New Knife - Zitoon Knives The Rafale

It seems obvious by now that I have become a Francophile when it comes to throwing knives. But it is not so strange. Some of the world's best manufacturers are found there.* One of them is Zitoon Knives. A small company from the scenic Normandy. The man behind both the company and most of the models is Olivier Feret.

Speaking of nature, he took inspiration for the name of this knife, Le Rafale, from there. It means gust or breeze in English.

Zitoon Knives Le Rafale

According to Olivier himself, the Rafale took a long time to design. For the uninitiated, it may seem strange, as throwing knives do not have elaborate handles like many fixed blades or opening mechanisms and locks like folding knives. They often consist of just one piece of steel.

However, it is, at best, a very well-shaped piece of steel, and other details must be carefully considered. It requires a good basic design, preferably built on solid knowledge—one that can often only be obtained by being a knife thrower yourself or in close collaboration with one. Then, that design must be put into practice via prototypes and testing before the finished product is ready to be manufactured and sold.

Balance is, of course, exceptionally important compared to more conventional knives. However, it is also important how the handle meets the fingers when different grips are used, depending on which technique is preferred. It is about angles, length, width, curvature, etc.

Le Rafale, a throwing knife model from France focused on No Spin

The end result is a knife that measures a fairly, for no spin use, standardized 25 cm in length. The thickness is 6 mm and this gives a weight of around 220 g. The exact weight is difficult to say as it can differ by a few grams depending on the grinds. After all, these are mostly handmade items.

The finish is brushed, which is one of Zitoons' most common, and the material is Swedish Hardox 450. A very good choice for throwing knives as it is really tough and very impact-resistant. And also prone to rust, nota bene, so it needs maintenance.

It will be a joy to get to know these knives better during the spring. Especially as the options for the upcoming World Cup increase.

Zitoon

/ J - trying to catch a breeze


* In addition to Zitoon, there are, for example, Throwingzone and Pierre Cazoulat. Then there are quality knives from other parts of the world. The USA, for example, also boasts several manufacturers with really high quality. But buying and privately importing from there can be quite expensive. Especially with the current exchange rate. But Zitoon Knives are affordable even to other European manufacturers.

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