Household items that double as defence

[FEISTY]

I suppose the thing to consider regarding self defence are the circumstances. If someone has broken into your home and you brain them with a baseball bat with nails hammered into it - the authorities will take a dim view of your actions.

A very effective pepper spray erm, 'marinade' can be concocted by infusing freshly chopped chillies in vinegar for a week or two. You can store it in oooh, I don't know .... anything to hand like a spray bottle or small super soaker. "This officer? It's a condiment. I spray it on my steaks when I'm having a barbie" .

If the SHTF big time - then the humble garden spade is a formidable battle axe as proven in the trenches of WW1 - it has the added benefit of looking quite innocent.

I like it, but the spade in your hall doesn't work if you have two large huts, a greenhouse and a double detached garage .

[Plymtom]

I've got one of those turbo flame lighters, relatively small injury depending on how long its on for but if you have something like that you can get at, nothing makes someone stop and pull back more than a burning sensation, and you can have it in you pocket all the time.

[SoCal92057]

If you are old or infirm, how do you meet an attack with proportionate and appropriate force? If there is more than one attacker how then does even a healthy male meet an attack with proportionate and appropriate force? You are left with no options to seriously deter the attack. How do you know what is proportionate and appropriate when the attack begins? Perhaps the attacker who began with his fists will reach into his pocket for a knife or blackjack and there you are unarmed and in contact with someone who will do you injury or death. I would like to hear from someone who has been in a fist fight, been punched and understands the violence that even a fist can do to a healthy male, let alone one who is old or infirm.

[Mally]

Many years ago I was in a situation where I was making tea for my daughter and son. Next thing you know was this guy walks in the house asking for the lady of the house and saying all sorts of sexual and nasty comments. The guy was not right in the head. He had this awful screechy laugh. My kids were scared. I coukd see it in their faces.
Despite me trying to talk him round and out of the door, he was getting worse. I made eyes to my kids to get to the back of the kitchen out of the way. I then threw hot cooking oil in his face and dragged him out of the house screaming and locked the door. I was arrested but released without charge. The guy went back to jail and it turned out he was very dangerous.
It all comes down to a judgement call which you have to make in seconds but will be examined in great detail over many days later.

[J23]

Many years ago I was in a situation where I was making tea for my daughter and son. Next thing you know was this guy walks in the house asking for the lady of the house and saying all sorts of sexual and nasty comments. The guy was not right in the head. He had this awful screechy laugh. My kids were scared. I coukd see it in their faces.
Despite me trying to talk him round and out of the door, he was getting worse. I made eyes to my kids to get to the back of the kitchen out of the way. I then threw hot cooking oil in his face and dragged him out of the house screaming and locked the door. I was arrested but released without charge. The guy went back to jail and it turned out he was very dangerous.
It all comes down to a judgement call which you have to make in seconds but will be examined in great detail over many days later.

That's why I believe that "my home my castle" rule should be legal - somebody walks into your house with bad intentions - you can even kill him without waiting for his actions. I am glad all ended fine. Besides I always have locked doors in my house and I live in rather safe neighbourhood - but you never know

[lonewolf]

the front door is always locked and on a chain, chippings on the path from the road to the front door make a heck of a noise+ a dog with "radar" ears that's lets me know when anyone is about + I live in a very safe, quiet and crime free rural area.

[IfInDoubt]

i'd only just put those pictures up that's why the hammer and pile of nails were next to my bed....M'Lord

Or, I thought he was on fire that's why I blasted him with 9kg of CO2 from the handy fire extinguisher wrapped him in a blanket and tried to beat the flames out...probably need to work on that one a bit

or (more likely) had no idea what was going on as I whimpered under the duvet after sending my wife downstairs to investigate

[bladefalcon]

the front door is always locked and on a chain, chippings on the path from the road to the front door make a heck of a noise+ a dog with "radar" ears that's lets me know when anyone is about + I live in a very safe, quiet and crime free rural area.

Pity that all of HM's Prisons are in lovely, rural areas really... Dogs are a must definitely.

I helped an Austrian mate obtain a Border Collie from South Wales. When working out there I discovered that despite her being a sheepdog and therefore very submissive, she also seemed to have an inbuilt sense for trouble. There was a local chimney sweep, who was known in the area as a bit of a shady character (he'd been known to walk into houses and sweep four chimneys without consent of the homeowner, then try and charge them when they got back. Very bizarre man, think he'd been inside once or twice).

Every single time he walked up to the yard she'd go absolutely flipping nuts, then I'd end be there in under a minute with a full belt of heavy tools and normally a good ol' hay fork! He'd disappear fairly quickly then, saving the girls on the farm having to deal with him... Which was always very hard for them... Problem is, that act of "deterrent self defense" if you will, was only made possible by the fact that I could legally and openly carry those tools (6" sheath knife, hatchet, hammer, nails, etc,) on and off the farm. Over here, that "image" is not only illegal, but simply never seen, making it socially unacceptable, increasing the likelihood of a court case. The police over there were very involved in their communities, and were very understanding and helpful explaining the legality of such issues, especially on the firearms front, which is much more sensible over there.

But yes, the dogs were always very comforting to have around (especially with wolf sightings in that valley!! ). They don't miss a trick!

Potential burglars hate farms, good place to snoop around if you want to end up hospitalised..!

[cpslashm]

The thing that bothers me about having items which could be used as weapons is that once inside, the other guy could grab one and use it as a weapon....

[SoCal92057]

The thing that bothers me about having items which could be used as weapons is that once inside, the other guy could grab one and use it as a weapon....

Humans are equipped with weapons at birth. They are called fists. If you have ever been hit by one belonging to an adult male, you would understand just how powerful a blow can be. "God created man, but Samuel Colt made them equal" - Samuel Colt