• ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    edit-2
    3 days ago

    I kind of get it. It looks a little bit scary so you flash it and some intrusive guy should get the message and fuck of. Probably as effective as spring knife would be but more fancy looking. As an actual self defense weapon it would be useless. I would be easy to close the distance fast and knock it out. I guess this is part of the appeal. It looks scary but is not really that dangerous. Knife would be a better weapon but that’s exactly you don’t want to carry a knife around. It turns any fight in a life or death situation while a big lighter like this is just a prop. Anyway, just get some pepper spray.

    • odelik@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      3 days ago

      To add on about using a knife for defense that you lightly touched.

      You never want to be in a knife fight. Nobody wins in a knife fight. Especially if it’s a pocket knife.

      I have a bright neon orange & green bush/field/combat knife that I take with me when I go camping. It’s largely a tool for managing my camp, but I have practiced defensive fighting with it, but I am no knife fighting expert. I see it as a last-ditch effort of defense against a wild animal or human where my life is already on the line. And wearing it on my hip around camp advertises “this person is armed” to any human that has ill intent that comes across my camp during daylight hours. I’d still rather grab my walking stick for a good head bonking and sternum busting, and I would do my best to do that before pulling the knife for defensive combat use.

      So, to be abundantly clear. There are no winners in a knife fight. The “winner” goes to the hospital.

      • TheSeveralJourneysOfReemus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        3 days ago

        You never want to be in a knife fight. Nobody wins in a knife fight. Especially if it’s a pocket knife.

        oh, absolutely. My swiss knife serves its purpose in the kitchen or in the house. I don’t carry these things around.

    • Wren@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      3 days ago

      One of my lady friends practiced butterfly knife tricks for years just to intimidate creeps. I’m a little scared myself when I watch her play with them.

    • Demdaru@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      3 days ago

      Point at face and pull the trigfer, shortly. Shouldn’t be enough to actually harm but burning hair, brows and eyelashes are great at resistributing attention ^^

      • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        3 days ago

        Yes, as I said, might scare someone but will not incapacitate them. Depending on the situation scarring/angering the opponent might be a good or a terrible idea.

        • RalfWausE@feddit.org
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          3 days ago

          Yes, scaring can make people just more angry and lead to a more severe attack… but I am pretty sure that a scared angry attacker who’s clothing is on fire will reassess his priorities rather quickly.

          • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            2 days ago

            It’s just a gas lighter. It’s unlikely it will set someone on fire. They would have to be wearing something extremely flammable. To actually set someone on fire you need some agent that will stick to them like gasoline. This will most probably just burn someone’s hair and it’s a good thing. Using actual flamethrower as a self defense weapon would be insane. The chances of hurting yourself or setting whole building on fire would be really big. You could just a well carry a bottle of acid with you.

            • RalfWausE@feddit.org
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              2 days ago

              To actually set someone on fire you need some agent that will stick to them like gasoline.

              Hmmm… you are right… but if you mount a propane lighter on, lets say, a water pistol filled with ethanol… hmmm…