The Splits – A strange game with knives

Classic 1970's Penknife

Split the Kipper, incredibly, was a popular game played by children in the 1970’s with knives locally we called it “The Splits. You couldn’t see that happening today and remember we played this in school. Ok playing is game did cost me my best friend at the time due to a fight but the knife stayed were it was stuck in the grass.

All that is required to play was soft grass or sand sometimes, and stout shoes and a good aim, a knife and rather large amounts of stupidity. That’s right, a game for children/teenagers involving knives and no killing.

Players stand facing each other a distance of 1 or 2 meters apart standing with their legs together. The leading player, the one with the knife, then aims and throws his weapon so that it lands outside his opponent’s feet. There was a rule that you could just throw the knife but only a few inches away and it must stick in the grass.

The knife must stick into the ground blade first. If once thrown and it is too far away or if it doesn't stick in the ground then it is called a ‘no-throw’, and does not count. If it is within distance and the players agree you move the foot nearest to where the knife landed stretching your legs apart. The opponent then pulls the knife out of the ground and it is his turn to throw back in the same way.

The game continues with each player taking turns to throw whilst all the time trying to remain standing, his or her legs getting further and further apart. If a player falls over or gives up, he loses, or when one of the players can’t take it any longer, he may decide to ‘split the kipper’. Here he aims the knife between his opponent’s feet and if he throws, it there successfully may now close his own legs to the starting position. Obviously, the number of times you are allowed to ‘split the kipper’ should be decided before starting otherwise games can continue a long time normally it was once I remember.

It was hard-core if you play the game sitting down the chances of getting hurt increases. The knife of choice was usually a small penknife.