NationStates Jolt Archive

Some weird news for you...

Police are trying to trace a mysterious samurai sword-wielding vigilante who came to the rescue of two officers when they were being attacked by an armed gang.

The officers had been set upon after they tried to disrupt a burglary at a flat in Laygate, South Shields.

A group of men had knocked on the door pretending to be policemen before forcing their way in to ransack the place.

The passing plain-clothes officers were alerted when a woman inside started screaming, and went to help.

However, they were outnumbered, and the criminals were armed with a hammer, knives and a metal chain.


One of them lunged at a policeman with his knife - but just as he did so, a mysterious do-gooder appeared from nowhere and attacked him with a samurai sword.

One of the burglars ran off, but was stopped by the stranger, who hit him on the arm with the sword.

He was arrested, along with another man from the flat, but in true superhero fashion the samurai man disappeared before police could speak to him.

A third man was arrested later. Two men are still being hunted.

Police are particularly keen to trace the man with the sword who came to the aid of their officers, and appealed for anyone with information to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Source. (http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1246969,00.html)

Reading this really made my day. Why can't anything cool like this happen in the states? And more importantly, why are the cops trying to find this guy?

What kind of.... *shudders* "Samurai Sword" (I really hate that term) do you think it was?

What kind of.... *shudders* "Samurai Sword" (I really hate that term) do you think it was?

Katana, whatever. I didn't want to use that in the title because that's what they called it in the article.

More on topic than my previous post - This guy probably watches too much anime.

More on topic than my previous post - This guy probably watches too much anime.

I actually thought of Snow Crash (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash) when I first read the article.

I had a friend in high school with an obsession for Katanas. He was the first person I thought of, but I don't know where he went off to. I haven't seen him in about 10 years or so. I wonder...

The spirit of Shintaro the Samurai, is back! :D

If that was real anime scene, all the bad guys would be chopped to bits.

Why can't anything cool like this happen in the states? And more importantly, why are the cops trying to find this guy?

People in the US have come to the rescue of police on a fairly regular basis - but they usually bring a firearm.

Some weird news for you...



Source. (http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1246969,00.html)

Reading this really made my day. Why can't anything cool like this happen in the states? And more importantly, why are the cops trying to find this guy?

So awsome. Just like an anime. The guy must be a rurouni swordsman who protects the citizens, sounds to much like rourouni Kenshin

People in the US have come to the rescue of police on a fairly regular basis - but they usually bring a firearm.

See? Us Brits are much cooler!

See? Us Brits are much cooler!

I can't really conceal a katana.

People in the US have come to the rescue of police on a fairly regular basis - but they usually bring a firearm.

But this guy had a freaking sword!

I can't really conceal a katana.

Why would you want to? Wear it with pride!
Or better, a claymore strapped across your back as you walk down the high street :D

Why would you want to? Wear it with pride!
Or better, a claymore strapped across your back as you walk down the high street :D

Interestingly, that usually attracts police attention. So would carrying a large rifle.

A licensed, concealed firearm does not.

There can be only one.. &c.

Interestingly, that usually attracts police attention. So would carrying a large rifle.

A licensed, concealed firearm does not.

Pfft! The cops would just be in awe at your coolness.

(And, actually, the notion that you can legitimately carry a concealed gun but not one out in the open is funny.)

Pfft! The cops would just be in awe at your coolness.

Not if you've just got a katana across your back. You need robes/armour/both too.

People in the US have come to the rescue of police on a fairly regular basis - but they usually bring a firearm.

Interesting fact, citizens in the US shoot and kill at least twice as many criminals as police do every year (1,527 to 606 respectivly). Only 2 percent of civilian shootings involved an innocent person mistakenly identified as a criminal. The 'error rate' for the police, however, was 11 percent, more than five times as high.

All states that I know of allow Open-Carry of a weapon of any kind. You only need a lisence, which is unconstitutional, to carry concealed in every state except Vermont.

Besides a gun is far more effective than a sword, of any kind, at scaring and possibly having to eliminate (un)armed attackers. As that old saying goes, "Don't bring a kinfe to a gun fight."

Not if you've just got a katana across your back. You need robes/armour/both too.

Claymore plus loincloth. It's all you need for admiring glances anywhere.

Claymore plus loincloth. It's all you need for admiring glances anywhere.

...maybe in San Francisco...

And more importantly, why are the cops trying to find this guy?

Probably to charge him with something or other related to his use of a weapon.

Oh, so that is where you guys get all these crazy news.

Can too many carrots turn you orange? Hummm, I wonder.

Plane´s unwelcomed hitchhiker... Oh, nice. Terrorists cant go through, yet a scorpion can...

They would probably let him off with a warning as he saved some police officers. Trouble is, if he had chopped up a gang of thugs who were attacking a small child, he would probably be arrested and charged with something serious. Unfair eh?

Probably to charge him with something or other related to his use of a weapon.

/me predicts the conversation:

Copper: Thank you for saving us from the gang!
Hero: You're welcome.
Copper: Incidentally, you're fucking nicked me old beauty! Carrying an offensive weapon with intent to endanger life! You do not have to say anything, but if you don't we'll kick you harder to make sure you do!

Oh come on people. It's highlander.

He's here to save us from global warming. Just like in the film, except that was the ozone layer.

He got the samuri sword from sean connery.

All states that I know of allow Open-Carry of a weapon of any kind. You only need a lisence, which is unconstitutional, to carry concealed in every state except Vermont.



Just an interested question: Why do you consider a license to be unconstitutional? I support gun ownership and the second amendment myself, but I acknowledge the fact that, like all of the rights we have, the right to bear arms is not an absolute, and that a licensing system is probably necessary. I'd just like to hear your reasoning.

Pfft! The cops would just be in awe at your coolness.

(And, actually, the notion that you can legitimately carry a concealed gun but not one out in the open is funny.)

I'm not denying that the katana has a great coolness factor.

But, especially in the UK, where they arrest people for carrying a small folding knife, I'm sure that the police in this instance are interested in arresting the man who not only saved them, but who made them look like pantywaists.

Reminds me a bit of these guys.
http://xoomer.alice.it/amasoni2002/shl/reallife/batman_&_robin_(2004).htm

But, especially in the UK, where they arrest people for carrying a small folding knife, I'm sure that the police in this instance are interested in arresting the man who not only saved them, but who made them look like pantywaists.

It's not that bad really, but see my previous post in this thread...

It's not that bad really, but see my previous post in this thread...

Well, here in the US, it is legal in most states to have a concealed firearm as long as you're not a felon, and you have a permit.

But, if you end up even drawing it (much less using it), the police become extremely interested. If you shoot someone, even if justified, you usually end up being arrested, investigated by the police, and usually sued by the "victim", even if the shooting is held to be justifiable.

Well, here in the US, it is legal in most states to have a concealed firearm as long as you're not a felon, and you have a permit.

But, if you end up even drawing it (much less using it), the police become extremely interested. If you shoot someone, even if justified, you usually end up being arrested, investigated by the police, and usually sued by the "victim", even if the shooting is held to be justifiable.

The obvious upshot being that if you must shoot someone, make sure you kill them.

Law of Unintended Consequences with a vengeance...

The obvious upshot being that if you must shoot someone, make sure you kill them.

Law of Unintended Consequences with a vengeance...

Then their relatives sue you. You have less to worry from the police and local prosecutor than you do from the ambulance chasing lawyers.

Then their relatives sue you. You have less to worry from the police and local prosecutor than you do from the ambulance chasing lawyers.

Shoot the lawyers! :D

Shoot the lawyers! :D

Unfortunately, Lawyers are like stomach bacteria: disgusting to think about, nauseating to observe, but necessary to the health of he Body Politic.

Oh come on people. It's highlander.

He's here to save us from global warming. Just like in the film, except that was the ozone layer.

He got the samuri sword from sean connery.
It’s a sad day when a sword wielding do-gooder in Britain gets compared more to anime than Highlander.

It’s a sad day when a sword wielding do-gooder in Britain gets compared more to anime than Highlander.

Sad indeed.

Given that it happened in south shields though, I'll bet the individual in question probably does believe that he is the highlander.

Sad indeed.

Given that it happened in south shields though, I'll bet the individual in question probably does believe that he is the highlander.

What if he IS the Highlander?

What if he IS the Highlander?

If he's from south shields, the most we can hope for is that he has front teeth.

Actually being the highlander is out of the the question.

Actually he is part of a superhero group I set up to combat evil in the UK. You're lucky you just got Ian, anyone else and it could have been nasty!

I think it was Batman. Those crooks killed his parents in the back alley of an Opera house.

I think it was Batman. Those crooks killed his parents in the back alley of an Opera house.

But Batman doesn't use deadly weapons. He beats the crap out of people, but has some manner of code against killing people who aren't Japanese.

I can't really conceal a katana.

wear an overcoat

Why would you want to? Wear it with pride!
Or better, a claymore strapped across your back as you walk down the high street :D

A poleaxe resting jauntily on the shoulder, or perhaps an axe with back-spike.....O yes.

Someone lived the little dream that every samurai sword owner has buried deep down.

+1000 that guy, I want to rescue some police with MY samurai sword.

Some weird news for you...



Source. (http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1246969,00.html)

Reading this really made my day. Why can't anything cool like this happen in the states? And more importantly, why are the cops trying to find this guy?vigelantism is still against the law there. and didn't they outlaw swords recently?

I actually thought of Snow Crash (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash) when I first read the article.So he was a Deliverator then? oh right, he's not an American. :p

Claymore plus loincloth. It's all you need for admiring glances anywhere....maybe in San Francisco...dunno, if SHE wore nothing but a Claymore and loincloth here... SHE would get alot of admiring glances too. (yes, I know the story is a he, but what's stopping a woman from wearing nothing but a loincloth and a claymore? :D)

Someone lived the little dream that every samurai sword owner has buried deep down.

+1000 that guy, I want to rescue some police with MY samurai sword.

I had similar dreams when I had a sports car and a muscle car, that one day where I need to 'follow that car' or 'lose that guy' or something like that where I'd be given carte blanche to haul monkey on public roads. The closest I got was when I drove my friend to the hospital when he had gall stones. But since my liscence was suspended at the time I didn't go as nuts as I (and he, I imagine) would have really wanted.

But Batman doesn't use deadly weapons. He beats the crap out of people, but has some manner of code against killing people who aren't Japanese.

and how do you know that the sword was sharpened... doesn't sound like it was.

vigelantism is still against the law there. and didn't they outlaw swords recently?
Swords and knives I think. He didn't kill anyone, and he did a good deed. I don't see what the controversy is.

So he was a Deliverator then? oh right, he's not an American. :p
An honorary American then. He's just that awesome.

and how do you know that the sword was sharpened... doesn't sound like it was.

Maybe he hit them with the side of the sword to prevent maiming them.

Just an interested question: Why do you consider a license to be unconstitutional? I support gun ownership and the second amendment myself, but I acknowledge the fact that, like all of the rights we have, the right to bear arms is not an absolute, and that a licensing system is probably necessary. I'd just like to hear your reasoning.

I consider it so, because the wording used is very plain and simple. People tend to think to hard about a lot of things in todays society because we like to think we have a more scientific and logical mind. Sometimes the best/right answer, is the simplest one.

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." ~2nd Amendment~

The bold words are all one needs to see why any type of gun control and lisencing is Unconstitutional. Anything the prohibits me, a law abiding citizen, from owning and carrying any firearm is Unconstitutional. Saying I can only carry a weapon with the County, State or Federal approval is in clear violation of my 2nd Amendment right as it infringes on my right to bear arms.

The 2nd Ammendment is a recognition of the danger of standing armies. Its purpose is to recognize that every citizen has the right to keep and bear the same type of basic arms as a soldier in a modern military. A militia embodies all able-bodied men over the age of 16. Therefore, a militia will always outnumber a standing army by atleast 20:1. The 2nd Ammendment is the gaurantee behind all the other articles in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is the ultimate gaurantee that citizens in the United States will remain free.

vigelantism is still against the law there. and didn't they outlaw swords recently?
Nope. Or knives. There was just an amnesty and a minor change in the law. Ye olde interwebbe sworde shoppe inne Brittaine (www.blades-uk.com).

dunno, if SHE wore nothing but a Claymore and loincloth here... SHE would get alot of admiring glances too. (yes, I know the story is a he, but what's stopping a woman from wearing nothing but a loincloth and a claymore? :D)

*Flutters eyelashes*
Come on, big boy. I've got a surprise for you ;)

Maybe he hit them with the side of the sword to prevent maiming them.

A katana would snap if you tried that. They don't take stresses well.

There is a reason why I am alive and that is to read this story, over and over and over and over.

and how do you know that the sword was sharpened... doesn't sound like it was.

Meh, whatever.

A katana would snap if you tried that. They don't take stresses well.

They're brittle but not brittle enough to snap when you hit soft flesh with them.

Someone lived the little dream that every samurai sword owner has buried deep down.

+1000 that guy, I want to rescue some police with MY samurai sword.

My Katana is only a wall hanger...An axe or my mace would be better...Though rescuing cops wasn't quite what i had in mind

They're brittle but not brittle enough to snap when you hit soft flesh with them.

Hitting a solid blow with the flat of the blade on tensed muscle? That'll snap a katana. They just don't have structural integrity on the flat side.

The spirit of Shintaro the Samurai, is back! :D

If that was real anime scene, all the bad guys would be chopped to bits.he did hit one in the Arm.. maybe he chopped the arm.. or something.
maybe thats why the rest of the armed gang lost-it.. and took off

Hitting a solid blow with the flat of the blade on tensed muscle? That'll snap a katana. They just don't have structural integrity on the flat side.

So this criminal gang were a bunch of body builders?

dp

Some weird news for you...



Source. (http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1246969,00.html)

Reading this really made my day. Why can't anything cool like this happen in the states? And more importantly, why are the cops trying to find this guy?

I don't care what others may say about the guy...they just wish they could be as cool as him.

Most likely he was a practicing swordsman; untrained guys wouldn't have been able to fend off five dudes with bludgeons.

the rest of the gang was armed.. and had already knifed a policeman.. I would definetely try to slice for maximum visual impact.

Maybe this guy is so damn good with a sword he doesn't even need to try to kill them. Kinda like Vash from Trigun.

Maybe he hit them with the side of the sword to prevent maiming them.the rest of the gang was armed.. and had already knifed a policeman.. I would definetely try to slice for maximum visual impact.

Maybe this guy is so damn good with a sword he doesn't even need to try to kill them. Kinda like Vash from Trigun.BTW Jackie Chan is not really able to handle a dozen armed guys.
probably he is not even able to handle 3 of them.

and No... rambo cannot take alone on the Vietnamess army
:D ;)

Cops and the establishment aren't usually too keen on vigilantes or other people taking the law into their own hands - The real reason is usually because when people feel the need to take the law into their own hands - it is usually a sign that the cops and the establishment are not providing the justice system that the populace would like to have - and it is an embarrasment to the cops and the establishment.

To save cops and in such a cool manner - will not exactly endear the "hero" to the said cops or establishement. I bet they are really getting their knickers in twist over this one.

Just an interested question: Why do you consider a license to be unconstitutional? I support gun ownership and the second amendment myself, but I acknowledge the fact that, like all of the rights we have, the right to bear arms is not an absolute, and that a licensing system is probably necessary. I'd just like to hear your reasoning.

The constitution allows for the wearing of weapons to be regulated, I beleive.

That's it...

Cops and the establishment aren't usually too keen on vigilantes or other people taking the law into their own hands - The real reason is usually because when people feel the need to take the law into their own hands - it is usually a sign that the cops and the establishment are not providing the justice system that the populace would like to have - and it is an embarrasment to the cops and the establishment.

To save cops and in such a cool manner - will not exactly endear the "hero" to the said cops or establishement. I bet they are really getting their knickers in twist over this one.


Yep.

Yep.
yep. (I agree)

It was BATMAN!!!

It was BATMAN!!!

If it was Batman he would have had something more gadget-y than a sword, and none of them would have escaped.

If it was Batman he would have had something more gadget-y than a sword, and none of them would have escaped.

Actually, that's probably what the police want him for. Aiding the escape of known criminals that the police were about to arrest.

Why would you want to? Wear it with pride!
Or better, a claymore strapped across your back as you walk down the high street :D


Why the heck do you want a claymore, they don't cut anything just bludgeon it to death, katanas' look way cooler anyway

i like my katana:D

{snip}

dunno, if SHE wore nothing but a Claymore and loincloth here... SHE would get alot of admiring glances too. (yes, I know the story is a he, but what's stopping a woman from wearing nothing but a loincloth and a claymore? :D)

Perhaps most males deep-seated fear of women with sharp objects?;)

Why the heck do you want a claymore, they don't cut anything just bludgeon it to death, katanas' look way cooler anyway

i like my katana:D

Perhaps you'd want it for bludgeoning things to death?

Well, here in the US, it is legal in most states to have a concealed firearm as long as you're not a felon, and you have a permit.

But, if you end up even drawing it (much less using it), the police become extremely interested. If you shoot someone, even if justified, you usually end up being arrested, investigated by the police, and usually sued by the "victim", even if the shooting is held to be justifiable.

Very true, but I also have a Katana aside from my .9mm, which I can't CC in my state.

I think the "samurai" should have decapitated them and ran! w00t for Japanese swords! :D

If the cops could carry guns, none of this would have happened in the first place, and no vigilante would have been necessary. The fact that the police cannot carry sidearms amazes me...:confused:

I consider it so, because the wording used is very plain and simple. People tend to think to hard about a lot of things in todays society because we like to think we have a more scientific and logical mind. Sometimes the best/right answer, is the simplest one.

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." ~2nd Amendment~

The bold words are all one needs to see why any type of gun control and lisencing is Unconstitutional. Anything the prohibits me, a law abiding citizen, from owning and carrying any firearm is Unconstitutional. Saying I can only carry a weapon with the County, State or Federal approval is in clear violation of my 2nd Amendment right as it infringes on my right to bear arms.

The 2nd Ammendment is a recognition of the danger of standing armies. Its purpose is to recognize that every citizen has the right to keep and bear the same type of basic arms as a soldier in a modern military. A militia embodies all able-bodied men over the age of 16. Therefore, a militia will always outnumber a standing army by atleast 20:1. The 2nd Ammendment is the gaurantee behind all the other articles in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is the ultimate gaurantee that citizens in the United States will remain free.


*stands up and claps* It IS that simple, yet I am in one of the few states w/out a CCW law. That is unconstitutional, plain and simple. What they did in New Orleans, plainly unconstitutional. Our gov't is corrupt as hell, and we will probably live to see the day democracy ends. :(

Interestingly, that usually attracts police attention. So would carrying a large rifle.

A licensed, concealed firearm does not.
I believe UK law is such that it (the katana) could be carried if it was impossible to conceal... Although knife jurisdiction is not one of my hobbies.
Why the heck do you want a claymore, they don't cut anything just bludgeon it to death, katanas' look way cooler anyway
Nothing says "owned" quite like a claymore, thankyouverymuch.

Very true, but I also have a Katana aside from my .9mm, which I can't CC in my state.

I think the "samurai" should have decapitated them and ran! w00t for Japanese swords! :D

If the cops could carry guns, none of this would have happened in the first place, and no vigilante would have been necessary. The fact that the police cannot carry sidearms amazes me...:confused:

If the cops could carry guns the criminals would likely make an effort to acquire guns themselves, unless of course they're ridiculously stupid, which is possible.

Damn...

If the cops could carry guns the criminals would likely make an effort to acquire guns themselves, unless of course they're ridiculously stupid, which is possible.

There is no point escalating the situation, it just means more people are likely to get killed. Anyway some officers can use firearms, only they don't carry them all the time usually.

...why are the cops trying to find this guy?

It sure ain't to thank him... You can count on that.

Wow...That guy wins hard.

I think the "samurai" should have decapitated them and ran! w00t for Japanese swords! :D


You can't decapitate someone with a katana. It's damn near impossible with any sword, since you have to get the blade between two vertebrae, but it's even harder with a katana, since they can't cut the connective tissue as easily.

it's so easy to decapitate someone with a katana, my little brother is in jail now for that exact thing. sadly he's in for 45 years. so he'll be 70 bu the time he gets out, but trust me it's definately possible and does happen

it's so easy to decapitate someone with a katana, my little brother is in jail now for that exact thing. sadly he's in for 45 years. so he'll be 70 bu the time he gets out, but trust me it's definately possible and does happen

:rolleyes:

If someone decapitated someone else with a katana, we would know.

Very true, but I also have a Katana aside from my .9mm, which I can't CC in my state.

I think the "samurai" should have decapitated them and ran! w00t for Japanese swords! :D

If the cops could carry guns, none of this would have happened in the first place, and no vigilante would have been necessary. The fact that the police cannot carry sidearms amazes me...:confused:

Well, think about it. The fact that the police weren't carrying any weapons made things so much more interesting. A nameless man with a fucking katana saves the day? That's ace. Not just ace, classic. Of course, had it been a nameless man with some kick-ass garb and a Zweihander, that would've been the best thing ever.

And I was wondering where the hell you've been for so long...

:rolleyes:

If someone decapitated someone else with a katana, we would know.

How? Are you magical? That shit's been going on for years.

A katana would snap if you tried that. They don't take stresses well.and most modern day Katana replicas are made so that they cannot be sharpened. thus it can be used normally and still not inflict leathal damage.

Hitting a solid blow with the flat of the blade on tensed muscle? That'll snap a katana. They just don't have structural integrity on the flat side.dont think so. depends on the force given and if people are talking the flat (side) of the blade or the back of the katana (which isn't sharp, more like a metal club.)

Perhaps most males deep-seated fear of women with sharp objects?;)... considering my Favorite Heroes are Electra and Psylocke...

Some weird news for you...



Source. (http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1246969,00.html)

Reading this really made my day. Why can't anything cool like this happen in the states? And more importantly, why are the cops trying to find this guy?

This guy is teh win.

and most modern day Katana replicas are made so that they cannot be sharpened. thus it can be used normally and still not inflict leathal damage.

dont think so. depends on the force given and if people are talking the flat (side) of the blade or the back of the katana (which isn't sharp, more like a metal club.)

... considering my Favorite Heroes are Electra and Psylocke...

Not sure who they are, but I am assuming females w/swords, so yeah.

Oh, and modern wall-hangers cannot compare with the real thing, although they do make adequate blunt objects.

Not sure who they are, but I am assuming females w/swords, so yeah.

Electra
http://images.quizilla.com/1033605227_esselectra.jpg

Psylocke
http://www.semsk.kz/entert/vallejo/images/1995/psylocke_95.jpg

I get the picture JuNii., actually both.:D

Yes, but it's only anime if this vigilante's parents were killed by ninja wizard bandits and he's on a mission of vengeance.

Its BS in Kill Bill how her sword cuts clean through one of the crazy 88's swords. Its pure BS unless they bought it at K-mart which i doubt they did seing how they appearently have a good reputation.

Why the heck do you want a claymore, they don't cut anything just bludgeon it to death, katanas' look way cooler anyway

i like my katana:D

You seem to not know a thing about swords.

A claymore, or any other European two-handed sword is most certainly capable of delivering effective cuts. In fact, I'd be very surprised if a battle-ready two-hander wasn't sharper then any knife in your kitchen.

People who talk about European swords as though they were 40lb metal clubs are easily dismissed as ignorant yutzes.

You seem to not know a thing about swords.

A claymore, or any other European two-handed sword is most certainly capable of delivering effective cuts. In fact, I'd be very surprised if a battle-ready two-hander wasn't sharper then any knife in your kitchen.

People who talk about European swords as though they were 40lb metal clubs are easily dismissed as ignorant yutzes.

Even a 6-foot Zweihander usually weighed only eight pounds, and even still, they were (and are) extremely fast weapons, as the weight distribution is very even. Zweihanders (Dopplehanders) were made for chopping pikes in half and permanently disabling horses.

It's no wonder why they were so feared on the battlefield.

Cops and the establishment aren't usually too keen on vigilantes or other people taking the law into their own hands - The real reason is usually because when people feel the need to take the law into their own hands - it is usually a sign that the cops and the establishment are not providing the justice system that the populace would like to have - and it is an embarrasment to the cops and the establishment.

To save cops and in such a cool manner - will not exactly endear the "hero" to the said cops or establishement. I bet they are really getting their knickers in twist over this one.
Well, not as much. Mostly it's because a vigilante isn't answerable for their actions, there isn't any public accountability or due process. When a citizen takes the law into his or her own hands without actual authority there's no assurances that it will be handled, for lack of a better term, properly. It's just someone deciding, 'They did me wrong' and extracting their own justice-regardless of whether that person did indeed do them wrong or that the vigilante's response was proportional or appropriate. In all reality vigilantes are anarchy in of the bad kind, and as amusing as it is to read about or the occasion where it turns out in 'no harm no foul' kind of situation, they really are something you'd want curbed, regardless of any law enforcement's egos.
Its BS in Kill Bill how her sword cuts clean through one of the crazy 88's swords. Its pure BS unless they bought it at K-mart which i doubt they did seing how they appearently have a good reputation.
Pff, next you'll be telling me that an old man can't jump up and stand on the edge of a sword someone is holding...

Its pure BS unless they bought it at K-mart which i doubt they did seing how they appearently have a good reputation.

They were called the Crazy 88 because they bought swords for 88 pence apiece. Their reputation wasn't that of a ruthless gang of killers, but as a thrifty gang of bargain hunters.

I had always liked rapiars(sp?), nice and light with plenty of hand protection also they leave your other hand open for something else like a shield.

I had always liked rapiars(sp?), nice and light with plenty of hand protection also they leave your other hand open for something else like a shield.

Rapiers aren't exactly light... They average about three feet in length and three pounds in weight, all with very odd weight distribution. They take quite a lot of strength to weild properly.

Hollywood "rapiers" (the kind seen in Pirate films) are nothing short of fantasy.

Its BS in Kill Bill how her sword cuts clean through one of the crazy 88's swords. Its pure BS unless they bought it at K-mart which i doubt they did seing how they appearently have a good reputation.actually, the reason is because while her sword was made by Hattori Hanzo, who only uses the best sword making technique and best metal, the crazy 88 had plastic swords... not all of em graduated Sword training 101, thus they had to use Plastic Swords else they would've hurt themselves.

why else would they not mind a kid waving a sword around.

I had always liked rapiars(sp?), nice and light with plenty of hand protection also they leave your other hand open for something else like a shield.

Rapiars are cool i have one myself. A great find...

Here's the (more credible) BBC version of the story:
LINKY! (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/6251079.stm)

Some weird news for you...



Source. (http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1246969,00.html)

Reading this really made my day. Why can't anything cool like this happen in the states? And more importantly, why are the cops trying to find this guy?

man, if that were in portsmouth i'd *SO* know who that was :p

Even a 6-foot Zweihander usually weighed only eight pounds, and even still, they were (and are) extremely fast weapons, as the weight distribution is very even. Zweihanders (Dopplehanders) were made for chopping pikes in half and permanently disabling horses.

It's no wonder why they were so feared on the battlefield.

Well stated.

Eight pounds would be pushing it for a battlefield weapon, ceremonial Zweihanders might be that heavy, but for battle it would be rare to see one over 7.

You seem to not know a thing about swords.

A claymore, or any other European two-handed sword is most certainly capable of delivering effective cuts. In fact, I'd be very surprised if a battle-ready two-hander wasn't sharper then any knife in your kitchen.

People who talk about European swords as though they were 40lb metal clubs are easily dismissed as ignorant yutzes.

ah, i always wanted a claymore. i'm celtish by descent so it kinda makes sense. plus, they're cool! :D

It was BATMAN!!!

*Cough* post #40 ..this must be why you only have 2 posts ;)

ah, i always wanted a claymore. i'm celtish by descent so it kinda makes sense. plus, they're cool! :D

Aye, most Europeans are of Celtic decent to some extent, the later Germanic and Slavic invaders just assimilated them, much like the Celts did to earlier Old Europeans.

Personally claymores aren't my thing, either version (short two handed sword, or the basket-hilted arming sword).

I want an arming sword with a Pappenheimer handguard.
http://www.reliks.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=1682&step=4

You can't decapitate someone with a katana. It's damn near impossible with any sword, since you have to get the blade between two vertebrae, but it's even harder with a katana, since they can't cut the connective tissue as easily.
Given the hobby most Japanese samurai had for head hunting on the battlefield (and the reason for iron collars on Japanese armor)...

Given the hobby most Japanese samurai had for head hunting on the battlefield (and the reason for iron collars on Japanese armor)...

Shh, being misinformed is much funner. ;)

My arming sword/side sword/rapier with edges could take someone's head off, I have no reason to think a heavier, two handed, curved blade couldn't cut far more effectively.

My personal favorite swords in history are Zweihanders and Shamsirs.

Also, Don't forget samurai used bows.

Well stated.

Eight pounds would be pushing it for a battlefield weapon, ceremonial Zweihanders might be that heavy, but for battle it would be rare to see one over 7.

The SLR with bayonet deployed was well over 9lbs. It was still expected to be used as a close quater combat weapon.

The SLR with bayonet deployed was well over 9lbs. It was still expected to be used as a close quater combat weapon.

I'm well aware, it doesn't make my point less true, two-handed swords were alot lighter then you'd expect.

Also rifles, while expected to be used as close-quarter weapons, aren't designed explicitly for it, unlike swords.

Given the hobby most Japanese samurai had for head hunting on the battlefield (and the reason for iron collars on Japanese armor)...

The reason for the iron collars was to protect the throat. And it's quite possible to saw someone's head off with a sword. Slashing the head off is far more difficult.

Shh, being misinformed is much funner. ;)

My arming sword/side sword/rapier with edges could take someone's head off, I have no reason to think a heavier, two handed, curved blade couldn't cut far more effectively.

Which one is it? Arming swords, side swords, and rapiers all refer to different weapons. And a rapier certainly can't take someone's head off, sharpened or not.

And your average arming sword will weigh the same as your average katana. About 2 to 3 pounds.

Mmm, Katanas. Overrated in my opinion. I prefer Shamshirs and Arabian swords myself.

Still, the guy did as awsome job. Bravo for saving those cops.

The reason for the iron collars was to protect the throat. And it's quite possible to saw someone's head off with a sword. Slashing the head off is far more difficult.
No, it was to make it harder to take the head off. I'm not saying it's as easy as it looks in Highlander, but you can take heads with a katana and do so in a slash.

He deserves a medal in my opinion.
But if they find and arrest him, People would be pissed.

I want to be a cop-rescuing vigilante when I grow up.

I want to be a cop-rescuing vigilante when I grow up.

Don't we all. Unfortunately, if you take the law into your own hands, you get arrested. Which is lame.

Don't we all. Unfortunately, if you take the law into your own hands, you get arrested. Which is lame.

Would you trust the rest of the population to take the law into its own hands? I sure wouldn't.

But while he shouldn't be punished for his action in aiding the police, he should get a warning, he did break the law after all.

But while he shouldn't be punished for his action in aiding the police, he should get a warning, he did break the law after all.

This will teach everyone the best thing to do is let police be brutally stabbed, beaten, and leave houses to be ransacked. I'm in favor of this, in other words.

Don't we all. Unfortunately, if you take the law into your own hands, you get arrested. Which is lame.
Hmmm, then I'll become a heroic, decorated supercop.

This will teach everyone the best thing to do is let police be brutally stabbed, beaten, and leave houses to be ransacked. I'm in favor of this, in other words.

Or maybe not to use a sword?

Or maybe not to use a sword?

And take on a knife welding person bare handed? Then they'd just have 2 knife victims.

And take on a knife welding person bare handed? Then they'd just have 2 knife victims.

Frying pans are always good and there is not law aganist that. ;)

I have a pretty cheap wallhanger wakisashi (short japanese sword) and even if I couldnt decapitate anyone, I´m pretty sure I could inflict some serious damage. I wouldnt be able to cut a head clean, but I´m sure I can cut someone´s neck enough so that he dies.

Which one is it? Arming swords, side swords, and rapiers all refer to different weapons. And a rapier certainly can't take someone's head off, sharpened or not.

And your average arming sword will weigh the same as your average katana. About 2 to 3 pounds.

Arming sword refers to straight blades roughly three feet long, side sword refers to a specific variety of Spanish arming sword from the late medieval/early renaissance, rapier refers to a civilian blade decended from the side sword, and in layman's terms to most swords with a compound hilt. Most accurately it is a side-sword.

A true rapier most certainly couldn't deliver a sturdy blow, a 'cut and thrust rapier' (an inaccurate term used mostly to refer to arming swords with compound hilts) could probably remove a head.

And yes, your average arming sword and average katana will weigh roughly the same. :)

Frying pans are always good and there is not law aganist that. ;)
Considering a city in Britian banned GLASS CUPS, I'm sure there will eventually be one.

Considering a city in Britian banned GLASS CUPS, I'm sure there will eventually be one.

Why'd they do that?

Why'd they do that?
Actually my mistake it's a ban in all Bar's, Pub's, and Restraunts in Scotland (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/5037322.stm), it's because 'glass has been used to attack people and can cause scarring'.

There was a discussion here about it a few months ago.

That's... That should be... That isn't... THAT ISN'T FREAKING POSSIBLE!! DID REALITY BECOME A DC COMIC BOOK??? :p

*Whew*

Now, that guy was COOL! :p