Non Conventional Self Defense Items: Problems and Down Sides of them?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

What are the negatives and downsides to people using unconventional self defense items for protecting their person and property?

Examples:

Sharpened Tent Stakes
Canes, Walking Sticks
Baseball bats, Sports Bats and Clubs, Tire Thumpers (most places have laws against civilians using police-specific Billy Clubs and Night Sticks)
Chains of all sorts
Hard Boards and Pieces of Hard Wood and related materials
Plumbing pieces
Household tools (hammers, picks, rock pics, ice picks, wrenches, etc)

Someone told me that the best personal defense item is if a person learns martial arts. Then you have a weapon noone can take away from you: Your own body and your own self, and no government can legislate against that. I read that the idea that a Black Belt has to register themselves as a weapon is an urban legend and there are no laws on the books that say that.

[JD Spydo]

I have a most unusual Martial Arts, SD type weapon if that's what you want to call it. Way back in the early to mid 2000 decade I was helping a friend selling a big line of stuff that the Cold Steel knife company was selling at the time along with stuff made by other self defense companies. Believe it or not the COLD STEEL stuff sold pretty good for the most part.

Cold Steel back then had some products made with Chinese White Wax Wood. The wood is very interesting and has some really unusual properties for wood. You can't break it hardly at all. It doesn't splinter and it's probably the most dense wood I've ever encountered. This one item I'm speaking of looks like a staff a little over 5 feet long and about 1.5 inches in diameter that is made with this Chinese White Wax Wood. It can be used as a conventional staff but these poles are also used in Martial Arts training classes. A good friend of mine got really good at using these White Wax Wood poles and if you knew the techniques you could do some major damage to a person with the proper "know-how".

Also out of this batch of Cold Steel self defense tools I've got what they called a "Two-Handed" Machete. Cold Steel imported them from South Africa of all places. These two handed Machetes are really nice and when I do hike in the woods I always take that tool with me. It truly has a multitude of uses and I wouldn't even mind having another one.

[MichaelScott]

All of that stuff, and more, could be useful in a “make-do” situation when anything you can get your hands on might serve. Might as well include irons, tennis rackets, cutting boards, plates, flower vases, fireplace pockets, shoes, your cat… etc.

I favor things meant for self defense and are easily portable, like hand guns and maybe a knife. I don’t normally go around carrying tent stakes or baseball bats.

[TkoK83Spy]

I like this guy, bought it at an oriental store in a mall as a teenager in the 90's...my how things have changed!

[Daveho]

I keep a 4” stick of ash that’s about 1” round-

[Bloke]

I have a most unusual Martial Arts ...

[Crux]

I have one of these 2 pound 15" torpedos. Saving it for a dragon.

[tvenuto]

I keep a 4” stick of ash that’s about 1” round-

[tvenuto]

Examples:

Hard Boards and Pieces of Hard Wood and related materials

[tvenuto]

Examples:

Plumbing pieces

[Gevatter]

I used to carry a big padlock as an improvised knuckle duster but i think it is pretty much useless if you don't have a hard punch anyway.
With chains you can severely hurt yourself if you're not properly trained. I once hit myself with a nunchaku to the forehead, not even at full swing...Ouch!

[Bloke]

I used to carry a big padlock ...

[Gevatter]

I used to carry a big padlock ...

:eek: :D

[JD Spydo]

I have one of these 2 pound 15" torpedos. Saving it for a dragon.

Hey Crux I'm really glad you brought up those old Cold Steel "Torpedos">> I was at my storage unit the other day and I found the 6 of those I bought at the time. Me and my friend I was helping to sell Cold Steel products at that time we were selling a lot of those Torpedos along with dozens of their throwing knives. I still to this day believe that Cold Steel had some really good throwing knives. Those Torpedos could be used as a great weapon if being followed by a car full of bad people that might be chasing you at the time. I've heard that they really do a number on a windshield and can penetrated stuff in a really wicked manner. Again Cold Steel has had a lot of good tactical products over the years. I was sure glad to find the Torpedos I bought some time back. I still have some of their throwing knives too.

[xceptnl]

......
Also out of this batch of Cold Steel self defense tools I've got what they called a "Two-Handed" Machete. Cold Steel imported them from South Africa of all places. These two handed Machetes are really nice and when I do hike in the woods I always take that tool with me. It truly has a multitude of uses and I wouldn't even mind having another one.

I have one of these great tools as well. Never considered it for self defense but in the woods I can see how useful it could be against a predator should I be unfortunate enough to be within arms reach of one.

I carried a Benchmade pen for years until I lost it last year. I replaced it with a Hinderer Investigator pen, nice compact impact weapon should I have the need for one. Along those same lines, I have thought to myself before how useful a Police 4 or Military could be in the closed position as a blunt impact tool

[TkoK83Spy]

I have one of these 2 pound 15" torpedos. Saving it for a dragon.

Call me naive, but I have absolutely no idea what this thing is, or what it does/how to use it? Do you just throw it and it can penetrate a windshield!?

[MacLaren]

I keep a retractable ASP in my truck. Just in case ya know.

[Crux]

You can throw it like a little spear or like an axe. Pretty much only useful against dragons or bigfoot.

[The Mastiff]

The problem as I see it with these "weapons" is that their use will get one charged with attempted murder as fast as using a firearm will if the conditions of self defense aren't met. In that case why the heck not use a firearm? If you can have one of these you can probably have a firearm. If one is in an airplane crash or somewhere that no weapons will be available a torpedo or other make do thing won't either. In that case rocks, sticks or whatever is available can and should be used. For those in countries where weapons and self defense aren't valid this isn't meant to be relevant to your situation and I'll leave that alone.

Joe

[Crux]

Firearms are useless against dragons. Do you not watch the movie/documentaries of dragon assault? This works, that's why they made it.

Just like my DP-12 is only useful against a zombie horde. Or any herd for that matter.