Jesse is me in the "knife is too general a category for me to paint them all with the same brush" corner.

Jesse's not in that corner anymore. We threatened to hit her with a hammer and she came out.

Hammers aren't ANYWHERE near as good weapons.

I was going to make a point about warhammers, but Hec beat me to it, and now I feel deprived of verbal sparring with ita.

I'll just sit here being quietly bitter.

Except to say that I think that regular run of the mill hammers are probably just as effective as kitchen knives for home defense - possibly less dangerous to your opponent, but less likelyhood of accidentally opening an artery.

Except to say that I think that regular run of the mill hammers are probably just as effective as kitchen knives for home defense

You think? I disagree -- a hammer of decent weight will have so much momentum that if you miss on any swing, you're wide open until you recover. Glancing blows aren't as debilitating. Also, if they touch the hammer by mistake, they're in no danger. The effective surface is also more concentrated.

You think? I disagree A hammer of decent weight will have so much momentum that if you miss on any swing, you're wide open until you recover. Glancing blows aren't as debilitating. Also, if they touch the hammer by mistake, they're in no danger. The effective surface is also more concentrated.

Note to ita's file: adjust ratio so that Thinks About Lethal Property Of Commonplace Objects In Her Idle Time is greater than Thinks About Wet, Bespectacled, Barefoot Men In Her Idle Time.

adjust ratio so that Thinks About Lethal Property Of Commonplace Objects In Her Idle Time is greater than Thinks About Wet, Bespectacled, Barefoot Men In Her Idle Time.

What do you think these men are holding in their hands?

(ita's making me feel much better....)

I disagree -- a hammer of decent weight will have so much momentum that if you miss on any swing, you're wide open until you recover. Glancing blows aren't as debilitating. Also, if they touch the hammer by mistake, they're in no danger. The effective surface is also more concentrated.

You're such a whackaloon. The downsides (which I think you're overexaggerating, it's not like we're talking about swinging a mace here....) are vastly outweighed by the lack of possible self-amputation.

What do you think these men are holding in their hands?

I don't know. Hammers? Your left breast? Commonplace objects? Bowie Knives? Krav manuals dog-eared at pages 33-40? Eddie Izzard DVDs? Eddie Izzard's left breast? What?

t dying here

Keep the knives and hammers. Send in the dog-eared manuals.

The downsides (which I think you're overexaggerating, it's not like we're talking about swinging a mace here....) are vastly outweighed by the lack of possible self-amputation.

I'm not talking about a mace at all -- something the weight of a two foot length of broom handle generates a lot more momentum with a wild swing than a knife does. You have to open up wider, and your follow through is longer. So each strike takes more time, but isn't very dangerous at either end. Your effective angles are more limited.

The added self-danger of the knife, as long as you keep holding onto it -- not that bad. Unless you're enough of a klutz that you'd be a danger to yourself unarmed.

Just think -- how much more constantly effective a knife held between you and your opponent is -- a menacing gesture with a hammer is an open gesture, unless you're one of those Filipino-trained people. And even so -- your average kitchen knife that can cut is probably less awkwardly weighted for combat use than a hammer (unless you're Hec and pound nails with a warhammer).

Those swinging weapons, MUCH easier to get around than a stabbing and slashing one.

(unless you're Hec and pound nails with a warhammer).

Actually, I've let JZ do all the hammering with a non-war hammer. Cf., JZ's black bruise under her left thumbnail.