On Thu, 10 Jul 2003, Anonymous wrote:

1. The pop-top steel lid on a can e.g., of catfood forms a sharp edge when removed. (I have a permenant scar on a finger attesting to this.) If half the disc were grasped in a cloth it could be more effective than several of the items you list.

Negative, bend it in half and get two edges for the price of one.

2. Similarly, the steel lid on e.g., a tuna can forms a sharp (and flatter, and slightly more rigid) edge when removed with a can opening tool.

If you have the can opening tool it is a weapon as well, great for making big gaping puncture wounds.

A can opening tool can be very small, e.g., the military-style can openers, which by itself is not dangerous.

Bullshit. A strike to the throat just above the shoulder blade, into the eyes, slash into the fingers or heal, lips/ears, etc. -EVERYTHING- is a weapon. A 'weapon' is nothing more than a STATE OF MIND. It is the intent to do harm.

3. Even a beverage can, e.g., from a beer purchased in flight, can be ripped into a sharp edge, although the thinness of the (typically soft aluminum) metal makes this less effective than the above.

The flat circular tops and bottoms are prefered, but a piece of the sidewall is effective just like a small razor blade (hint: fold the piece in half).

4. The large knitting (crochet) needles which I believe the TSA admits could be filed into a sharp point, producing a spike as effective as some you list. As these are typically aluminum, abrading them into a point would not be difficult.

Actually all sizes are good. You can use crochet hooks as well, hurt like hell pulling that baby out.

5. It is possible that a skilled knife maker could chip a glass bottle into a knife while in the restroom, producing something comparable to the obsidian knife you list. The production process might be noisy however, unlike the above.

Chip a bottle into a knife? Doofus, just break the bottle and use the pieces. If you want to be stealthy don't use the kneck/bottom as a handle, use a piece from the side just like a razor (hold betwix thumb and first two fingers).

Comment, which you will no doubt ignore: Given the facility with which weapons are improvised or concealed,

Like a pencil, a rolled up magazine, a plastic credit card (it will cut if wielded in such a manner), a shoe string as a garrot, etc. Your opponents body can be used as a weapon against itself as well (eg strangle somebody with their own arm, or break it and then stab them with the lower bone shard).

it might be a better idea to stop motivating the actors, as distasteful as that might be to some in power.

But that would mean they'd have to treat them as equals, and they can't have that now.... -- ____________________________________________________________________ We are all interested in the future for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. Criswell, "Plan 9 from Outer Space" ravage@ssz.com jchoate@open-forge.org www.ssz.com www.open-forge.org --------------------------------------------------------------------