Steamy non-firearm weaponry

[Captain Brandsson]

I am not a "pro-gun" sort (on a personal level; if you can do so legally and responsibly that is your business), but as I start to assemble more "costumey" (if you will excuse the expression) bits to go along with my everyday wear the notion of weaponry has come to mind.

Blades seem to simple...

I am considering maybe trying a set of tools that can double as weapons...

Any other ideas?  My creativity has hit a block in this.

[Hyren von Henry]

ooh firstly, will they be props or practical?

if practical - you have to play with the law / reality.
if props - you can have whatever you want, but it wont work.

[Dr cornelius quack]

I'm sure that a suitably applied pair of mole grips would bring an opponent round to your way of thinking.

[Laird Dave Hawker]

I have an absolutely massive Adjustable spanner, it almost resembles a mace, but is also used in my day to day job.
With a suitable belt attachment it is rather fetching, if slightly menacing.

[Captain Brandsson]

ooh firstly, will they be props or practical?

if practical - you have to play with the law / reality.
if props - you can have whatever you want, but it wont work.

Props, I suppose, for now.  Sort of the non-gun cousin on the Nerf gun modding, so to say.
"Toys" that my son and I can make and play with together would be nice.

[CaptainFynnOMalleyEsq.]

Swordcane.





Fashionable *and* useful, what more could you ask for?

Don't know about US law, but in the UK you can have them if they're antique (over 100 yrs); something to do with concealed weapons. I guess thats a state thing though, rather than countrywide.

Or a decent sized spanner/wrench would do wonders as a club in a push.

[Hyren von Henry]

You're allowed one inside your own house... not sure about use in public though...

[Captain Brandsson]

As not to insult its many fans, I'll simply say that the sword cane is "not my style".

However, the more an oversized wrench/spanner is suggested the more I like the idea.  I could make a giant foam one easily.

I need to think outside the box a bit more.  Perhaps a steam valve at the end of a prosthetic arm that can release a blast of hot steam as needed.  Borrow some imagery from Iron Man's repulsors.

[A.G.Morgan]

Hmm... Goin' the Batman route are we? That's okay, firearms can get noisy, need a lot of practice, and maintenance anyway.

I carry a Schrade Old Timer skinner everywhere on my belt. It's a small sheath knife, the blade is just barely as long as the grip, so it's not big enough to get me in trouble most places. It's quite good looking in its old leather sheath and bone grips. I would suggest a similar set up if your looking for a good, useful tool that could double as a weapon in a pinch.

If you want to go with something a bit more oriented towards practical self defense, I hear those tazers the police have been using nowadays are available to civilians now. I'd like to see one of those steampunked it you were so inclined.

[Dr cornelius quack]

On the subject of tools of the trade, an old camel herder aquantance of mine never went anywhere without two half bricks tied together with string.

I asked him one day if that wasn't dreadfully painful?

He said. "Only if you get your thumbs in the way."

[Flabob]

Whatever is on hand/around you at the moment! Or a rusty ol' metal pole...

[Hydrargyrum]

I've always wanted to see a brawler wielding a clock tower hand. Hell of a caber.

[The_Naysayer]

I think above all of the melee options, I'd go for the heavy pipe wrench myself.

And this, probably awful, idea just came to mind: Steam powered saw/chainsaw implementing sharpened gear(s)?

[Jakoby T Simmeon]

Perhaps a 'Punked version of brass knuckles? Or a gauntlet of some sort?

[Rando]

i must add that a ratchet works just fine.

quite notably when they are about this big




it weighs a good bit.

[popuptoaster]

My friend who walks with a cane anyway was bought a sword cane for his collection while in the 'states by another friend as a birthday present, it was removed from him by customs at Heathrow airport and they were told sword canes are a big no no in the UK.

[Arcturon the hobo]

Spanner nunchucks.
Blowpipe cane.
Telescopic cane that may become a quarter stave.
Clock hand knives.
Gear shaped shuriken.
Pendulum rope dart.

I'll see what else I can think of.

[dr490nw4rri0r]

It could be as simple as a dirk with a carved wooden handle inlaid with brass, and a brass filigree adorned sheath, perhaps a few small brass gears hanging from the hilt of the dirk.

Another item of note, A slightly oversize screwdriver with a retractible marlinspike hidden in the handle would work, considering a relatively simple twist-this-way-while-holding-that-button style release could be manufactured to avoid unfortunate and painful accidents.

[Smaggers]

if you're not into firearms how about a pistol crossbow.  Something like a nicely decorated flintlock stock, and a bow arm that's been etched in a suitable fashion.

[The_Naysayer]

if you're not into firearms how about a pistol crossbow.  Something like a nicely decorated flintlock stock, and a bow arm that's been etched in a suitable fashion.

Well, I hadn't translated firearms quite so literally... I guess I just take non-firearm to mean melee or close combat weapons.  You could be correct in suggesting a crossbow however.


Also, how about a steam charged sword?  Like, it's hot and stuff.  Because when you cut people, you generally get to keep contact with them, so they'd be like all "Aw, shit, get that sword off me, it burrrrrrns, you already cut me!  go awaaaaay it buuuurns."

...nevermind.

[Professor Jules Nixon]

Wouldn't that just cauterize the wound and stop them bleeding?

[The_Naysayer]

Sure.  Then you can cut them again.

[spcglider]

When headed down the road to Steam Punkiness, particularly in the area of hand-props, one can do minimal research and discover not only "period" pieces that are appropriate simply by their age, but VERY COOL LOOKING period pieces as well.

The keywords "antique pipe wrench" brought this up in google image search:



I mean, if you're going to do it, do it TASTY, yes?

-Gordon

[Sir Lyle von Infiri]

I read somewhere on this forum about something called a battle/war cane, the post had a link to a picture. Basically it was a standard cane which instead of violating weapons laws had a head that was designed after medieval war hammers (though smaller). Using it was rather obvious, grip the base and swing at someone else's head.

[T. T. Lemayne]

A while ago, I saw some 'energy swords' for sale (no link, sorry) - plexi rods with high output LEDs in ornate grips. Quite professionally made (and priced) too.