Our Childhood Games
Claiming a Dirt Circle in a Schoolyard Knife Game
told by The family
After playing marbles, players took turns flipping knives into a circle drawn in the dirt. Those whose knives stuck inside rushed in after the last throw to claim parcels by drawing straight lines aligned with their blades; the largest parcel won. The lines were then erased for another round. The family recalls this as a wild and dangerous game: someone received a knife cut to the face, but no one remembers who. In a variation called “Kingdom,” players made repeated throws to enlarge their territories until one controlled the whole circle. Strategic play could prolong the game, and a player forfeited when their remaining portion was smaller than their hand.
In the family's own words
(Had no name.)
After playing marbles, two or more players try to stick their knife as close to the middle of the circle drawn in the dirt as possible. The play begins when the players flip their knives, in turn, trying to stick them as close to the center as possible. Players, whose knives actually stuck in the circle rush in after the last player has tossed to make their claim by drawing their line with their knife to carve out the largest parcel and become the winner. MARKING OFF RULES: Players mark off the portion of the circle in a straight line projected to either side of their knife’s blade in a line that goes in the same direction as the width of the blade entered the ground. The lines in the circle were rubbed out and the play continued. This was a wild and dangerous game. Someone once got a knife cut in the face, but no one remembers who. There was a version of this game called “Kingdom” where the play continued beyond the first throw. Each player got subsequent turns to try to increase their part of the circle until one person owned the whole circle. This was done by sequential knife throws and annexing as much to your part of the circle as you could by connecting your knife blade line (same marking of rules) to your part and the nearest edge of the circle. Two good players can make this a good long game with much strategic planning to finally gain the whole circle. If, near the end, the opponents portion was smaller than his hand, he forfeited his last bit and lost the game.
Referenced in
Our Childhood Games, told by The familyRelated stories
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