Bat or a knife?

[checkraiseulite]

You're in a fight for your life and you have the choice between two weapons:

• Standard kitchen knife with a single sided blade 20cm or so long.

• Standard wooden baseball bat.

The other person will get the weapon you do not choose, and is the exact same size, strength and agility as you.
What weapon do you choose and why?

 

[Papa Juggs]

I'll go the bat because it's longer so I get better reach.

I don't think people with knives try to rob people carrying baseball bats

 

[Off The Couch]

I'm going with juggalo, much longer reach and ability to land a powerful blow. Need to be right in close for a knife

Who are you planning to take out

 

[Poseidon]

The bat, easily. Knife requires you to be very precise and even if you get a few jabs or cuts in it doesn't guarantee they'll be injured enough to back down. A baseball bat you can quickly neutralise your opponents even with wild swings.

 

[Kaan]

Bat easily.

Even if you stab with a knife you're probably going to get whacked in the process.

 

[checkraiseulite]

Initially I thought the bat. But then I realised that holding the bat would actually be a liability if you were at close range and about to get shanked.

I'd take the knife, because you pretty much only get one shot with the bat.

If you're slow, I'd take the bat though.

 

[Quokka]

The butt of the bat could be very handy in close

 

[checkraiseulite]

Remember that this is a fight to the death.

 

[Kaan]

Remember that this is a fight to the death.

Bat in most scenarios unless you're skilled at throwing the knife.

 

[Plugger35]

The bat man.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Bat with a knife on it

I googled it and this came up

 

[lewigie]

<insert Moe chasing Kodos with a plank with a nail in it Simpsons reference here>

 

[zimma]

Bat, can be used two or one handed, better reach, more versatility...

Also Casey Jones weapon of choice.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

No contest. Knife everyday of the week.

I rush in with the knife and whatever reach advantage the bat had is gone and it becomes ineffective. I'd rather cop the bat in the arm deflecting it than have a long blade plunged into me.

 

[Plugger35]

I'd be hitting you out of the ball park before you can lay a knife on me.

I'd still make it to first base even if I got knifed, maybe even second base.

 

[zimma]

Not to mention if the bat connects with your arm while you hold the knife, you drop that knife...

Also add in the fact that the only way the knife exceeds the bat is in a lunging motion, which is easy to over-commit doing and provides a small point of contact. If that gets sidestepped you will get the bat to the back of the head while completely defenseless. Going one bit further the bat provides a softer medium for the knife to get lodged into, if a slash hits the bat it will likely get stuck, making it easy to disarm the knife wielder. A bat is also highly effective against a few key areas, blunt object to the skull has better odds than relying on the penetration of the average kitchen knife. Unless you get someone in a ligament, artery or tendon a knife will also cause pain but not disarm or disable as quickly, a single, well placed strike with a bat will knock out or stun someone, a knife to a non crucial body part will hurt like a bitch but leave the person free to belt your head in.

 

[courtjester]

I think this makes it fairly clear....

 

[checkraiseulite]

The only thing that makes clear is you can be hit with a baseball bat fairly hard at least 3-4 times and leave a shop of your own volition.

 

[Dagless]

I think this makes it fairly clear....

The situation (counter between them) blatantly favours the bat in getting the first blow in.

In a fight to the death, I'm probably more confident of stopping a bat than a knife. Partially due to the reason that people are giving the bat the benefit, everything to do with length. More object to grab, and it's size is more easily destabilised compared to a knife. It might hurt like hell to get there, but if you're actually on the guard at the same time, I imagine it's more difficult to get a deathblow with the bat to the point where I can't get up close.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Knife easily.

Ill cop one quick hit and the Essendon fan will have no throat left

 

[half_back_flank]

If you got the bat right, you'd come out completely uninjured. With the Knife, you're probably going to cop a broken arm but if you could weather the first blow and get within arms length it would be lights out.

Have to go with the knife.

 

[Quokka]

Remember that this is a fight to the death.

Yeah and I'd certainly be aiming to knock them down without them getting close but I just meant I wouldn't be dropping the bat in close. Temple,forehead, teeth,nose, collarbones... there're plenty of places you could hit using the butt of the bat that's going to daze someone or do some damage and all you're looking for is that half a second pause or stumble so that you can step back and swing for the bleachers.

If someone knows what they're doing there's every chance that they'll get inside on the first swing and you're dead but likewise if the batter has more skill he's looking good.

But you said everything else was about even so lets say skill is too, imo the bat's advantage comes into play first and is more likely to daze someone than the knife and lets face it outside of hollywood that's often all you need. The first hit dazes or drops their guard, the second lands cleanly.... and after that your biggest problem is likely to be splinters.

 

[checkraiseulite]

Although speed/skill/strength levels are equal, as those levels increase so too does the utility of the knife compared to the bat.

In a vacuum though the the trajectory of bat swings most people of average skill/strength is entirely predictable and once they've swung they're going to have it on the wrong side of their body and be off balance. Knife can be used in a range of motions much quicker than having to wind up again to use the bat.

I'm probably 70/30 in favour of the knife.

 

[moses]

Would people change their mind if it was a 9 iron v knife?

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Would people change their mind if it was a 9 iron v knife?

Nope.