Thread: Blackjacks and sap

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Since Covid days and all the defunding Police along with revolving door for violent crims and mental cases, I can go days without seeing a policeman around here.
Seems they only stick their heads out until called to survey the aftermath.

I CCW everywhere I go. If I can't, I usually won't go.

That’s the only sensible option. While I own a blackjack, it would be my least choice for protection. I’m way too old to be that up close to physical confrontation.

Yup. Swinging, stabbing, and flailing is no longer in my wheelhouse. Fortunately, I have not yet considered unhostering. I know it will be spitting as I do.
Playing it smart as to where you are and who you are with seems to be the best defense. However, you never know.

Originally Posted by Gasman

I turned a fat short baseball bat on the lathe one day. The fat end has a 4" diameter. The Bat is 14" long and the handle is a comfortable grip for swinging it. I keep it in my Big Truck and call it a tire thumper. But it will work just fine for a head thumper if need be. Made of some very hard and heavy wood a ran across but don't know what it is. I do thump my tires with it so it has lots of marks on it. I'm not allowed to Carry any sort of weapon in my job and I think that is crazy. I understand bullets and large amounts of fuel is not a good mix but when fuel was 6+ bucks a gallon I was feeling very vulnerable.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick." Theodore Roosevelt

That also kinda applies to Tom's last post

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Yup. Swinging, stabbing, and flailing is no longer in my wheelhouse. Fortunately, I have not yet considered unhostering. I know it will be spitting as I do.
Playing it smart as to where you are and who you are with seems to be the best defense. However, you never know.

To be honest..bout the only time I carry around here, is when I go grocery shopping.

I don't trust big parking lots.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Playing it smart as to where you are and who you are with seems to be the best defense. However, you never know.

I have agreed with this for years.

Around here 90% of the issues come up within less than 1% of the area.

Many years ago the neighborhood wanted to close a certain bar. The police didn't want to because then they knew they would spread out the troublemakers....

Another quote applies here.

"Discretion is the better part of valor" Falstaff (from Henry IV, William Shakespeare)

When it comes to violent situations probably the most important item in a fight is the thing between your ears.
At the Police station where I worked many years ago there was a sign at the end of the pistol range above the targets: 'Think it out, don't shoot it out'
My Aikido Sensei also imparted some wisdom: "The best way handle a fight is not to be where it happens".
From bitter experience, I know many confrontations happen very fast indeed.

Originally Posted by BobH

It's a sad day when you feel you have to go armed by some means when out and about. Never really felt that way most of my life now I am beginning to wonder.

Bob

I think I should clarify that a bit. Over the past decade or so there has been a huge increase in deadly drugs coming in from the US and Mexico plus our own home-grown stuff. This has brought with it a huge trade in selling the drugs as the money to be made is astronomical. Many gangs are involved now and all as part of the tools of the trade have illegal firearms with many turf wars. The Ontario government has recently stated the 91% of the firearms seized in drug busts have been illegally smuggled in from the US. All this is a huge change from my younger years 50 years ago. We are not alone in that many other countries are suffering the same way. The solution to the problem is very complicated but I will say that more firearms legislation like what was just passed will not help. You can only go so far legislating laws aimed at firearms and we are well passed that point in Canada. Doing that has become the low hanging fruit solution for politicians to say they are doing something to combat the violence. That pacifies the general public to a large extent. Sorry for the rambling post but it really is frightening how times have changed here in Canada.

Bob