The old Second Amendment joke used to be: “If you ban our guns, can we at least carry swords?”
Over in Spain, where handgun purchases are strictly controlled, the local (actually imported ) scumbags have taken that to heart:
A massive machete brawl that broke out between rival Pakistani gangs on Tuesday night in Barcelona has left one man dead and two others badly injured.
Local reports say that up to 30 men from two groups of rival Pakistani gangs were involved in the street fight where weapons like machetes, knives, and baseball bats were used.
And before we think it’s sectarian (Sunni vs Shia, etc.) violence, allow me to reassure you that it’s the traditional cause of street mayhem:
Police also said that they’re looking into whether the two rival groups had set up the brawl to settle scores that are a part of a drug-related turf war.
I once had an argument with an anti-gun advocate who suggested that knives etc. are better than guns because of the lowered risk of collateral damage. Clearly, he had never actually seen a fight between machete (panga) gangs; but I had, back in South Africa. Absolutely all the participants were horribly injured and a few bled to death before the cops and ambulances arrived.
Nasty things, machetes [puke warning].
Here’s a sample, from Cold Steel:
Brrr… I think I’d rather take my chances with guns, thankee.
When purchasing a shetty notice the thickness of the blade. Watch out for the thin ones that are everywhere for they will flex, like an airplane wing, when swung with authority. Of course, a thicker, more robust blade is going to be heavier and more expensive, but if you need to get some “work” done the thicker blade is your friend. Also, the cheap shetty’s with the black plastic hamdle are murder on your hand when used extensively. The seam where the 2 halves come together will put a blister or worse on your palm in no time. You can wrap the handle with the textured friction tape but it’s better to jut buy a shetty with a proper handle in the first place. Test these 2 things out before purchasing. Lastly, you can use a 1″ dia metal cutting hole saw in a drill press to drill a series of holes along the length of the blade, in the middle area away from the edge and spine, to reduce weight and get a faster swing. Finally, if the shetty ain’t at least 24″ long it is just a cheap bowie and a waste of time.
I wouldn’t put holes in blade, that’s just asking for it to fail. Grinding a shallow fuller into it would be wiser.
The problem with modern machetes vs. traditional ones is mainly in shaping. Modern ones are made for fast and cheap production without mind or with little mind for distal taper, center of percussion, and other details that make a huge difference in the handling and performance of a long blade. They’re made just well enough to work, in the same way that hitting a nail with a large stone will “work” as a hammer.
I have one of those Cold Steel blades – a gladius. Didn’t like the handle, so I smoothed it off and coated it with spray-on rubber. It’s cheap, but it’s carbon steel, and will take a razor-sharp edge. I’m absolutely sure it would take off a hand with a good swing, and the point is sharp enough to do a lot of damage with a lunge.
I ended up buying their plastic training version so I could get used to swinging it without slicing off any of my own body parts.
I keep it in the bedroom – if someone tries to get into the house late at night, the sight of an old, naked fat man with a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other will probably discourage most folks.
Meanwhile, in Rochdale:
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/road-rage-row-turned-rochdale-17107382.amp?__twitter_impression=true
Just ONE gun in the hand of one of the tree surgeons…
“Absolutely all the participants were horribly injured and a few bled to death before the cops and ambulances arrived.”
All? That seems odd, unless they were all high on pain-interrupting and disorienting drugs. Whichever of them were the most skilled would normally put down the others without getting hurt themselves, and the least aggressive would also avoid major injury (by backing off or withdrawing). But if they were all drugged up – berserkers were especially dangerous because they ignored danger and injury to keep striking.
In any case: the anti-gunners do have a slight point: stray blades are much less dangerous than stray bullets. Here in Chicago, we have bystanders hit fairly often, sometimes at considerable distance from the affray.