Steamy non-firearm weaponry

[Mr Peter Harrow, Esq]

No, any sort of apparent weapon is problematic, recent legislative proposals were specifically aimed at samurai swords, any sort of taser is unlawful and there are proposals to ban green lasers. One thing still lawful is the Mosquito, a device which emits an unpleasant noise too high for everone except children and teenagers to hear,  to force them away from lurking spaces where they are putting off shop customers. A portable version of the same may give you a working sonic weapon against the youth of today.

[Engineer]

One thing still lawful is the Mosquito, a device which emits an unpleasant noise too high for everone except children and teenagers to hear,  to force them away from lurking spaces where they are putting off shop customers. A portable version of the same may give you a working sonic weapon against the youth of today.

Alternatively a bar of soap shoud work quite well - I have it on good authority that there is nothing quite so frightening to an unwashed youth as the threat of a good wash 

[stockton_joans]

in regard to the mosquito i herd a while ago of some bright spark young'un recording said noise form one of the emitters outside the local co-opertive on his mobile telephonic device and useing said recording as the incomeing message allert so that he and his contempories could send messages to each other through the aether with out attracting the attention of the school master.

rather ingenious i think

[A.G.Morgan]

No, any sort of apparent weapon is problematic, recent legislative proposals were specifically aimed at samurai swords, any sort of taser is unlawful and there are proposals to ban green lasers...

You guys are gonna need to put a stop to this kind of thinking. At this rate they'll be confiscating your prop weapons in a couple of years. This kind of stuff can't be good for Steampunks.

[akumabito]

They will confiscate prop weaponry if it looks too much like the real deal

[DrTom]

Hi, folks...first post here and thought I'd try my hand at helping out here...

If you want something easy to construct and carry, non-firearm, and yet practical, I'd say go with a stylized kusarifundo.  It's my weapon of choice (though I *do* love my sword cane, it's not terribly practical).  A kusarifundo is simply a chain of about arm legnth (I suggest a little shorter to lessen--though certainly not eliminate--your chances of hitting yourself in the face).  You're weights can be anything from several brass nuts stacked and glued together to a heavy, small wrench, a nicely engraved brass cylindar, or whatever (better to keep the weights a little smaller than the legnth of your thumb), attached to a brass-looking chain on either end.   

It's a very versatile weapon, but it's tricky to master, so some research on technique and practice with knotted rope is recommended.

[Sean Patrick O-Byrne]

No, any sort of apparent weapon is problematic, recent legislative proposals were specifically aimed at samurai swords,

Good thing too! In my nine months in Ireland, there were no less then four katana attacks in the Republic alone, one of which on a group of Firefighters who were putting out a blaze!  I can't imagine it's much better in Britain, with such a greater population.

Girly looking things, anyway...

[A.G.Morgan]

I fear that type of stuff does more to annoy us who want weapons for fun and protection, than it does stop criminals.

But yes, the Japanese sword is a bit too delicate for my tastes. A saber, a cutlass, or one of those monstrous Scottish things is more like it.

[Marrock]

While this is all quite fun and interesting, I do believe I'll just continue to go with my cane.

Nothing like three feet of hickory to help modify someone's attitude and there's no real way it could be taken for a weapon.

Though I will admit to getting the occasional odd look when I ride my velocipede with it slung across my back like a sword.

[CaptainPhania]

No, any sort of apparent weapon is problematic, recent legislative proposals were specifically aimed at samurai swords,

Good thing too! In my nine months in Ireland, there were no less then four katana attacks in the Republic alone, one of which on a group of Firefighters who were putting out a blaze!  I can't imagine it's much better in Britain, with such a greater population.

Girly looking things, anyway...

Someone was attacked with a samurai sword in my street two years ago, got charged with manslaughter, I think. I'm amazed at the amount of sword crime in the world. Knife crime is to be expected, but sword crime? I mean, yes, I own two swords, but I didn't think everyone else did, or that they casually stabbed people with them!

[rovingjack]

mmmm, yes knives are always good, but almost always illegal. And the idea of carrying a scottish claymore is nutters.

Being of the brassy  inclination might I suggest a peice of metal cord or chain of thin but strong metal with a decorative metal weight at the end. As wip, throwing hammer, garrot and such.

Anything could be a weapon though I remember some time back learning a bit of a traditional japanese technique wher a simple loop of twine was made into something that be use to capture and restrain limbs of an opponent without actually hitting them or tying them up (it was used by japanese police against the aristocratic sons of powerful people, who would see either as greivous insults). Then there is just empty handed.

but those subtler forms tend not to be effective intimidation tools to ward off attackers. If you could rig one of those mini torch lighters to a larger resivior and a more showy activation switch... fire blade in walkingstick anyone.

[von Corax]

...I remember some time back learning a bit of a traditional japanese technique wher a simple loop of twine was made into something that be use to capture and restrain limbs of an opponent without actually hitting them or tying them up...

As I understand it, that form is (or is the basis of) what's known as "shibari."

WARNING: Do not, under any circumstances, google "shibari" if you are at work, or if there are children in the room.

[DrTom]

but those subtler forms tend not to be effective intimidation tools to ward off attackers. If you could rig one of those mini torch lighters to a larger resivior and a more showy activation switch... fire blade in walkingstick anyone.

Ooh!  I occasionally use something like this as a magic trick.  Hidden in the hand is a portable "hand flamer."  It's simply a bit of tubing with some form of igniting the back (a flint roller as you might find on a lighter is popular, but my preference has been a AA-battery-operated glowplug from a model airplane).  Place two pieces of flashpaper in the tube (make sure it contacts gently with the ignition device, conceal the thing in your hand, point your fingers and "flick the switch" with your thumb.  It creates the illusion of flinging a fireball out from your fingertips.  The fire is very showy, but not terribly hot (small likelihood of damage from two small sheets of flashpaper, but do be careful anyway). 

It would take just a wee bit of imagination to incorporate that principle into any kind of device, tool, and the like.

It's not likely to do much physical damage unless you hit the eyes at close range, but in my experience distraction and temporary blindness is just about the most potent weapon there is.

Of course, this might technically be considered a "Fire Arm..."
 

[clockwork creation]

DESPAIR, STRIFE, TEA WITHOUT MILK and other such bad things . my project of giving my cricket bat brass plates failed in the prototype and i ended up with a cricket bat with nails down one side and on the frount ... now eaven though this was a failure it got me thinking, the baseball bat with nails in it allways seemed a tad to american for my taste, but a cricket bat with nails in .. anyway the cricket bat looked so brutal it made me think 'STEAM THUG'. i would imagine that not every in this future that never was could afford a ray gun or sword, and what about criminals in packs or gangs .. just a thought but i felt compelled to post, i shall post pictures of this and the finished project soon

regards MR.CC

[A.G.Morgan]

The only problem I see with nails in a cricket bat, is that unlike a round baseball bat a cricket bat is flattened. Of course when you must apply violence with it, you hit with the edge to concentrate the force of the blow in a smaller area.
Driving nails through the cricket bat edgewise would likely split the wood. Or at least make it likely to split during use. Putting them through the flat side would mean you'd have to hit with the flat side to see any benefit, this means more wind resistance, slower swing, and the negation of the impact force of the bat's weight, making you rely on the piercing power of the nails for inflicting damage.

[clockwork creation]

i finished making the 'nailed bat' a while  ago now and i found the way to prevent the nails from splitting the wood is to use small nails that once hammerd half way in i can then use a clipper to remove the flat heads, as for the slow swing the nailed bat was a prototyple for a brass plated bat so i used a childs bat its small and light ans has a good swing i have done all the standars tests .. destroying mellons, an old tv and some plasterboard and i found that the nails were sturdy and did not bend.

[A.G.Morgan]

Well done! I hope we can expect pictures.

Another idea would be to take a page out of the Aztec book of Armaments. They had a weapon that was basicly a wooden sword with obsidian blades attached to make an edge. The wooden part looked very much like a cricket bat, and I figure razor blades or scythe saw points could be substituted for the obsidian.

[DrTom]

Yeah, that reminds me of when I was a kid and made a makeshift axe with an old rotary saw blade and a hammer handle.

[A.G.Morgan]

Damn it all! this line of discussion has inflamed my creative passions. But the hour is late, tomorrow is a full day of schooling, and tomorrow night is a Dropkick Murphys concert at the Cain's Ballroom.

I'll not be able to work on anything till Tuesday! There ain't enough hours in the day I say.

[Dr. Oliver Cross]

in regard to the mosquito i herd a while ago of some bright spark young'un recording said noise form one of the emitters outside the local co-opertive on his mobile telephonic device and useing said recording as the incomeing message allert so that he and his contempories could send messages to each other through the aether with out attracting the attention of the school master.

rather ingenious i think

Except that folk like myself exist; I'm 27, and not only do I have hearing well into the range in which these devices work, I have hearing that extends into the frequencies where dog whistles work.  (Those are the most painful devices ever designed by the hands of man, I might add....)

[Gentleman-Adventurer]

Well done! I hope we can expect pictures.

Another idea would be to take a page out of the Aztec book of Armaments. They had a weapon that was basicly a wooden sword with obsidian blades attached to make an edge. The wooden part looked very much like a cricket bat, and I figure razor blades or scythe saw points could be substituted for the obsidian.

It's called a "Maquahuitl". Brutish things. I'm in the same camp as the cavalry sabre crowd.

[clockwork creation]

i wish i could post a picture but my digital camera has packed up 

[Gryphon]

One cannot go wrong with a big wrench or chain, provided one has the strength and dexterity to actually wield such.  Alas, this neglected skill has become rare in these civilized times, but a good course in Indian Clubs or spanner-juggling could go far in remedying a personal lack.  Speaking of, let us not forget the various beautifully carved Woodland Native American warclubs.

Concerning sonic devices for self-defense, what about an extremely loud assault gramophone, its dread cylinder loaded with tunes from The Tiger Lillies?  Or a particularly sinister sleep-inducing musicbox?
 
Or perhaps an olfactory assault - an atomizer loaded with concentrated skunk scent or truly vile cheap perfume.  Consider also the throwing of plates or horseshoes, yet another almost forgotten Victorian skill. 

I study and teach rapier fencing.  My reitschwert has a homemade hilt with wire-wrap grip and an Italian Del Tin Practice Rapier blade safety-tipped with a rubber archery bird blunt.  I've worn it with garb in public for a wide variety of events (including inside public schools) for many years and have never had any problems at all, but this IS the rural USA.  Sir Richard Burton favored a saber or cutlass, but he was no slouch with a rapier either.  A smallsword would be most Victorian....

[Haizea]

I suppose - although this is more one for females - you could construct some sort of clockwork-looking folding fan, which opened out to reveal blades as opposed to paper. Similar things have been made in the past, and it wouldn't be too difficult to make it look steampunk...
(dunno if that's been suggested already, since I haven't read through the thread.)

[DrTom]

Of course, there's also the classic blackthorn...can't go wrong there and you can steam it up all you like!