January 20, 2008
A Pen Mightier than an Empty Fist
Cold Steel, always finding new ways to make things out of glass-reinforced plastic (witness the Koga SD-1 yawara/sex toy mentioned earlier), now has their take on the "fighting pen".
Enter... the Cold Steel Sharkie.
I've noted the Allen Elishewitz-designed Tactical Defense Pen before--a stout pen made from strong aluminum, designed for use as a kubotan. But at $79.99 you wonder what kind of statement this pen is trying to make. Sure, a Cartier or Montblanc would probably snap in two if you tried to use one as a pressure-point weapon, but $80 is a lot more than what most folks spend on a pen.
Now there's a downmarket version--even looks like a permanent marker, so if you're caught with one in the urban setting people will just think you were using it to tag things.
Now this is pretty innovative stuff. I'll get my hands on one (hah!) and put it to a review test soon.
January 04, 2008
Reflective Shields for the Modern Ninja
If you remember the classic text Ninja Secrets of Invisibility by Ashida Kim (and what student of 80's martial arts doesn't?) you'll remember fanciful techniques of distraction and deception that could be used to become "invisible".
Ashida Kim, the nom de plume of a Caucasian guy from Florida, penned a bunch of books that taught would-be ninja how to hide from sentries, sneak up on victims, and wield all sorts of funky weapons (that mail order houses like Dolan's Sports and AWMA were eager to sell you).
TheShadowShield (spacing is theirs) seems like something that would've been perfect for that era, but is really a serious product.
Essentially a big lightweight mirror, the Shadow Shield reflects the surrounding foilage back at the viewer, allowing the user to hide behind it.
Before you say, "...yeah, right...", the company's FAQ has already covered your skepticism:
Can you use TheShadowShield in bright sunlight?Yes. If the sun is to your left or right shoulder, it will cast a shadow away from the shield so the shield can be used.
Will animals or perpetrators see themselves in TheShadowShield?
TheShadowShield only reflects yards in front of itself. The shield is engineered to carry at the perfect angle to the ground.
I don't think this would be that useful for paintball or Simunitions gaming, but if you train where you have to account for every shot downrange (as you should in real life) this concealment shield wouldn't be compromised by marker shots.
Now what these guys really need to do is put a ballistic layer on the inside and make this cover, not just concealment.