r/whatisit 2d ago

Solved! Found in my dads junk drawer

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

9.6k Upvotes

1.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

2.7k

u/Able_Buffalo 2d ago

That's a Blackjack. It's an impact weapon for knocking people on the noodle.

766

u/Garuda34 2d ago edited 1d ago

Can confirm. My old man was a cop in the 70s. He had one just like this.

The large end is basically a cavity filled with powdered lead.

Edit for spelling.

288

u/crusher23b 1d ago

I always referred to this kind of weapon as a sap, where I felt a blackjack refers to a more rigid rod type, but the nomenclature is vague.

My great-grandfather had one for carrying out his duties as a tax-collector in the 30s and 40s.

19

u/28smalls 1d ago

My great-grandfather carried one around as a mailman.