OFF THE WIRE
While on Spring Break this week, my wife and I decided to spend a few days in Nashville, Indiana. While there, I stopped by my favorite emporium, “The Men’s Toy Shop,” to see if I could find some new items of interest for survival or self-defense. I am happy to report that the visit was a success.
I think I may have found what may be one of the best such items for civilian less-lethal self-defense: the Cold Steel Brooklyn Smasher unbreakable plastic baseball bat. As a long time police defensive tactics instructor, I have been intrigued by all types of self-defense impact weapons—both emergency and dedicated designs. After handling it in the store, I realized that the Smasher is an ingenious piece of low profile and commonly understood self-defense.
The Smasher is an official baseball bat. If you read the Cold Steel website, you will see that the president of Cold Steel developed it in response to seeing wood baseball bats break during major league. He decided he could “build the better mousetrap” and the Brooklyn Smasher was the result. It is 34 inches in length, weighs 2 pounds 7 ounces, and is constructed of unbreakable precision injection molded, heavy-grade polypropylene. It is, of course, tactical black, and bears the name “Brooklyn Smasher” and “Cold Steel Athletics” in white lettering. If you read the web page further, you will see that it is capable of breaking cinder blocks. It won’t warp, crack, or splinter and just needs soap and water for cleanup. It clearly has a legitimate place in the sporting world, but that is only part of its purpose.
The Smasher is an “emergency impact device” like a D-cell flashlight. As an emergency device, the Smasher excels for several reasons.
First, it is low profile. In other impact device articles I have written, some have pointed out that in their jurisdictions a baton or billy club would be considered an illegal weapon. But a baseball bat is a horse of a different color. You can have one in your vehicle pretty much anywhere, and not have it considered a weapon. Throw a baseball glove in your vehicle for good measure if you like.
Second, the baseball bat is a “commonly understood” impact device. Nearly everyone has wielded one as a kid and beyond if you are into adult softball leagues. There is no additional training needed. Deploy it against an aggressor in the manner that you would deliver a line drive into center field. While you normally would use it in a two-handed fashion, the Brooklyn Smasher is balanced enough to deliver effective one hand strikes as I found out on my heavy bag.
Third, the Smasher gives you more effective reach than most one-hand batons whose ideal length is 26 inches. The majority of its mass is in the striking end. This maximizes the delivery of target energy.
Finally, bringing a ball bat up to swinging position generates understanding in aggressors. It is sort of the 12-gauge shotgun of impact devices. No one wants to be hit with one, and strikes to the large muscle masses of the human body are, well, devastating. I picked my Smasher up for $39.00. It is an outstanding tool.
If you are driving to the NRA Convention in Indianapolis in April, stop by the Men’s Toy Shop in Nashville to update your supply of tactical gear. Learn more about the Brooklyn Smasher at www.coldsteel.com and the Men’s Toy Shop at www.menstoyshop.com.