Blunt weapons are used—as a class—more often than edged weapons or firearms. However, blunts break down into more subcategories as the selection is so diverse.
Firearms breakdown into two classes:
1. handgun
2. long gun
Edged-weapons breakdown into four classes:
1. knives
2. shanks
3. razors
4. swords or sword-like objects such as lawnmower blades and machetes
Blunt weapons break down into classes:
1. shoes
2. clubs [extension] such as bats and guitars
3. Clubs [handy] such as saps, blackjacks and whipsticks
4. sticks
5. stones, including bricks, bottles, ash trays and trophies
6. improvised weapons like belts and hairbrushes
7. heavy crushing weapons such as tools, vehicles, furniture
As can be seen the easily accessible weapons in the urban environment are numerous and vary in form and use greatly, but are limited to the blunt types. These all carry less legal liability than the knife or gun, as these two choices can usually be construed as an indication of premeditation.
The psychology of the blunt weapon choice is an intersection of three factors:
1. what is available, the very crumbling city providing a limitless arsenal for mayhem and survival
2. what is appropriate for the goal such as punishment, maiming, execution, survival
3. what compliments the actor's physicality or lack thereof
For the most part blunt weapons are chosen by groups as they are spontaneous gatherings of incited people and must settle for what is at hand, and because blunt weapons carry less legal risk than blades and guns, and groups gather for violent purposes largely to spread the legal risk.
The secondary reason blunts are chosen is out of desperation.
The tertiary reason blunts are chosen is to dish out punishment.
While most blunt weapon actions are successful, when the available weapon is not appropriate for the goal and does not compliment the wielder’s physicality, disaster typically ensues, with women choosing bats against men typically being a poor choice, resulting in disarms. Below is an example of the risk of using blunt extension weapons against larger, more aggressive, targets.
Mugging Big Don
#35-09: night, seconds, eye-witness
Little Shoe, a small unpopular drunk, decided to wait outside the Black Glove bar to exact some revenge on Big Don, his latest tormentor. When Big Don emerged from the bar he caught the umbrella—which Little Shoe had swung overhand—in both hands, muscled Shoe around, and slammed him into the brick wall, knocking him out.
