Steamy non-firearm weaponry

[Monti Christo]

"Only a ruffian deals a blow with the back of the hand. A gentleman uses a straight left."
You learn something new everyday.

[dr490nw4rri0r]

What if you do both?

[electroginge]

in reply to the suggestion that everyday equipment could be used as a form of weapon, I shall bring up my camera case!

it's about a foot wide, made of very thick leather, has reinforced (with aluminium rods) edges, and some hefty little rubber feet. I derive great pleasure when people shove past me in shops as they damage they're internal organs and scuttle off whimpering 

I'd never be too willing to use the camera it's self unless I start carrying my non functioning Box Brownie around my neck. Hmmmmm, I like that idea.....

[akumabito]

Ok, so this one is from halfway 20th century.. but I wouldn't midn adding it to a SP arsenal!



Cattle prod FTW!

[Dr von Zarkov]

A favourite of ours is a pair of gentleman's calfskin gloves containing lead fishing weights (sinkers) in the fingers. Easily made, disguised, and carried - and - quite effective when applied to the facial zygoma.

[Marrock]

A favourite of ours is a pair of gentleman's calfskin gloves containing lead fishing weights (sinkers) in the fingers. Easily made, disguised, and carried - and - quite effective when applied to the facial zygoma.

Or just go get a pair of sap gloves...

[femonky]

it is truly amazing how much more damage you inflict with just an added ounce to the mass of your hands.
those sap gloves are a wonder!

[Gryphon]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but another common way to home-make a concealed sap in the 19th century was to sew those lead fishing weights into the upper back of a floppy tweed cabbie cap or other sturdy cloth cap.  Crowned thusly, one could "doff one's cap" with some gravity....

[Wayland2002]

A nice crossbow is an excellent weapon (also useful for staking vampires) for close quarters a warhammer just can't be beaten, it crushes skulls, punctures armour, breaks bones then when not being used as weapon it knocks nails in and opens cans of condensed milk.

[Mr. Boltneck]

The modern version is a fishing weight or wheel-balancing weight attached to the inside of a ball cap.

Not so sure about different parts of the hand being polite or ruffianly. The people with whom I study distinguish more by function than by etiquette in these matters; for example, only a couple of fingers at a time, at most, will fit in an assailant's eye socket. Impoliteness is more or less a basic assumption. Rather than think less of ourselves, we tend to assume that the person attacking us has failed to behave as a gentleman, particularly if he brought a couple of pals and a billiard cue, and has thus earned a no doubt improving educational moment in practical anatomy and physics.

The one problem with most weapons that one might carry is that carrying in many parts of the world is considered by the minions of the law to carry an air of premeditated violence, which I suppose they feel imposes on their prerogatives or something. Unfortunately, this means that in many jurisdictions, sap gloves, useful blades, coshes, truncheons, and so forth will get your collar felt in a marked manner if detected. Alas.

[Nex]

As much as I dislike capes, though you could substitute a long coat, one with weights sewn into the ends would be a pretty brutal weapon, effectively allowing you to remove the clothing and use it as a flail. In terms of "stealth" it is pretty good, the only downside is carrying the extra weight, and if the item is made from lightweight but strong materials the weight wouldn't go much above that of a heavier coat, but all the weight in the ends.

Gloves in general, not even weighted ones, just ones that protect your hands a bit are actually horrifically dangerous. Just look at the difference between bareknuckle boxing and modern boxing, people are killed every year from boxing related injuries, meanwhile in the hundred and more years of bareknuckle boxing only a handful of fighters ever died directly because of the fighting.
Bareknuckle fights had no round time limits and have a reputation for being brutal affairs but the thing is hits were often made to the chest and arms simply because punching someone in the jaw would be very likely to break your hand, the second gloves were brough in fighters could lay about each others heads with no danger to themselves.

Crossbows and crossbow like things are pretty cool, I do often think of how to mix tech in with them, be it clockwork, steampower or whatever. Repeating systems, and also into air-compression or steam power as a projectile system all seem like wonderful areas to look at.

[dr490nw4rri0r]

A simple gear, crank, and latch system for creating retractable arms on a homebuilt crossbow(preferably of metal materials) would be pretty easy to make.

[Mr. Boltneck]

In reference to Nex's comment, I am given to understand that the old French Gendarme's cape was weighted for use as a defensive weapon, and that old-style (non-sport) Savate had a whole set of techniques for using scarves, cloaks, coats, and so forth, for street fighting, which I am told was grouped under the name of Panache. Any old-fashioned maitres on the board who can add to this? It's rather outside my personal experience.

[MWBailey]

Welll... anything can be used as a weapon...
I used to ride, and once in a very great while, still do ride the various buses around Houston. It's not a horrifically-dangerous town to live in, but it does have it's tough-guy mugger element. I've noticed all sorts of things being used or hefted heavily in warning, as weapons. One of the most common was soap. No, not in liquid form, nor by throwing either the liquid or the bar, but by using the bar (or rather two or three bars) wrapped in a plastic bag and used a truncheon. That's right, you use 'em the same as a line with a rock tied on/in the end, or a rock in a sock. Makeshift as all heck, but it packs a wallop, and it's at least believed that it's practically impossible to prove conclusively that it's a weapon.

MWBailey

[Marrock]

According to my father, one of the best things you could use is a hunting sock full of sand, he once said you could beat someone to death with one and not leave a mark on them... and I learned early on not to question him about such things.

[Cornelius Finch]

phonebook. or any book for that matter. "eat knowledge tome you raff scallion!! kyaaa!!!"

[Gryphon]

The pillowcase half-filled with bars of soap was once the weapon of choice amongst American Marines for dispensing "barracks justice" in the night.  I imagine a sturdy canvas bookbag with a hardcover volume or two of Sir Richard Burton's works could be used to curb an assailant, given adequate room for a swing....

[Marrock]

Or my old mason's bag with the stainless steel notebook in it.

[akumabito]

Heh, back in elementary school I used a small ammo can as lunchbox. The class bully never bothered me again after I introduced my box to his face.


Ahhh, good times!

[Nex]

Makeshift as all heck, but it packs a wallop, and it's at least believed that it's practically impossible to prove conclusively that it's a weapon.

That is one Scottish law I agree with, ANY item carried as a weapon is a weapon. Though when you get down to really sly stuff like weighted clothes and even toughened leather gloves your not in much danger of being punished above any basic self defence/assault laws unless the police nab you while your battering someone with your coat.

[electroginge]

Makeshift as all heck, but it packs a wallop, and it's at least believed that it's practically impossible to prove conclusively that it's a weapon.

That is one Scottish law I agree with, ANY item carried as a weapon is a weapon. Though when you get down to really sly stuff like weighted clothes and even toughened leather gloves your not in much danger of being punished above any basic self defence/assault laws unless the police nab you while your battering someone with your coat.

i wonder how far you could stretch that though, would they think a cricket bat was a weapon if you wore a full kit, with shin guards and everything

[Marrock]

I wear leather gloves & steel-toed boots, and carry a hickory cane that I have an actual reason to carry, I don't think I need much beyond that as far as weaponry and it's all perfectly legal.

[MWBailey]

I'm not sure how I managed to not think of it 'til now, but a banjo'd be one heckuva good club. Unfortunately, not a very good banjo, after you crown somebody with it...

(lol).

MWBailey

Postscript: Also, there used to be a brand of Neo-Irish flute made of delrin plastic whose earliest website advert (according to a friend of mine) carried a customer quote saying that you could "beat a man to death with it"...

[H. MacHinery]

I'm not sure how I managed to not think of it 'til now, but a banjo'd be one heckuva good club. Unfortunately, not a very good banjo, after you crown somebody with it...

(lol).

MWBailey

Postscript: Also, there used to be a brand of Neo-Irish flute made of delrin plastic whose earliest website advert (according to a friend of mine) carried a customer quote saying that you could "beat a man to death with it"...

How big is a Neo-Irish flute, anyway?

[Sean Patrick O-Byrne]

phonebook. or any book for that matter. "eat knowledge tome you raff scallion!! kyaaa!!!"

Paperbacks are excellent for abusing a person, I hear, because they don't leave bruises. Same with soap in a sock. Never had the heart to volunteer for testing however.