet does not often wander far astray from their favorite material, even if there are now some deviations in the catalog. But that doesn't apply in this case. Found here is their classic Czech spring steel with the designation 14260. A steel that generally do well in my experience. By that I mean it neither bends nor cracks. However, the tips are a little sensitive to hard hits. But that basically applies to all throwing knives. Anyone who doesn't always throw a knife per target or doesn't have perfect surroundings needs to resharpen their knives sooner or later. This is because of close contact with stone, concrete, or other knives. It's easy with this steel. Then, as a buyer, you should be aware that very few professional throwing knives are stainless, so they require some maintenance.

The material is Czech spring steel with leather slabs attached to the handle with stainless screws

The leather is quite thin and the screws are not the most durable

The material on the handle sides is, as I said, leather. A rather thin one as it measures only 1.3 mm. In my opinion, it could have been doubled from the start. Something I will do when it's time for change. It would give a fuller handle and also look more luxurious.

Even the screws are of a simpler quality than the copper rivets usually found in throwing knife handles. One of them broke fairly immediately and had to be replaced.

To Throw

It can be said right off the bat that it is somehow noticeable that the Maximus is a rotational knife made by a company that specializes in no-spin knives. There is something about the feel of the knives and the fact that they are quite small for the purpose and not least light. It brings with it both pros and cons, which I think become even more obvious when you start practicing with them. 

At short distances, especially from 3m and one rotation, the knives are good

- Rotational

At the outset, it can be said that this is a knife that flies straight and easily. That is, you must have a fair amount of speed directed towards the target and the initial movement must not be too "round", if that makes any sense. The knives must also not be held too upright/vertically in the hand but with the tip tipped towards the board. Otherwise, they over-rotate. Much of that is due to the neat format. The knife itself does not help as much as on a heavier model, but the thrower is responsible for the speed.

It also means that the knife rotates very nimbly once it starts spinning. Therefore, it is important that the throw strives towards the target and that the rotation from three meters starts relatively late. Once that feeling is in place, aiming with the Maximus is easy. The rotation is predictable and the throw does not curve downwards because, as I said, it is not heavy. So far, most things are good. Especially as the penetration is also efficient as a result of the double-edged tip.

Mixed throws from two to five meters including rotational throws, Military Half Spin, No spin, overhand throw and underhand throw, right and left hand as well as backhand and some misses

But one design choice I don't fully appreciate is how narrow the handle is. As I said, it is around a centimeter thick including the leather sides. When it is then combined with a width of less than two centimeters, there is not much to hold around. The knife therefore becomes more like a bo shuriken or other very slender throwing projectile. However, they are not intended for rotational throwing, which this knife is. That's how there isn't much to grip if you have slightly larger hands.

However, the three-meter distance is the strength of this knife. After that, it gets more complicated. Namely, I am not entirely convinced of the feel of the knife from four meters, which means gripping the blade. Somehow the blade doesn't feel as well indexed as many other knives. The feeling is that the design has to rule over function in this case. As you know, it is possible to throw everything, but it can be more or less difficult.

When the distance then increases to five meters and two rotations, the disadvantages of the knife become clearer. Mostly connected to the fact that it is small. The shape of the handle is felt even more at this distance as it is more difficult to achieve the exact same grip with each throw. This makes it harder to be precise when, for example, points throwing. Something that is not as obvious with instinctive throwing but well with, for example, Walk back.

From four meters, the knife feels somewhat "fluttery" in my opinion. Not exactly difficult to stick but also not as solid in flight as I would like

From the longer distances of six and seven meters, these characteristics are reinforced even more. The Maximus feels a bit fluttery in the air and I find it difficult to aim. From seven meters, however, the knives are relatively easy to stick in the target. So that is not the problem. The rotation speed is fairly easy to calculate if you have managed to figure out the right grip. However, it is more difficult to directly feel how much power is needed. Other knife models are better at guiding the thrower when it comes to that bit.

From six meters, I am not at all friends with this model. For that reason, among others, this will never be a knife I would choose to compete with. The problems from four meters return, of course, but here reinforced by the longer distance and the fact that there is thus an additional rotation involved.

- Half Spin

Half rotation techniques come in a couple of different variations and the most common is what is often called Military Half Spin where a thumb is placed on the side of the blade. Given the size and that the blade is not excessively wide, this is also a good option to use with Maximus. This applies whether you throw overhand or underhand.

In addition to that, there is also Instinctive Half Spin. In that case, an index finger is placed on the side of the blade. In fact, Maximus feels almost as well suited for this technique as it is for rotational throwing. Therein lies both the knife's strength and weakness. It's suitable for many things but may not be the best at anything.

 

- No Spin

In addition to how the knife feels to throw with rotation at short distances, it is of course here that the heritage from Acejet's other products is most clearly felt. For those who want an all-round knife that can also be sent away with no-spin techniques, this is a pretty good choice. Personally, I prefer more "Osetr"-like knives in that case, but it can be done. Especially if you throw "Thorn-style". But then, on the other hand, you can also throw relatively large Bowie knives.

The techniques are facilitated both by the format and by the fact that the upper part of the blade forms a platform to put the index finger at. The grip is also better for this technique compared to many other knives in the category due to the narrow handle.

Conclusion

I feel a little torn about the Acejet Maximus, I must say. On the one hand, they are partly well built, even if both the screws and the thin leather in the grip feel a bit cheap for knives in this price range. The balance is good and as a precision tool at short distances, they are formidable. If you are going to throw at playing cards at three meters, these are really good knives. The rotation is quick and easy to anticipate.

In addition, they are surprisingly all-round focused. Both half-rotation techniques and no spin can be thrown with these knives as well. But that is not what they are primarily intended for and rotational throwing includes more distances than three meters with one turn. Especially when gripping the blade (from 4, 6, and possibly 8 m) something is missing. However, Maximus is not a favorite for longer distances with a grip in the handle either.

I would have liked to see a longer and heavier knife, something that can perhaps be obtained with the larger version, but also a different shape of the handle itself. This thin handle with its slight bulge towards the end is not a favorite in that regard. I have a hard time getting a consistent enough grip and getting the right feel when the knife leaves my hand. In this way, the knives feel more adapted to instinctive throwing.

Acejet Maximus is an good all-round knife for those who like this type of look but is not my top choice for competition use

But don't get me wrong, these are not bad knives. They are rather easy to stick to a target. It's just hard to get that last bit of precision with the Maximus in my opinion. But if you are not competing or trying to beat your own score records, there is no problem.

Therefore, I can recommend these knives to those who mainly want to devote themselves to rotary throwing but who are still looking for knives that can be used for a little bit of everything but where competition is not the main goal. In addition, you get a distinctive look, something that doesn't look like everything else.

Acejet Knives

Specification:

Steel: 14260, Spring steel

Length: 30,5 cm (12")

Width: 40 mm (at most)

Thickness: 6 mm

Weight: 306 g (weighed by me)

Balance point: Neutral, 15 cm from tip/back end

/ J - torn

* One thing where I don't fully share AceJet's approach to marketing is that they choose to emphasize that Adam Čeladin is a five-time world champion in connection with the presentation of this knife (as well as all other products). On their website, they claim:

"We present a knife developed by Adam Čeladín, a five-time world champion in knife throwing".

My objections are partly that he has never been world champion five years in a row or split for that matter as far as I know. He is thus not a five-time world champion. That title is usually reserved for whoever wins the Walk Back discipline in the respective throwing style. Something he never did five times.

If you include all other disciplines that appear at championships where a medal can be obtained, I am not only a double Swedish champion, but have more titles than that, for example. But it is not customary to count in that way. However, it is possible to hold world records in all disciplines. There is, of course, someone who has thrown the longest in the world and for that, you get a medal at the WC (Which, by the way, there are several of them in different organizations). Similarly, someone scored the most points at each distance thrown, etc. This may be due to language confusion in translation from Czech to English. But in my opinion, it is clearer to say that Adam is a former world champion and has won a total of five gold medals.

The other objection I have is that none of it has anything to do with rotational throwing. It's not his forte and therefore I don't understand why they choose to emphasize that part when it comes to knives in this category. As far as I know, he has no similar success in that discipline at all.

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