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What is Mumblety-Peg?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Mumblety-peg is a game which is played with pocket knives. There are a number of variations on mumblety-peg, ranging from a version almost like war to a version which requires demonstrations of skill with a throwing knife. Up until the early 20th century, mumblety-peg was a very popular children's game, played at schoolyards all over the world, but concerns about the safety of games which involve throwing knives have led to a phasing out of this once popular pastime.

The name of the game comes from “mumble the peg,” a reference to the fact that in early versions of the game, the loser was required to pull a peg out of the ground with his or her teeth. The game is also known as “mumble-de-peg” and “mumbletypeg.” All versions of the game rely on the same basic principle: when thrown right, a knife will land blade first, penetrating the ground. Most versions of the game are designed for two players.

Pocket knives are used during the game of mumblety-peg.
Pocket knives are used during the game of mumblety-peg.

In the most basic version of mumblety-peg, players simply try to get the knife as close to their feet as possible. In another variant, players throw their knives at each other, with the opposing player being required to move his or her foot to the space where the knife lands. The idea is that eventually, players will not be able to stretch a leg to the landing point, and they will become unbalanced; the first player to fall or lose footing loses.

In a more complex version of mumblety-peg, players are required to demonstrate progressively more challenging knife throwing moves. In some regions, there are a prescribed series of moves that players were expected to go through, and in other regions players simply mimic each other, creating a series of more and more challenging tosses. If a player's knife fails to land upright, he or she loses.

Some people may remember a version of mumblety-peg which is based on gaining territory. In this version, a circle or another shape is divided in two by the players to create two territories. The first player tosses his or her knife into the territory of the opponent, establishing the start of a line which can be used to take over a section of the opponent's territory. In many versions of the game, only straight lines may be drawn, making this game progressively harder to win as the territory is repeatedly chopped up.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a Sports&Hobbies researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a Sports&Hobbies researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

JohnEidsmoe

In Boy Scout camp back in the 1950s, we played mumblety-peg with a variant: when I player successfully stuck the knife in the ground, he'd use the butt of the knife to drive the peg deeper into the ground. The longer the game continued, the more difficult it became for the loser to pull out the peg without getting a mouthful of dirt.

anon997000

Mumblety-peg is a combination of accurate knife throwing and limberness at the splits.

The way we played in Texas was as follows.

1. Two players face each other with their "still foot" against a sidewalk edge or a "peg." Then player one tosses his knife just outside the "moving foot" of the player two. (6-10 inches) The blade must stick into the ground or player one has lost. If the knife goes too far player, one has to re-toss. (3 strikes, tosses too far-and you lose.) If the knife hits the other player you lose.

2. Player two places his "moving foot" against the knife and pulls it from the ground to return to player one. Then it is his turn to toss.

3. Player get his turn and they switch off with every legal toss and their legs get further apart into splits, If the tosses are all legal, then whoever falls out of the splits first, loses.

At out elementary school we'd line up like guys in a pool hall and play the winner.

There was a rainy-day version played inside with a small bean-bag.

anon996999

Mumblety-peg is a combination of accurate

knife throwing and limberness at the splits.

The way we played in Texas was as follows.

1. Two players face each other with their "still foot"

against a sidewalk edge or a "peg." Then player one

tosses his knife just outside the "moving foot" of

the player two. (6-10 inches) The blade must stick

into the ground or player one has lost. If the knife

goes too far player, one has to re-toss. (3 strikes,

tosses too far-and you lose)

If the knife hits the other player you lose.

2. Player two places his "moving foot" against the

knife and pulls it from the ground to return to

player one. Then it is his turn to toss.

3. Player get his turn and they switch off with every

legal toss and their legs get further apart into splits,

If the tosses are all legal, then whoever falls out

of the splits first, loses.

At out elementary school we'd line up like guys in

a pool hall and play the winner.

There was a rainy-day version played inside with

a small bean-bag.

anon971481

My friends and I used to play the version where one person throws the knife near the other person's foot, and that person has to put his foot on the spot and pick up the knife. Everything would go all right until one of us got so out of balance that we couldn't throw the knife accurately. I caught one in the top of my foot that way.

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    • Pocket knives are used during the game of mumblety-peg.
      By: Matthew Benoit
      Pocket knives are used during the game of mumblety-peg.