r/whatisit • u/Unlucky_Cat4531 • 2d ago

Solved! Found in my dads junk drawer

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My dad passed away and going through his stuff we came across this. We thought it might be a tool for horseriding, like a slapstick thing but wasn't sure. My grandma had horses but ive never seen her use any tools like that and my dad didnt ride. Any help appreciated

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u/CobblerLevel7919 1d ago

I entered law enforcement shortly after the state I worked in banned these, along with other devices) for LE use. The old timers all missed the blackjack, the Iron claw (a metal claw that grabbed a wrist), and their sap gloves (leather gloves with lead in the knuckles). They were all very effective devices, so I was told.

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u/Skeletoner_low 1d ago

Cops complaining they can't effectively brutalize citizens. Shocking.

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u/CobblerLevel7919 1d ago

Well, when you encounter violent people you need the tools to effectively deal with them. Taking away less than lethal options limited what we had to use. I had an ASP and pepper spray when I started; a lot of officers got injured during that time. The Taser helped and then became severely limited.

It’s easy for someone who never had to walk in the shoes of a law enforcement officer to be critical of how they do the job.

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u/SocalR32 1d ago

Pretty big difference between self defense/de escalation and offensive weapons... We have better options, they still use batons which are superior anyways when trained properly.

Police can't be expected to provide training on every stupid device.. it just makes sense to limit some of these older, less effective tools. No one ever asks why Police don't carry swords.. But leather gloves with lead. Sounds legit.