“Are You In Danger?” – a Curious Article on Umbrella Self-Defence (1900) |

@BigJackBrass I have quite a good book about stick whomping people and Umbrellas get a good chapter, but the abuse of sword cane is fabulous.

"The weapon of an assassin with no value to a man of distinction" etc etc

@Printdevil Star Wars would be greatly improved if the weapon of the Jedi had been a good brolly. An elegant weapon for a more civilised age.
@BigJackBrass @Printdevil "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good sword-cane by your side."
@RogerBW @Printdevil Keeps the sun off. Try doing that with a blaster.
@BigJackBrass @RogerBW @Printdevil "Hello there!" *FWOMP*

@BaronessWinter @RogerBW @Printdevil https://youtu.be/rsQyyErzrpo

https://youtu.be/B4rSIv2Q9uY

Turns out that in addition to the clips I expected, there's a whole YouTube subgenre of people dishing out a drubbing using an umbrella. Must be a lot of frustrated Walter Mitty commuters out there 😁

Girl uses Umbrella vs 3 Men - MARTIAL ARTS FIGHT SCENE

YouTube
@BigJackBrass @BaronessWinter @Printdevil I suspect it's much better as a stabbing weapon than as a baton..

Famously so, as they're very little support in the shaft for thumping. I have a sword-umbrella and actually the ball-haft of it is probably better as a weapon than the "ahah" reveal stabby part.

I've never seen sword cane or an umbrella cane, even vintage ones with a decent tang. They really are one use weapons. There are modern survival canes and brollies made of single piece plastic which are very clubbable though.

Not that I buy these things...

@RogerBW @BigJackBrass @BaronessWinter

@Printdevil @RogerBW @BaronessWinter One model I've seen advertises its sturdy "knobhandle," which immediately has me biting my tongue.
@Printdevil @RogerBW @BaronessWinter I have a perfectly normal umbrella from James Smith & Sons. It's basically a solid hazel walking stick with a canopy, so it can indeed give you a solid wallop if necessary.

@RogerBW @BaronessWinter @Printdevil Ah, then I imagine that you are unfamiliar with the disturbingly real category of mayhem that is the self-defence umbrella. For example:

https://persurvive.com/survival/best-self-defense-umbrella/

Including the exactly-what-it-says-on-the-tin Stunbrella…

Self Defense Umbrella: Top Choices for 2025

Is a self defense umbrella a real suvival tool? You'd be surprised what you can do with a well disguised item in a SHTF scenario. Learn more in our guide.

PERSURVIVE
@BigJackBrass @BaronessWinter @Printdevil I am reminded of some good advice I heard years ago: "if you bring a weapon to your mugging, and you have not trained thoroughly in fighting with it, you're more injured and the mugger now has a weapon."
@RogerBW @BaronessWinter @Printdevil "Pointed stick? Oh, oh, oh. We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Gettin' all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough, eh? Oh, oh, oh, oh. WELL, I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING, MY LAD! When you're walking home tonight and some homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come cryin' to ME!"
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@satsuma @RogerBW @BaronessWinter @Printdevil It's had a surprising revival in recent years.
@BigJackBrass @RogerBW @BaronessWinter @Printdevil It’s popular with the Steampunk and Goth communities for obvious reasons !

There are some excellent salons teaching "hitting each other with sticks" here.

I believe they call them primary schools.

@satsuma @RogerBW @BigJackBrass @BaronessWinter

I have something very like those but it's a solider walking stick inside the umbrella. It's good to a point, but I find generally the sort of things that attack me don't response to blunt trauma and it tends to be via emotional blackmail.

@BigJackBrass @RogerBW @BaronessWinter

@BigJackBrass @RogerBW @BaronessWinter @Printdevil I have an arthritic knee so have a perfect excuse for using this walking stick.

https://www.coldsteel-uk.com/product/cold-steel-city-stick-cs-91sta/

Cold Steel City Stick

Buy your Cold Steel Walking Stick - City Stick (Ref: CS-91STA) Today! Supplied by Cold Steel official Distributor PJS (UK) Ltd t/a ColdSteel-UK.com

ColdSteel-UK.com

That's my excuse too ... well ... perforated torn meniscus...

Martial arts injury.

Well in the sense the 9 year old who kicked me has a purple belt in jujutsu...

🙄

@satsuma @BigJackBrass @RogerBW @BaronessWinter

@Printdevil @satsuma @RogerBW @BaronessWinter I have a climbing injury affecting my fingers. It's genuine, but I was slightly less than two feet off the ground when it happen.