Improvised Weapons

Discussion in 'Guns, Knives, Tools, Etc.' started by TexDanm, Jul 23, 2017.

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  1. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    I was messing around in my shop the other day and found an old 7 1/4"circular saw blade. It was a ripping blade so was very coarse. I also had found an old hoe handle that was broken off about 4 feet/1.2meters long. I had seen something on the boob tube and decided to try it. I cut the handle down to about 18 inches/.46 meters and then split it far enough back to insert the blade into the handle. I drilled a hole in the handle and then put a 1/2" bolt through the handle and blade. I am going to wrap the handle with either leather or paracord and have already experimented with edge sharpening the saw blade.

    Let me tell you this thing is an intimidating looking thing!! With the edge sharp it slices and dices no matter which way you swing it! The intimidation factor on this is right up there with my battle ax. Best of all it was free!! I have a 10" blade that I was going to use to make knives but I may put in into a baseball bat instead.

    You don't have to spend a lot to be armed as far as non-gun weapons is concerned. I made a spear out of half of a set of shears and it worked great and looked good. The other half became a knife. I have about a half dozen aluminum baseball bats that I have picked up over the years none cost me over 2 dollars.

    Actually it doesn't take a lot to make a gun. When I was a kid I made several 22 caliber zip guns and could make a shotgun easily. None of this sort of thing is something that you need NOW but knowing how is, for me, something that I wanted to learn ahead of time.
     
  2. Bishop

    Bishop Master Survivalist
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    I am a big improvise weapon guy I also like looking around when I am out and about to see what I could use for a weapon if something was going down and I need one.
     
  3. greymanila

    greymanila Active Member
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    Real cool!

    We've been making homemade pepper spray using ground pepper, and am aiming to load it in a pump gardening sprayer. We're intending to try the sprayer with hydrochloric acid for more damage. Also, am aiming to try to make a flame thrower.
     
  4. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    When I was young and feisty I used to carry a jar of jalapeno peppers on the front seat of my 56 Chevy. If things got ugly I would pull out two peppers and have one in each fist. Believe me, getting hit in the face by a hand with Jalapeno juice all over it makes that punch carry a lot more ouch!! You could also sling that juice in their face and it=f you got the eyes it was all over. Also best of all I have peppers to put on my burgers at the drive in burger joint which was unheard of at the time and fairly common now...at least i n Texas. Many years later when they came out with pepper spray I thought it was pretty funny.

    Fighting fair is a SPORT not survival or real.
     
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  5. Bishop

    Bishop Master Survivalist
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    Deadly improvise meal


     
  6. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    I gotta try that!! I've done cotton balls and tooth picks but never thought about marshmallows and spaghetti!! To tell you the truth after reading the title I was expecting some form of gag or joke.
     
  7. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    I save my old ax, hoe and shovel handles too. One of my favorite walking sticks is an OLD hoe handle. It is deeply grooved and warn and hard as stone. It is at least a hundred years old. It was on a hoe that belonged to my great grandmother. I cleaned it and then sealed it. It is rather attractive in a gnarly way and at about 50" long makes a great club.
     
  8. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    The thing about weapons is that you have to understand exactly their place. There is the intimidation factor, then there is the true deadliness. To some extent in a world like most of us foresee both will be very important. Looking like a person or group that is too dangerous to bother is a long way better than looking less deadly and having to fight all the time.

    If someone is waving a switchblade knife around I might decide to stomp on him some but if it is an ax or machete I'll probably leave him be and avoid him unless I have a gun. The think that you don't want to do though is make yourself a person of concern. There is a thin line in there where nobody wants to mess with you and then there is becoming notorious.

    There are always just some weapons that have more "fear factor" than other ones. If you are going to improvise you need to determine what you want the weapon/tool to do. If you want to assault someone it is different from defending yourself. A big Bowie knife is intimidating but not a bit deadlier than a straight razor or an ice pick.

    More later Wife has something for me to do...
     
  9. KevGyver

    KevGyver New Member
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    Hello all, new guy here. In my spare time I like to think about SHTF situations out of boredom. Especially at work due to it being a slow office job sometimes. Anywho, I was just standing there in the break room and saw a spoon. So I tried something and though it's limited it could be a last ditch option. I bent the top of the spoon back and forth until it snapped. After that I bent the handle into a small L shape. The purpose of the L on the end is to create a handle that would prevent your hand from slipping by pressing your thumb on top of it. I would show pictures but my phone takes to good of pictures.
     
  10. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    [QUOTE="KevGyver, post: 34951, member: 10924"... bent the top of the spoon back and forth until it snapped. After that I bent the handle into a small L shape. The purpose of the L on the end is to create a handle that would prevent your hand from slipping by pressing your thumb on top of it. I would show pictures but my phone takes to good of pictures.[/QUOTE]

    And if you sharpen a spoon, you have what is generally referred to as a "prison shank".

    I was at work tired unto the verge of hallucinations. I'm looking at a letter opener. I go get a file and sharpen said letter opener. I then began to ball-up tape on its handle until i have something that fits into the palm of my hand as if Mommy Nature herself made it for me. When it comes to canes, handgun grips, and shivs, distributing force all across the hand results in the hand being protected from injury at high force levels.

    What would you call this? "Vertical handle"?
    931e336ba49bb836044a8b06e3a88c84.jpeg
    Instead of this handle, imagine an improvised ball. With a vertical handle, you can drive straight in. Turn the blade to the side so that it will go between the ribs. Only on TV and the movies do knives easily pass through the rib cage.

    Wiki "shiv": "A knife, especially a makeshift one fashioned from something not normally used as a weapon (like a plastic spoon or a toothbrush)."
    "First attested 1915. From chive, chieve, chife, chiv (“knife”), from Romani chive, chiv, chivvomengro (“knife, dagger, blade”). "

    Can you believe that, Wikipedia actually mentioned using a spoon! I guess everybody knows.
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2018
  11. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    Saw off the handle of a 22 oz. pool cue. Pool cues have a lead weight in the handle. You are going to turn this around such that the cue handle is now the business end. It will be the narrow end that will be turned into the handle by wrapping it with tennis-racket tape or cloth electrical tape (NOT plastic tape). This handle MUST NOT slip in your hand -- blood ends up sticky, but it starts out as slick as owl sh##. Pool cue handles split linearly on impact, therefore you must wrap the business end of this puppy with steel wire or way-strong duct tape. Now nail razor blades to the business end or use screws, whatever. Think maybe you'll be needing some serious leather gloves when using this device?! I do.

    I guess one could wrap the business end with barbed wire or razor wire. Whatever.

    If some felon wants to yank the above device out of your hand, he'll be having some sort of religious experience; why?, because you now twist & jerk the business end out of his hand. Can you say, "Tendon slicer!" I used to drill holes in the handles of pool cue shillelagh and put a leather lanyard on it so that one could wrap his wrist with the leather and thus keep the beast in his hand.
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2018
  12. BurtGummer

    BurtGummer New Member
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    Tools can become good weapons.

    And you don't have to train a lot cauz you use it already.
    You know the waist and you get it in your hand.
     
  13. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    I wonder how many people have been killed with ball peen hammers?

    http://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/streleski-theodore.htm

    http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/article3258649.html

    https://nypost.com/2017/06/29/man-admits-to-beating-mannequin-with-a-hammer-skirts-murder-charges/

    And then there is the war hammer:

    b8f888280fc781b187234f535924bbb6.jpeg

    For entertainment purposes only:







    "Life gist ain't purdy."
    -- Old Geezer
     
  14. Ystranc

    Ystranc Master Survivalist
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    And if you sharpen a spoon, you have what is generally referred to as a "prison shank".

    I was at work tired unto the verge of hallucinations. I'm looking at a letter opener. I go get a file and sharpen said letter opener. I then began to ball-up tape on its handle until i have something that fits into the palm of my hand as if Mommy Nature herself made it for me. When it comes to canes, handgun grips, and shivs, distributing force all across the hand results in the hand being protected from injury at high force levels.

    What would you call this? "Vertical handle"?
    View attachment 1645
    Instead of this handle, imagine an improvised ball. With a vertical handle, you can drive straight in. Turn the blade to the side so that it will go between the ribs. Only on TV and the movies do knives easily pass through the rib cage.

    Wiki "shiv": "A knife, especially a makeshift one fashioned from something not normally used as a weapon (like a plastic spoon or a toothbrush)."
    "First attested 1915. From chive, chieve, chife, chiv (“knife”), from Romani chive, chiv, chivvomengro (“knife, dagger, blade”). "

    Can you believe that, Wikipedia actually mentioned using a spoon! I guess everybody knows.[/QUOTE]
    I'd describe that as a punch dagger, if I was caught with that there is nothing that could stop me being prosecuted.
     
  15. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    My wife spent 25 years working in maximum security prisons. A prison is a very educational place as far as improvised weaponry. She had to cut the tooth brushes in half and only give them the part with the bruch. If you give them the entire thing they would sharpen the end and shank someone with it! ANYTHING that is heavy can be put in a sock and put to lethal use. They can roll up a news paper so tight that it becomes a meter long spear so that guards working seg have to wear flack jackets just to walk down the halls in the isolation blocks. The doors are solid with only a slot that their food tray can be passed through or a spear poked through if it isn't kept closed.

    I am about to start making a lot of new improvised weapons. I am going to give forging a try. One of the things that I want to make is a knife forged from a combination wrench. A friend made one and I liked it a lot. One of my favorite weapons when I was a stupid kid I made out of a piece of chain and the ball off a shifter that was the size of a cueball. I've always thought that a Morning Star was a weapon with a lot of advantages. A ripping hammer is a devastating weapon!!! My circular saw blade on the old cut down ax handle is intimidating as hell.

    There are two sorts of improvised weapons in my mind. Offensive and defensive in the sense of something that is so scary looking that only an idiot wants to see you put it to use! An ice pick or straight shank is a great offensive weapon. A switch blade is a good offensive weapon as is a club. A freaking ax, sword, war hammer or machete is actually more frightening than a gun to most people. You don't want to bring them to a gunfight but if there are no guns involved the big choppers will prevent a lot of fights especially when you are outnumbered.

    I am a very defensive minded sort. When I go into a place, especially a bar, I look around and spot the emergency exits and windows. Always sit facing the door with a wall to my back and then look around for possible improvised weapons. Cue Sticks, pool balls, wooden table with legs that I can pull off. I will usually start with a bottle of beer then keep that bottle on the table. I carried a two piece cue stick in my car for years. The cops would take a club away from me but my cue stick with a brass butt was fine. Back then two things that most every man in Texas carried when I was a kid was a pocket knife and a church key. A church key was what we called a bottle and can opener. This was before pop tops or screw tops on beer. You could really cut someone up with a church key!

    Before there was such a thing as pepper spray I carried a bottle of jalapeno peppers in my car. A pepper in each hand made getting punched in the face a fight ender if I smeared that pepper juice in your eyes! Now days I always have wasp spray in my truck. It is worse than mace and will squirt a long way. It is cheaper than mace or bear spray and is worse to get hit with.

    I wear a hat with a wire garrote in it and have several knives that have no metal in them. I've had a Lansky Letter opener for decades. I am a very peaceful person. I almost refuse to fight. Fighting infers that I am going to let you hit me. Not going to happen unless you sucker punch me. My always be prepared weaponry has saved me a lot of bumps and bruises.

    When I was young I was an odd kid that didn't fit well into any then existing group. I was a long haired, motorcycle riding, redneck, football playing, weight lifting, NERD! To many people that didn't know me made assumptions that just were not me. Rednecks saw a hippie peace nick. I was actually a war mongering kill them all let god sort them out redneck in disguise. I just liked long hair. A lot of punks mistaked me for a fat nerd. I was just BIG and was bench pressing 350 pounds back then. Cops saw a thug but I was actually on the board of directors at my church and the youth counselor. It seemed that a lot of people thought that I needed my a$$ kicked and I just wasn't cooperative with their plans. If you are always prepared you seldom actually have to fight.
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2018
  16. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    I like the concept of a double spear. You gotta blade forward and aft. You can lunge forward or stab behind you.

    I didn't see anything on the following page that I liked:
    https://www.google.com/search?biw=1....798...0i67k1j0i10k1j0i8i7i30k1.0.xA38RP5b-XM

    I think maybe people could make something for themselves. Y'know, find two knife blanks, a nice wooden shaft (3 or 4 feet in length, whatever), plus some grip stops of some sort that will keep your hands from slipping out to their place into the danger zone, slicey-slicey territory. On the shaft of the spear, just behind both blades I would affix something hideous and sharp to keep your enemy from grabbing the weapon away form you -- wrap it with razor wire or whatever; do something.

    Here is one of many knife blank distributors:
    https://usaknifemaker.com/long-double-edge-dagger-blade.html

    Look at this beautiful axe (scroll down to mid-page):
    https://www.etsy.com/listing/555775...MIuq-ata-k2wIVGkwNCh3TvAIPEAkYBCABEgKWo_D_BwE

    I wasn't lucky finding spear shafts -- but hey, one can find poles made out of every kind of wood. You can go creative and carve whatever you want. Then too, there are crafts folk whose carvings are splendid.
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2018
  17. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    More spears



    Primitive spear making. Look at the second spear that uses a metal blade blank crudely driven into a split at the end of a pole.
     
  18. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    I have a pair of these bushman knives.

    https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-B...&qid=1527460689&sr=8-3&keywords=bushman+knife

    They are tough as nails and are made out of one piece of steel. They can be carried as a knife or mounted as a spear. A pair of them, one on each end of a five foot pole would make for one mean a$$ weapon in a gang fight. I have one in my bug out bag and the other mounted as a spear and walking staff.

    I also have another spear that is a 4 pronged heavy fish spear. It is great for dealing with aggressive snakes when I'm fishing. I would like a trident like the gladiators used but they are hard to find. I may try to make one.
     
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  19. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    Wow, thanks for this link! Look at this blade.

    https://www.amazon.com/United-Cutle...D=417B4vOic8L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

    Any off-the-shelf garden handle will fit. Already has a screw hole & can drill another one or three.

    Under 30 bucks! It's a great gift idea. I was thinking about buying some to send to my sons and friends.

    Think also about tall walking stick/pole with this atop. Buy one with a sheath.

    Poke a mean/feral dog with this. Sure beats the rubber end of a cane.

    Think jousting lance for a motorcycle. Make a sheath and carrier device for the lance.

    There are dozens of uses.
     
    Last edited: May 27, 2018
  20. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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  21. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    I think one of those would look great and be handy on a short shaft about 3 feet long. It would be like the Zulu Iklwa Fighting spear.

    https://www.atlantacutlery.com/zulu-iklwa-spear

    While we are talking about walking length spears and staffs... One of my all time favorite walking staffs is the old Shepherd's hook. It is one of the most useful tools that I have ever used when hiking, especially with a heavy pack on my back. When you are going up a steep hill you can hook the base of a bush to help pull yourself up. You can pull down a limb to hand your food out of reach of critters or to hang a lantern on. Mine also has a paracord wrap that I did that eliminated slippery grips and gives me 50 feet of paracord and a lanyard loop for my wrist if I need both hands but want the staff at hand. Mine is a rather stout one for handling livestock and would be a devastating weapon in a fight. I like canes and such that are for handling animals they are a lot heavier than a regular walking cane.

    I put a hoe handle taper on the bottom of all my canes and staffs so that I can mount a spear head on it in a jiffy if I need it. That is one of the things that I like about the bushman knives. They are great knives that come with a sheath but can be mounted on a handle in short order.
     
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  22. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    Physician from Texas is a fellow who has treated more snake-bites than anybody else documented. He says almost ALL of his rattlesnake-bite patients did NOT hear any rattle. People step over logs without first testing the other side with a walking stick. When climbing, people reach up to grab a rock above them without first testing the location for snakes. He says that this is a recipe for disaster. He should know -- last I heard, he'd treated over 400 snake-bite victims.

    Always use a walking stick. Arms and legs are only so long and are filled with blood. Three legs are more stable than two.
     
  23. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    I honestly don't remember learning that. I guess it was impressed into my habits along with learning how to walk. Another thing I learned young was that when in a flooded area. Stay in the water until you look very closely are the dry land. In a flood all the snakes and gators go to the high ground and they don't like to share. One of my first jobs as a kid was working in the rice fields. When they flood those fields you stay in the water except when you have to cross a levee. I knew a stupid kid that got bit twice in three days because he wanted to get out of the water. I don't know if they fired him or he quit but after that second bite I never saw him again. The thing that most people don't know is that a viper doesn't always inject the venom. The kid was lucky. Either the snake had madea recent kill or it was just hitting him and warning him. When I worked the fields I had a lot of snakes strike at me. Moccasins especially will do that while you are still well out of their reach. I even got bumped one time by a snake that I stepped on but he couldn't get his fangs in me. That poor snake. I jumped about 8 feet straight up before I started to run and left him lying there buried in poop!
     
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