Self Defense Tool?

[Corwyn]

What the actual smurf is this?
It looks like most unconfortable, useless pos I've ever seen. It would probably hurt your fingers just holding it, let alone squeezing it... and what momentum would a piece of plastic add? I'd rather swing my keychain at the attacker instead...
And why in the Gods' green name is it shaped like a smurfhead?



http://www.[url=http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,55947.0.html]SPAMCORP.com/Duron-Drill-Self-Defense-Stinger-Protection-Tool-Nylon-Plastic-p-952212.html[/url]

[captain spaulding]

Striking tools like this are quite common. No need to be metal or have mass to do damage. With that said I would not use one. They are actually illegal to own in my state anyways.

[nate j]

It is a Stinger.  The goal is not to add momentum, but to concentrate the force of a blow into a small area.  I can't speak to their effectiveness (or lack thereof), but personally (1) I would prefer having my hands free to grapple vs. using something like that, and (2) if I'm going to the trouble of carrying a purpose-built weapon, it will be something more effective.

[Corwyn]

Striking tools like this are quite common. No need to be metal or have mass to do damage. With that said I would not use one. They are actually illegal to own in my state anyways.

So you're saying this thing actually works? It looks to me like it would break your fingers if you tried punching someone with it...
When we were kids we used to put sprockets on our fingers to look cool. We never used them, but our fingers were always full of blisters and scabs... 
I might get one just out of curiosity and test it out... I can't comprehend the logic.... shouldn't a fist be straight, with the entire force focused on the tip and knuckes, for maximum impact? To me, this would split the force and put strain on the fingers and soft palm...

Also it looks rather ridiculous.. if someone attacked me with a smurfhead I'd burst out into laughter...

[Aloha]

Never quite like the idea of these in untrained hands.  I feel it gives a false sense of ability to the user who is not familiar with how to effectively use it. 

I'm a bigger fan of pepper spray. 

[Corwyn]

The goal is not to add momentum, but to concentrate the force of a blow into a small area.

But isn't the tip too far from the knuckles? This would also disperse the force and maybe twist a punch (and the fingers it's attached to)...
It's like using a short bat and pushing with the tip instead of swinging it...

I can imagine people feeling like wannabe Wolverines with these on, but to me it looks far more dangerous to the user...

[ironraven]

The the theory is very sound. It's basically like a discarding sabot meets knucks- same force, smaller point, drives deeper. I've watched boneheads break bricks with an all steel widget of the same basic design. But if you don't know how to throw a punch, they are less useful and in many places just as legal as brass knuckles; if know how to throw a punch, you also know enough to prefer an open hand's versatility.

[nate j]

The goal is not to add momentum, but to concentrate the force of a blow into a small area.

But isn't the tip too far from the knuckles? This would also disperse the force and maybe twist a punch (and the fingers it's attached to)...
It's like using a short bat and pushing with the tip instead of swinging it...

I can imagine people feeling like wannabe Wolverines with these on, but to me it looks far more dangerous to the user...

This shows how it is intended to be used:



I would suppose it provides some benefit over a simple punch, but don't and won't carry one for the reasons previously listed.

[Corwyn]

Ok, saw some movies/reviews/tests (mostly incredibly poorly done  ) about it and I'm starting to understand it...
1. You need to hold it at the right angle to have a straight line between handbone and smurfhead (and hold the angle steady throughout the punch)
2. You need to hit a bone for the center of gravity to coincide with the point of impact. If it doesn't hit a bone it's useless... if it hits flesh the impact point dissipates and it's just a pointy glove.

You can see videos of planks being broken (plastic deformation) but not punching bags or meat slabs (elastic deformation)... the videos of the phonebooks are just lame... a key or a pencil would do the same amount of damage...

Punching someone with this in a wrong way would either break your fingers, your wrist or equate to the attacker stepping on a Lego - AKA get him mad...

In the end I reached the same conclusion as you guys: to work effectively you need to know how to hold it and where to hit... and if you know these, chances are you won't be needing it... also it seems too big for a woman's hands... I'd like to see a woman (a strong one, but with regular-sized hands) breaking wooden planks with this thingamagig... 

[Kampfer]

They made them looks a like a pen is so women will bout them.
 

[JBW1]

What do you think of this

[dks]

http://www.coldsteel.com/images/products/43LS_m.jpg. cold steel urban pal.  Its even pointier   I have a few and they are good as knives too

[Lichtbote]

http://www.coldsteel.com/images/products/43LS_m.jpg. cold steel urban pal.  Its even pointier   I have a few and they are good as knives too

"Don´t go over Start, don´t get 4000 Dollars. Go directly to Jail."

[nate j]

http://www.coldsteel.com/images/products/43LS_m.jpg. cold steel urban pal.  Its even pointier   I have a few and they are good as knives too

"Don´t go over Start, don´t get 4000 Dollars. Go directly to Jail."

Certainly a valid point.  Push knives are illegal in many jurisdictions, so check your local laws carefully before purchasing or carrying one.

[kkokkolis]

The best self defense weapon is the brain I believe.
When I am in a tight situation with a threatening drug abuser (intoxicated with coke or amphetamines) or a delirious man, I usually hold a metal Parker pen tightly in my right hand and I make sure it is seen. Never needed to actually use it, I always succeed to calm him down or guide him to an exit without touching, but I'm sure that some times the pen helps psychologically (most of the times I see that they look at it and I know because I stare at their eyes without blinking). It happened 10-12 times in a 20 year career.

[ironraven]

What do you think of this

Uhm... what do I do with it? More the point, where does it go? It looks like it goes someplace... sensitive. 

[JBW1]

What do you think of this

Uhm... what do I do with it? More the point, where does it go? It looks like it goes someplace... sensitive. 

Haha its a water bottle for when your out running or something I guess. Made by browning

[haulinthedollaghan]

The best self defense weapon is the brain I believe.
When I am in a tight situation with a threatening drug abuser (intoxicated with coke or amphetamines) or a delirious man, I usually hold a metal Parker pen tightly in my right hand and I make sure it is seen. Never needed to actually use it, I always succeed to calm him down or guide him to an exit without touching, but I'm sure that some times the pen helps psychologically (most of the times I see that they look at it and I know because I stare at their eyes without blinking). It happened 10-12 times in a 20 year career.

The pen is mightier than the sword

[glorn]

For some reason I feel like I need to be able to break planks with my smurf now.

[glorn]

It has been brought up before among designers and marketers that wang shaped containers are appealing to women and help move products.

I don't believe that personally,  but it sure is prevalent.

A comedian who's name escapes me at the moment once posited that men would not likely buy products just because they were packaged in taco shaped containers.

[Kampfer]

The pen is mightier than the sword

Fixed

[nervium]

have one, it works...

[AaronX]

Looks like this:
http://www.fenixoutfitters.com/pit-bull-self-defense-key-chain-blue/?fullSite=1

[JBW1]

I'm scared to click that link, according to the previous posts
What???