quote:

Originally posted by flop-shank:
An assortment of miscellaneous tools thrown on the passenger side floor (if it's a work car or a you're a slob) could really come in handy, especially if one of them is a good quality 12oz. claw hammer.

Sears Craftsman, and probably others, sell what I think they call a "ripping claw hammer". (Shop class was a long time ago, so I forget my technical names for hammers.)

It's distinctive for having a milled face with what amounts to little spikes across the face, pretty much exactly like a meat tenderizing mallet. The back, which has the nail puller, is straighter than on most. The edges of the nail puller have a bit of an edge to them as sold, but could be modified a bit more if someone desired, as is they'll smack splinters out of boards.

I mention this as I happened to have had a chance to examine "war hammer" replicas as sold to the SCA/Ren. Faire crowd as well as pictures of period ones. They look an awful lot like these, right down to the milled face on some models.

I seem to remember that ones can be had with relatively heavy weights to them, I think mine was a 32 ounce model. Before Michigan was shall issue, I kept one in the car, I needed a hammer for all those basic property management home repair tasks. Solemn nod.

The only downside to tools in the car is making sure that they are stowed in such a way that if they go flying in an auto accident, to try to make sure that they won't hit anyone. (Mythbusters did an episode about this, and while most things won't produce lethal injuries, a hatchet laying on the back seat was apparently a bad idea.)

A twelve oz. hammer is about perfect. They are light enough to be extremely fast, but hit more than hard enough to do the job.

I own a Cold Steel warhammer. It's amazing what that thing can do. I also own an Arms & Armor danish war axe. A few years ago when my son was going through some teenage difficulties, it was my primary home defense weapon.

Now that I'm a genuine Senior Citizen, I have more latitude regarding self defense than when I was young and skinny. Indeed, some states have specific laws regarding assaults upon the elderly. I now walk away from confrontations because I don't feel I have anything to prove, and nothing to gain by them. But woe unto the person who thinks I'm an easy mark. Because the minute I'm threatened, the claws come out. Be very afraid.

Those looking for a handy weapon might consider a roofer's hatchet. It's designed for splitting cedar shingles to size, and then nailing them down. The narrow blade makes it more like a tomahawk, and it's quite sturdy. It's also a legitimate tool, so it's not automatically a weapon.