Household items that double as defence

[Plymtom]

I have a few staffs knocking about (it's a pagan thing I wont bore you all with) such a metaphysical tool for the most part that I forgot the potential defensive use till Lightning mention walking sticks, I don't take it/them to the door with me but I do take one to the bedroom, 6 feet long and 2 inches in diameter, like I said so used to having it around I never thought to mention it, but I'm sure I would instinctively take it with me should we be disturbed at night by an obvious intruder, our alarm has not gone off in the night for quite some time now, the only times this current incarnation has done has been a pet locked in a room or a child getting up too early and moving into the protected area, to be honest I didn't take anything with me to the panel.

[DustyDog]

Mmm, i have a hand axe and a husky log splitter but if i hit someone with an axe in my home i think i would have a hard time explainig it to the local plod, using force in your home is a very big grey area so being careful with what you use in self defense is critical. However if you are lucky enough to have a wood/coal fire you would probably be lucky enough to have a nice poker, nice and solid at one end.....

[Plymtom]

using force in your home is a very big grey area so being careful with what you use in self defense is critical.

Look here viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8908 before we do it all again

[Captain Darling]

Metal tipped umbrella in an umbrella stand in the hall, most hallways/rooms you wont have enough space to swing fully with a bat or staff (esp in my house!). Use the metal end for prodding and jabbing like a spear. Linear/stabbing motions are faster than circular/swinging motions most the time.

[Decaff]

Keys, most people carry keys everywhere and held in the correct way can be used very effectively as a way of defending yourself. When out alone and in the dark this gives me a certain comfort.

[Plymtom]

On reflection and reading this and many other threads, I believe that an unprovoked attack should be met with proportionate and appropriate force as the law says, if you believe your life or that of your family is in real danger, and that threat won't simply go away or leave when it's clear you're prepared to defend yourself, whatever you have to hand is fair play, how lethal that whatever is is their hard luck surely? after all if it is just sitting there and it is lethal, they could as easily use it against you, so many things we have around are very nasty, we have to be so careful around pets and children with the very things we are talking about, imagine a home invasion whilst you are frying chips or just boiling the kettle...ouch that would stop most in their tracks, my kids are fully grown now so most of the house could easily have something nasty if used in that way to hand.

Like most houses I imagine ours would not be fun for attackers if we were going to put up a fight;-

Starting at the front door the porch door is glazed (dangerous old patterned glass ) behind that the Rottie lives preppared to pounce and lick to death any friend or visitor, there's a shelf before you get 6 feet in on the wall with all sorts of crap like dog leads hanging from it, a large hole in one end with a 4D maglite in on the shelf are some fabric fresheners, WD40, gun cleaning oils ( it's just where I keep it) fly sprays, furniture polish, yes it's clutter in a way but we have just got used to keeping some stuff handy, none of it would be nice squirted in the face of an intruder trying to force their way in, some of it an instant flame thrower if you just happened to have a lighter in your pocket, beyond that there are guitars hanging about, knives, crossbows, bows (thought the bolts/arrows are locked away) shelves with other household things stacked on, in the bedrooms there's tinned foodstuff in storage boxes accessible Imagine being pelted with dozens upon dozens of tins of (bean sized) cans if you were trying to get at us, then there's hair spray deodorant, aftershave, perfumes, staffs, shelves full of books, the kitchen is a deathtrap of knives and heavy pans and again cupboards full of tinned projectiles not to mention jars of pepper and spices, squirty lemon juice

There are so many things which can be used in self defence that it is worth having a think about, not too much for that is pre-meditation but as a general rule if it cuts, or would hurt if you dropped it on your toes or accidentally got it in your eyes, spilled some on yourself, then you could use it to defend yourself.

[ForgeCorvus]

First rule of Reasonable Force: Don't chase the buggers if you're armed (unless they've grabbed one of your kids...... Then all bets are off)

Second rule: Don't block their escape (see above for caveat )

Third rule: When they stop, you stop



Oh and don't forget Gussie's Law....... Anything is a weapon, Everything is a target

[DustyDog]

Plymtom, you have said it all. That was the point i wanted to make, if someone breaks in to your home, you have the right to defend it using reasonable force, as i said, i would have a hard time explaining 'reasonable force' if an intruder had my husky splitting axe buried in his head, but as you have listed in your comments, many household items can be used; heavy fire poker, etc, i think the main point here is what is considered 'reasonable force' & when does it become self defense, i.e, do they have to break in (say smash a window) or if they walked in because you forgot to close/lock a door is that considered a break in??? A very big grey area that i hope the powers that be clarify someday.

[Galen]

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.

[FEISTY]

Keys, most people carry keys everywhere and held in the correct way can be used very effectively as a way of defending yourself. When out alone and in the dark this gives me a certain comfort.

I know what you mean and I do that too - a girl can't be too careful. I've also used a folded telescopic brolly outside. I know from personal experience that swinging a brolly hard at more than one person who has taken hold of you from behind scares the crap out of them (they were student types who thought I needed help on an icy surface on a city bridge many years ago - speaking to me first might have saved them from making that mistake ). Fortunately, I missed them, by accident.