I have a putter under my bed

[SlowShootinPete]

Knives make pretty poor self-defense weapons if you actually get in a fight. If the person coming into your home is armed and means to kill/injure you, you just want something bigger. There's a lot of legal problems with knives, too, because they're considered lethal weapons and using one is attempted murder unless the other person is trying to murder you first.

There's also the problem of psychological trauma. Stabbing someone and getting sprayed with their blood will leave a very noticeable impact on a person for the rest of their lives. A nonlethal weapon like a baseball bat or a police baton is much better in that regard: giving someone a bruise or some broken ribs is much easier to deal with psychologically. It's not nearly as horrifying a wound. I've seen pictures of a guy who survived a knife fight who had his guts poking out because he got slashed across the belly.

I don't have a weapon near my bed right now, but when I move out on my own I think I'd like to get a gun license and a shotgun if I ever feel the need to arm myself. Seeing a knife in someone's hand may be scary, but that's only going to frighten someone who wasn't determined to get in a fight to begin with. Hearing someone work the action of a 12 gauge, on the other hand, is absolutely terrifying, and if using it is necessary the shotgun will probably win.

 

[Plurralbles]

Let's see...

*Breathes*I have two katanas, one wakashi, one tanto. Four daggers. Two revolvers. One rifle. A switchblade.

...>> I'd feel bad for the guy who decides to break into my house, especially considering my two giant ass dogs that bark at the slightest thing and will freaking attack anyone they think has the intent to harm a family member. If there isn't any intent to harm, they just don't stop barking.

Yeah. Anyone who decided to break into my house would probably end up severely wounded or dead.

I remember soaping cars at night and having a rottweiler bark and almost decide to chase us.


SCREW that!

I'm pretty sure the dogs are almost enough. Unless you store gold bricks in your house...

 

[Plurralbles]

Hearing someone work the action of a 12 gauge, on the other hand, is absolutely terrifying, and if using it is necessary the shotgun will probably win.

that is actually what most police suggest for home protection. The very sound is probably the most recognized sound in the world and the burglar knows exactly what's going down at that and will most likely run away if he can.

 

[Triaed]

A teddy bear, a plush doggy, and a dozen dust bunnies

 

[SlowShootinPete]

Hearing someone work the action of a 12 gauge, on the other hand, is absolutely terrifying, and if using it is necessary the shotgun will probably win.

that is actually what most police suggest for home protection. The very sound is probably the most recognized sound in the world and the burglar knows exactly what's going down at that and will most likely run away if he can.

And if he doesn't he's in for a face full of rock salt. Hoo-rah.

 

[Elburzito]

Several knives, which I had some training for, and metal pipe. Only problem is getting close enough to the person.

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

I have the Norton Anthology of English Literature, hardback, close to my bed.

 

[GBlair88]

Probably be unable to use it because I'm still asleep or barely awake.

(That's a AA battery for scale.)

 

[black-magic]

I keep two air guns, 2 sets of knives, and 2 paintball guns ^^

 

[copperflyingace]

I have a large hunk of wood next to bed lovingly named "The Hittin' stick"

 

[Doitpow]

Does this count?

Edit: I'd like to add that I never intend to actually shoot anyone with this gun, or any for that matter. It is for the defense of my home, not to be used aggressively.

So, you do intend to shoot someone, just they have to break into your house....

no weapons in my reach. Except my wit. ouch, just cut myself on it.

 

[Doitpow]

I have the Norton Anthology of English Literature, hardback, close to my bed.

Stick and stones will break my bones, and a thump with a dictionary hurts like hell too.

 

[Trebort]

I just keep a metal baseball bat in my room, that I picked up in America (Getting it through customs was a nightmare)

But because were not allowed to beat people to death, who break in to our homes with the intent of raping and murdering us in our beds before robbing us, here in Britain, it's pretty much useless.

 

[Toaster Hunter]

I don't need a weapon. I am one. I have a set of swords (katana wakasashi, tanto, Roman centurion sword, English longsword) but they are for decoration only, though they would do damage if I swung them hard enough.

 

[Mr. Bojangles]

A Cane.

 

[AntiAntagonist]

Knives and martial arts are always in easy reach from the bed.

I'll also be picking up a pistol in the near future, but I'd use that as a last resort.

 

[HerrBobo]

Hey folks!

Ever been afraid that someone might try to break into your house?
Well if you're afraid of robbery like me, then you most likely have some sort of weapontype oject near your bed.

My weapon is my crappy secondary putter that I no longer use in golf. It does me no good in golf, but I bet it would do good on a robber's skull.


My question is, what weapon, if any, do you keep near your bedside?

I do Sir! I used to collect edged weapons, mainly historical stuff. So I still have several bayonets lying about. The one I keep beside my bed though is a WW2 American machete. I'm pretty sure that the sight of it alone would be enough to get someone to back down.

 

[ANImaniac89]

I have a butterfly knife on my nightstand

 

[Aerodyamic]

I've got a 4' chunk of 1.5" rattan, 2 rattan SCA swords, and a centre-boss kite shield in my living room, within reach of the front door. I have a double-bitted axe and a couple shovel and axe handles in the garage, and a variety of kitchen knives within 10' of my back door, as well as a 3' headman's scimitar and an 18" footman's saber in my bedroom.

I've also got a foot-long 1" chunk of oak closet rod at the front door, for when my girlfriend is over alone, since she's the sort that would kill somebody if I left anything heavier at the door. I'm talking about a woman that is 5'4 and 120lbs, soaking wet, that used to have a 4' steel wrecking bar at her backdoor as a 'security device'. She changed it out for an aluminum softball bat when several people pointed out that with the back door-step being 8" higher than the back sidewalk, if she slammed that bar down on someone's head, it would be difficult to justify self-defense, since the potential attacker would be somewhat more dead than injured. A 4' wrecking bar really isn't the sort of 'home defensive tool' that errs on the side of insufficient force, but that chunk of oak dowel would leave one hell of a goose-egg or anyone trying to force their way in my front door.

Mind you, since the neighbours have noticed that I have a practice pole (for my sword-fighting) in my backyard, it's gotten back to me that a lot of people in my area are convinced that anyone dumb enough to try to break into my home is a Darwin Award candidate to begin with. It's also gotten around the neighbourhood that I've apparently the sort of person that's helpful to know if you need to break up furniture for kindling... heh.