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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To get a Jakobs Throwing Knife in Borderlands 4, keep farming loot; to hunt the specific Penetrator augment, repeat the Splashzone boss encounter with an Encore Machine once you can access it. Game8 describes the knife as a random drop and Splashzone as an early, relatively easy repeat target, but it does not report a drop rate or a special Splashzone bonus. Treat this as a repeatable loot route, not a guaranteed drop.
Step-by-step: farm for a Penetrator Throwing Knife
- Reach Splashzone. The recommended route applies once this boss encounter is available in your progression. Game8 identifies it as an early, relatively easy farming target; it does not establish that Splashzone has an increased chance to drop the knife.
- Use the Encore Machine to repeat the encounter. Game8 recommends Encore Machines for replaying boss fights. Defeat Splashzone, then inspect the loot before starting another run.
- Check the item card for Penetrator. A Jakobs Throwing Knife without the Penetrator augment is not the specific roll sought by older crit-knife builds. Keep repeating the encounter if the augment is missing.
- Use the Ordnance control shown by your game. The sources do not establish a current universal button or key for activating ordnance on each platform, so check your HUD or control settings rather than relying on an assumed mapping.
Game8 characterizes the item as a random drop. Neither a guaranteed number of runs nor a verified drop probability is available, so a run without the desired knife or augment does not indicate that the route is broken.
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What “throwing knife” means in Borderlands 4
This is a Jakobs ordnance item, not a regular firearm. Gearbox’s patch notes call them “Jakobs Throwing Knife grenades.” If you only want a knife for general play, a generic drop may suit you; the Penetrator augment is the particular roll to verify if you are following a build that calls for it.
Critical-hit advice changed after launch
Do not rely on launch-era descriptions that say the Jakobs crit knife guarantees critical hits. In its October 23, 2025 update notes, Gearbox Software stated: “Reduced critical chance on Jakobs crit knife to 30%.” The notes also say Jakobs Throwing Knives no longer count as gun kills for challenge tracking. Read the official October 23, 2025 update notes.
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September 2025 coverage described pairing the knife with Vex’s Bloodletter and Contamination passives, but that report predates the change. The available sources do not verify whether that interaction performs the same way now, so treat those build claims as historical rather than a current guarantee. See PC Gamer’s earlier build report.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Known collision fix and firmware distinction
Gearbox’s November 20, 2025 notes say collision behavior was updated so Jakobs Throwing Knife grenades correctly impact the orb around Vile Ordonite of Corrupted enemies. That is a fix for that specific interaction, not a promise that every throw will hit in every situation. The same update raised the Get Throwin’ firmware’s Ordnance Damage from 10% to 35%; those values belong to the firmware, not the knife’s base damage. Read the November 20, 2025 update notes.
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Sources and version context
- Game8’s Penetrator Throwing Knife guide describes the random-drop hunt and recommends repeating bosses with Encore Machines, including Splashzone as an early target.
- Gearbox’s October 23, 2025 update notes document the critical-chance change and challenge-tracking adjustment.
- Gearbox’s November 20, 2025 update notes document the specific collision fix and Get Throwin’ firmware change.
- PC Gamer’s September 2025 Vex build coverage predates the critical-chance reduction.
- 2K lists Borderlands 4 as released September 12, 2025, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store: official game page.
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