Escape Artists
The Lounge at the End of the Universe => Gallimaufry => Topic started by: BrandtPileggi on June 27, 2007, 02:53:09 AM
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So, by awesome, I'm not talking about the most powerful, the deadliest or the biggest weapons. I'm talking about the weapons that when a hot babe walks by, you sayrather loudly so she can hear, "Uh, yeah. So I was polishing my _____ This morning!"
Here's my top 5 (so far...)
5. Machete - If nothing else, it sounds cool. But it does stand out as a compact, light weapon, especially adept for Zombie, head chop off marathons.
4. Tazer - Until we get consumer lazer guns, the tazer is at the top of the -azer weapons. And it should be. By far, the asshole king of all weapons because it's not enough to shoot someone with two darts... you have to keep pulling that trigger to send 100K volts coursing through their prone body 5 minutes after their cries of, "Oh God! I'm so sorry, please, my medication" has died down into a low gurgle
3. Bazooka - Again, cool name. AND!... Shoot a fucking missile from your shoulder. Are you serious? GTFOH.
2. Speargun - Now, I KNOW people are going to say, "Brandt. There is NO possible way a Speargun PWNS a bazooka. You're an anal baby!" To that I say, "NO!" Can you shoot missiles at sharks? Huh? Huh smart guy? No! No you can't. Spearguns are the only weapon in the entire world that can shoot dangerous burglers and sharks. (hamburglers and land sharks included). Until there's a magical weapon that can shoot things in the water land and air, the speargun is the king of the multi-element shooters.
1. Numchucks - Any idiot can tame the wild bazooka or weild the mighty machete. Someone of limited intelligence and motor skill can master the speargun HOWEVER!... Only one weapon in the world requires you to be, A. A ninja, and B. A stud. The Numchuck. Case in point. Tom Sellek is a stud but cannot handle the numchucks to save his life. Billy Blanks is a ninja alas the numchuck skill eludes him. Only Bruce Lee, the studliest ninja to ever walk a maze of mirrors, has ever REALLY mastered nuumchucks. THAT mutual exclusivity renders the numchuck into instant panty-offer, thus making it the most awesome weapon of all time.
What are yours?
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Not bad Brandt. :)
5: Chainsaw - Roaring, gas powered, blood flinging nemesis of zombies, campers, and rural texans alike.
4: Flame Thrower (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamethrower) - To quote the great George Carlin,"Gee, I sure would like to set those people on fire over there. But I'm way to far away to get the job done. If only I had something that would throw flame on them."
3: Battle Axe (http://www.ckbproducts.com/popup_image.php/pID/1402') - Need I say more?
2: Smith and Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum (http://www.freepatriot.com/44magnum.php) - Good enough for Diry Harry, good enough for me.
1: Plastic Explosives (http://www.ribbands.co.uk/prdpages/C4.htm) - When it absolutely, positively has to be blown in to tiny little pieces NOW.
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Do they have to be real weapons? Or can they be stuff from SF? Because if so, I'd say the lightsaber is pretty damn high on the list.
Although "polishing my lightsaber" sounds more than just vaguely dirty.
I personally prefer bladed weapons. Guns scare me.
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Unless we're limited to real weapons, all of the coolest weapons would doubtless have to be pulled from video games.
In no particular order:
The Lancer from "Gears of War" - What if the zombies team up with Nazi commandos? An assault rifle with a chain-saw built in! This covers all the angles.
The Farsight from "Perfect Dark" - Your enemy is hiding in a bunker a mile away under 50 feet of rock and 5 feet of steel, wearing full-body kevlar. So what? Pop! One shot kill.
The Cerebral Bore from "Turok 2" - Your enemies might try to run, but there's no escaping this nasty little robot. Once it's launched, it take a leisurely, looping course over to your enemy's head, where it clamps down and sucks his skull dry. The gruesome sight will often send surviving foes fleeing in gibbering terror.
The Hammer of Dawn also from "Gears of War" - A shaft of radiant death blasts down from the sky like the fire of God. Satisfies your inner megalomaniac.
Plasma Grenades from "Halo" - Not the most powerful weapon, but there's nothing more satisfying that sticking one to you enemy's face and watching him run around blind for the three seconds before it explodes.
As far as real weapons, I figure bigger is better. "So I was polishing my MOAB bomb this morning..."
I'd also like to have a magnetic rail gun, a satelite-mounted laser cannon (come on, you know Reagan put some up there). Oh, and a katana, because katanas are still the coolest sharp thing ever made, and, unless animé has led me wrong, a katana can defeat any other weapon.
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Unless we're limited to real weapons, all of the coolest weapons would doubtless have to be pulled from video games.
How could you overlook the BFG9000 from Doom?
Also, the "Potion" from the original Gauntlet coin-op game (assuming you're the wizard). It's way cheezier but it has to be the most effective weapon ever - "kills all badguys in view"
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Yeah if you're going to include video game weapons then I'd have to say the BFG would have to rank WAY high.
I guess it doesn't matter where you pull from, Here are the rules:
1. State it before your list and stay consistent. Even if it begins with, "The top 5 greatest Wonder woman weapons. 5-Lasso of truth 4-Push Up Bra Anti-grav thrower 3-Panties of Justice... etc..."
2. Explain your choice and link it.
3. Disregard the rules if you so please.
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The BFG is powerful, but it isn't unique. It just tosses a big green ball, and then everything falls over dead. No style. In doom, I'd say the chain-gun is the coolest weapon. The gouts of fire and dramatic flashes are much more pleasing the single sudden KABLAM offered by the BFG. Plus, you've got to be sparing with the BFG, since amo for it is rare. The chain-fun you can open up with any time you feel the urge.
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Do they have to be real weapons? Or can they be stuff from SF? Because if so, I'd say the lightsaber is pretty damn high on the list.
Although "polishing my lightsaber" sounds more than just vaguely dirty.
I personally prefer bladed weapons. Guns scare me.
Crap, Listener beat me to it. A lightsaber would definitely be #1 for me. Any variety, really doesn't matter. I just want one.
#2 Blaster. What the hell...I've always wanted to be Han Solo.
#3 Wolverine's adamantium claws/skeleton. Although, I'd also really want the mutant healing factor with this, because it just wouldn't work so well, otherwise. But I can't think of a weapon that's so...personal.
#4 Green Lantern Corp ring. Because then I could do anything. Unless anything had yellow in it.
#5 Whatever the throwing star with knives thing from Krull was called. As a kid, I just thought that thing was too cool for words.
Honorable mention: A whip, like Indiana Jones (although polishing my whip doesn't quite work). Or a magic wand, especially if lightsabers were in short supply.
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#3 Wolverine's adamantium claws/skeleton. Although, I'd also really want the mutant healing factor with this, because it just wouldn't work so well, otherwise. But I can't think of a weapon that's so...personal.
Man. I was SO close to putting that in mine too. There is an actual weapon like that, that straps on. I can't remember the name, but as long as it has an awesome name like, "Labotimizer" or something, It'll have to bump machete on mine.
The problem with the Wolverine claws (under skin), as you elluded to, is that without regenrative powers, Your super awesome weapon would just lead to a very sickly, skinny guy in bed for weeks as he fights off infection after infection. I suppose it could be a good trade-off if it were only needed in situations that came up once in a blue moon (eg. Said hawt girl cannot get into locker, thus leaving you room to woo her with said claws... or scare the living shit out of her)
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#5 Whatever the throwing star with knives thing from Krull was called. As a kid, I just thought that thing was too cool for words.
Yes. Krull was very cool. The star/knife thing was wicked!
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Glaive. (Thank you Wikipedia.)
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Real world...
5) Barret M107 .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle... .50 cal to the head.
4) Thompson Machine Gun... .45 cal fully automatic weapon great for spraying death and dismemberment amidst Mafiosi and zombies alike.
3) Baseball bat...ubiquitous, readily available and perfect for bashing in the skulls of those who so desperately deserve it, you know like those people who talk on their cell phone in movie theaters.
2) Katana...sure as a bladed weapon it's highly overrated but nothing is more efficient at lopping off heads.
1) Fully Automatic Combat Shotgun...all the bang none of the wait.
Sci-Fi
5) BFG-9000
4) Thermal Detonator...enough explosive power to scare a Hutt
3) DL-44 Blaster...because Han shot first!
2) Armor and weapon system from Star Ship Troopers the book
1) Death Star...why invade the planet, why bombard it for hours or even minutes. Obliterate it!
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Not a lot of gamer experience, so mine are pretty much comic-based
Fantasy Weapons
1. Green Lantern Corp ring (and the yellow limitation is officially gone, btw - long weird story)
2. Iron Man's armour
3. Light saber (it's just a shiny katana) with some kind of shiny matching armour
4. And since, technically, I think of the Death Star as a vehicle, I'll add the plane (http://www.axeman3d.com/thumbnails/Phoenix.jpg) from Battle of the Planets
5. Captain America's shield - offensive and defensive and very snazzy!
I wanted to add a Utility belt - not techinically a weapon, but it would have some seriously cool things in it - but I doubt that would impress the babes
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Wow. Deathstar was like THISclose to winning. I was about to pull the plug on the whole thread, alas I have to side with slic on this one. I guess it's how you define it, but I think if it propels itself and... I want to say transports people, but I can see unmanned aircraft serving as a vehicle in that it's a platform for weapons. So I'd say if it A. propells itself and B. is a platform for people, cargo or weapons; it's a vehicle.
The Big Ass Dish & Antenna Shooting Structure (B.A.D. A.S.S.) would have to rank very high on it's respective list.
I was thinking of more hand held-ish type things for my list.
I'm talking about the weapons that when a hot babe walks by, you sayrather loudly so she can hear, "Uh, yeah. So I was polishing my _____ This morning!"
It would be difficult to lure babes with, "Uh, yeah. So I was polishing my Big Ass Dish & Antenna Shooting Structure this morning!" She would just look past me as the dork I am. Laughing and pointing fingers with her friends. Well I'll show her. Wait until I put a hole in her ass with my Laser dish. Now who's a dork bitch! Brandt FTW!
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In no particular order...
5) Thor's Hammer - throws big honkin' lightning bolts, bashes skulls, teleports me around and only I can pick it up.
4) Light Saber - cuts through anything (except another light saber, curiously enough). Just don't drop it on the floor (couldn't resist a Robot Chicken reference)
3) BFG9000 from Doom - everyone else dies. I win.
2) ASMD from Unreal - Regular fire shoots at the speed of light (not that crappy easy-to-dodge blaster ammo speed). Alternate fire shoots balls of light that explode and push things away. Shoot a light ball and then zap it with the regular beam and it makes a big freakin' explosion.
1) Ash's chainsaw hand. "Who's laughin' now?!"
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Thor's Hammer (Mjolnir, btw - and yes, I'm comic-geeky enough that I didn't have to look up the spelling) - now that is serious Bad Ass! And naturally you'd have the pipes (is that still a good term of reference for upper arms?) to carry it.
Weather control, as well, and it just looks Cool. There is that pesky, Must-Be-Noble-Enough-To-Lift-It enchantment, but we'll assume we all are!
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Thor's Hammer (Mjolnir, btw - and yes, I'm comic-geeky enough that I didn't have to look up the spelling) - now that is serious Bad Ass! And naturally you'd have the pipes (is that still a good term of reference for upper arms?) to carry it.
All this talk of "Thor's Hammer" got me thinking.
Sorry to thread jack you Brandt, but I'm taking this up a notch to "weapon systems"
5. Active Denial Systems (http://www.sandia.gov/news-center/news-releases/2005/def-nonprolif-sec/active-denial.html) - Using microwaves to heat the skin, with out secondary effects.
4. AA-12 (http://www.camo-store.com/auto_assault_12_combat_shotgun.htm) & FRAG-12 (http://www.bellum.nu/armoury/FRAG-12.html) - The AA-12 is a Fully-automatic 12 ga. shotgun with 20 clip, The FRAG-12 is a 12 ga. high-explosive round. Two great tastes that go great together. (http://www.defensereview.com/article741.html)
3. Phalanx CIWS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalanx_CIWS) - Used for naval missile defense on all class of surface ships, it consists of a 20mm M61 Vulcan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M61_Vulcan) Gatling-gun and radar system. Capable of firing 4,500 to 7,000 rounds per minute it "automatically searches, detects, tracks, engages and confirms kills using its computer-controlled radar system."
2. Metal Storm (http://www.metalstorm.com/) - Using stacked projectiles and an electronic firing system it's capable of firing 1,000,000,000 rounds in 1 minute, with no moving parts.
1. Project Thor - Also known as "Rods From God" (http://www.popsci.com/popsci/technology/generaltechnology/df869aa138b84010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html) or Kinetic Bombardment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment). It's kind of like the myth about a penny dropped from the Empire State Building will split the skull of someone on the ground. Only the penny is a tungsten rod the size of a telephone pole, and the Empire State Building is in outer space.
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Ooh i love this thread!
lets see...
Real World
5. Taser- Scare the crap out of your friends! Watch both friends and enemies squirm helplessly on the ground for AS LONG AS YOU WANT! Make really funny drunken home videos! Lose your ability to procreate/taste/see/smell!
4. Throwing Ninja Stars- hold 6 of em between your fingers, arms crossed in front of your chest, fling outwards. That would look so badass. Throwing stars or kunai... either one
3. Sawed off shotgun- need i say more?
2. Broadsword- You know it would be SO badass to walk down the street with a big ass sword strapped to your back or slung over your shoulder. something bigger than you and heavier too. put on some 300 rock and go in slow motion and you could get any girl on the planet :P
1. Katana/Dual Katanas- as Tweedy said, Katanas can defeat any other weapon! Doubt me? Watch Rurouni Kenshin. All you need is a Katana and a mastery of Bato Jutsu and you can dodge bullets!
Fantasy
5. Halo Battle Rifle- not the most powerful weapon, but comeon, anyone sees you holding Mastercheif's weapon and they'll cooperate.
4. Phaser- ITS GOT SETTINGS! You can use it like a taser for some semi-harmless fun, or obliterate someone!
3. Nuclear gun from the Foundation novels- instant desintigration anyone? and not only on people, think of how it would help our trash situation?
2. Athena's Blades lv. 5 from God of War II- extending swords that also give you kick ass, semi-slow motion specials, other really fast specials, and glow red.
1. I'm gonna go with the lightsaber here. I dont think i need to explain myself
Honorable mentions- they almost made it
Plasma grenades from Halo- same reasons as Tweedy's
Gears of War rifle/chainsaw- bam bam bam BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Whatever the thing was called from the Matrix that blinded Neo in the 3rd one. With all the electricity.
Napalm- *laughs maniacally*
Magic Wand- very cool, but wimpy looking...
The hundreds of metal balls from Aeon Flux, the stuff that took out the wall
Could Pokemon count? anyone would love to have one, personally i'd go for a Mew.
Sol Blade from Golden Sun 2- Megiddo!!!!
Tail from Alien... oh yea.
a Mage Staff
i have a lot of honorable mentions dont i?
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My Current or In-Development list
TRAD - http://www2.taser.com/products/military/Pages/TRAD.aspx
Excallibur - http://www.raytheon.com/products/excalibur/
Lasers - http://www.defensetech.org/archives/003156.html
Knife time - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kukri
And finally - on the longest on the longest url...
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1168470616997&call_pageid=1020420665036
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Sorry to thread jack you Brandt, but I'm taking this up a notch to "weapon systems"
Jack away. That's the point. I was trying to open the door for nonsensical weapons as well (ie. Wonder Woman's Panties of Justice etc...) So good job everyone!
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FNH that last link you posted was AWESOME! I gasped when i saw it.
heh combine that suit with the Halo battle rifle and you ARE Masterchief!
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FNH that last link you posted was AWESOME! I gasped when i saw it.
heh combine that suit with the Halo battle rifle and you ARE Masterchief!
I thought it looked cool! Now I know why.
I think the biggest of the five is the Excaliber system which totally changes the Forward Artillery Observer into something much more like a Sniper.
Imagine: He creeps forward in the dusk peers out from under a bush. Lifts his laser rangefinder ( which is combined with digital compass and GPS ) points it at each enemy slit trench in turn presses the button as he targets each. He crawls backward, keys the mike and says "fire". 15 seconds later 1 Shell per trench lands on target -in the trench-. No risk to helicopter, no risk to aircraft.
But it's not just trenches. He could target, tents, Tanks, Fuel depots.
But the poor chap is being risked, perhaps it would be better to combine it with real-time eye-in-the-sky observation...
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Not a lot of gamer experience, so mine are pretty much comic-based
Fantasy Weapons
1. Green Lantern Corp ring (and the yellow limitation is officially gone, btw - long weird story)
2. Iron Man's armour
3. Light saber (it's just a shiny katana) with some kind of shiny matching armour
4. And since, technically, I think of the Death Star as a vehicle, I'll add the plane (http://www.axeman3d.com/thumbnails/Phoenix.jpg) from Battle of the Planets
5. Captain America's shield - offensive and defensive and very snazzy!
I wanted to add a Utility belt - not techinically a weapon, but it would have some seriously cool things in it - but I doubt that would impress the babes
Good call on Captain America's shield. That would be very cool. So the GL ring can handle yellow now, huh? Is nothing sacred!!!!!
Actually, I always thought that was kind of a weird superhero kryptonite, but that's cool. When did it happen Slic? Was it Hal or Kyle or someone else?
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Hey DKT,
I'm not sure how much you've kept up with the DC Universe, so I'll try to be thorough, but brief.
It started when Coast City was destroyed and Hal goes a bit crazy and starts calling himself Parallax. He begins killing all sorts of GLs to get there rings(to resurrect COast City), then some stuff happens and he dies to re-ignite the Sun. Then he became the Spectre, and then he was brought back to "real" life.
When Hal comes back, this evil being called Parrallax escapes the the main giant power battery on OA. It was then that we learned of the Guardians "trapping" the evil dragon looking thing in the power battery. The creature was all Yellow (ya, sometimes comics are just goofy),and there was something about the ability of it to feed on fear hence the need for GLs to have no fear. It "infested" Hal and turned him bad, so he got a pardon, so to speak, and got to be a GL again.
The dragon-thingy was the source of the inability of the rings to work on yellow. Now that it is out of the battery so is the problem. It's trapped somewhere else, or maybe it's loose, I don't quite remember.
On a semi-tangent, the Sinestro Corps just started up, and they have yellow power rings that, I believe, are powered by fear (haven't read it 'cause haven't made my weekly run yet ;))
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Top Five Spaceships I Want on My Side In A Fight (That I Don't Think Anybody's Mentioned Yet)
And note that this is for situations where a serious fight is unavoidable; retreat specialists like the Milennium Falcon and Serenity need not apply.
- #5: Nell (Battle Beyond the Stars). Okay, it's not just that Nell's multi-barrel laser cannons have such a user-friendly interface that a pacifist n00b can start pwnzering professional fighter jocks with just an hour or two of practice. It isn't just that the ship will start questioning your manhood if you forsake said laser cannons in favor of running like hell. The ship has boobies. I'm not kidding. Check it out: http://www.scifimoviepage.com/images/battle2.jpg (http://www.scifimoviepage.com/images/battle2.jpg). And while you're checking out Nell's spectacular quadruple-Z-cup titanium alloy rack, boom! Lasers! For you! In the face! Fired by a pacifist n00b. Don't you feel silly. And dead.
- #4: USS Defiant (Deep Space Nine). Shows what happens when those peacenik Federation wussies finally get serious about self-defense; she's built like a brick shithouse and stuffed to the gills with weapons. "Where do you want this science gear installed, sir?" "Unless by 'science gear' you mean 'more gadgets for turning other starships into bitchin' CGI explosions,' I'm gonna suggest you install it rectally." Oh, and she has a cloaking device, too. I respect any ship that can kill you before you're aware you're in a fight.
- #3: Battlestar Galactica (Duh). (The new one. Do I even have to specify?) Has the nasty versatile offensive punch you'd expect from an interstellar aircraft carrier, but she's also ungodly tough. Remember the miniseries? She got nuked multiple times. Granted, her crew didn't seem particularly happy about this, but Galactica herself was all "That's it? That's your A-game? Bitch, please." And if anything, she's only gotten more bad-assed as time goes on. This is very clearly a ship that's gone years without so much as a bath, let alone serious maintenance and repairs. All those scars, blast-marks and slightly-radioactive divots send an unambiguous message: "Lots of people have tried to kill me, punk. They tried hard. I'm still here; they ain't. You sure you want a piece of this?"
- #2: Post-Dated Check Loan (Schlock Mercenary). Gigantic interstellar gun platform controlled by an AI of deeply dubious sanity and crewed by creatures who are unquestionably fuggin' lunatics -- smart, creative lunatics who know how to get the most bang for the buck out of "Petey's" nano-assembler facilities. (Their torpedoes have on-board teleportation hardware that allows them to bypass the other ship's pesky armor very efficiently. Oh, and they'll also deploy the torpedoes en masse as a rudimentary but very effective sensor grid -- they call it the "Very Dangerous Array.") If it absolutely positively has to be blowed-up real good real fast, call in Tagon's Toughs; just don't screw with them when the bill comes due.
- #1: Lexx (Lexx). Granted, the show was shit for a variety of reasons. (Uhm, guys? That "edgy, convention-defying" character you created, the sex kitten with the hyperactive libido? She can't get laid in a whorehouse. Literally. You're not mocking the sexual conservatism of modern popular sci-fi; you're finding a new way to embrace it.) But the ship? Lexx is a planet-killing dragonfly the size of Manhattan Island that's entirely self-maintaining and can be crewed by a single person whose only job requirement is the ability to speak clearly. In other words, if you're behind the wheel of this bad girl, there isn't a cop in the universe with the stones to pull you over for speeding.
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The top five awesome individual fictional weapons of all time, in order, according to me.
5. Darth Maul's double-sided lightsaber
4. The Deplorable Word (Chronicles of Narnia)
3. Ash's chainsaw hand
2. Thor's hammer
...drum roll please...
The number one awesome individual fictional weapon of all time: Excallibur!
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- #2: Post-Dated Check Loan (Schlock Mercenary). Gigantic interstellar gun platform controlled by an AI of deeply dubious sanity and crewed by creatures who are unquestionably fuggin' lunatics -- smart, creative lunatics who know how to get the most bang for the buck out of "Petey's" nano-assembler facilities. (Their torpedoes have on-board teleportation hardware that allows them to bypass the other ship's pesky armor very efficiently. Oh, and they'll also deploy the torpedoes en masse as a rudimentary but very effective sensor grid -- they call it the "Very Dangerous Array.") If it absolutely positively has to be blowed-up real good real fast, call in Tagon's Toughs; just don't screw with them when the bill comes due.
This will henceforth be known as the greatest named doomsday ship of ALL TIME!!!
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The top five awesome individual fictional weapons of all time, in order, according to me.
5. Darth Maul's double-sided lightsaber
4. The Deplorable Word (Chronicles of Narnia)
3. Ash's chainsaw hand
2. Thor's hammer
...drum roll please...
The number one awesome individual fictional weapon of all time: Excallibur!
The deplorable word! Hard-core! I hadn't thought of that.
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What was the deplorable word? What book was it in? I can't remember!
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- #2: Post-Dated Check Loan (Schlock Mercenary).
This will henceforth be known as the greatest named doomsday ship of ALL TIME!!!
Tagon's Toughs always have good names for their various rides. (They seem to go through a fair number of starships, for some reason.)
- Kitesfear
- Post-Dated Check Loan
- Serial Peacemaker
- Touch and Go
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What was the deplorable word? What book was it in? I can't remember!
It's in The Magician's Nephew. The Deplorable Word is a word so horrible that when spoken, it ends all life in the world except that of the one who speaks it. The evil queen Jadis (who will one day become the White Witch of Narnia) paid a 'terrible price' to learn the secret, and in the face of an uprising usurping her throne to her sister, she used the word, destroying all life in the world besides her.
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What was the deplorable word? What book was it in? I can't remember!
Holden just beat me to it, but I already wrote this, so here it anyway:
The Deplorable Word was in The Magician's Nephew (my personal favorite of the Chronicles). If you speak it, every living thing in the universe dies--expect for you. Empress Jadis speaks it to avoid loosing a war with her sister, completely sterilizing her world. She then puts herself in an enchanted sleep for hundreds of thousands of years, waiting for someone from a parallel universe to come along and find her. Two kids from from Earth stumble across her and, after comic absurdity in London, accidentally bring her to Narnia, where she becomes known as the White Witch.
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Wow, I guess I need to reread those books. I've read "the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" probably 5 times but the others only once or twice. So thanks, you guys.
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What was the deplorable word? What book was it in? I can't remember!
Holden just beat me to it, but I already wrote this, so here it anyway:
The Deplorable Word was in The Magician's Nephew (my personal favorite of the Chronicles). If you speak it, every living thing in the universe dies--expect for you. Empress Jadis speaks it to avoid loosing a war with her sister, completely sterilizing her world. She then puts herself in an enchanted sleep for hundreds of thousands of years, waiting for someone from a parallel universe to come along and find her. Two kids from from Earth stumble across her and, after comic absurdity in London, accidentally bring her to Narnia, where she becomes known as the White Witch.
Where she fails to use the deplorable word again, even when she's losing the war with Aslan and the kids - which makes me think it was only ever good for her original universe.
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Right. In the Narnia books, magic is relative to the various worlds. The magic of one does not work in another.
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Top 5 Weapons
5) MP7- Because it looks awesome!
4) Cylon Centurrion (the new ones)- Who doesn't want one?!!
3) Katana- Always awesome in any situation!
2) Mark IX Nuclear Weapon- It can turn a planet into a friggin' volcano!
1) Starbuck (again, the new one)- Just look what she did to Lee!
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Low-tech, real:
(in no particular order)
1. Hinged Counterweight Trebuchet: The atomic bomb of the middle ages. Unique among siege weapons in that it is easy to scale upward for truly massive payloads. Best depiction of operation seen in "The Messenger" (with Milla Jovovich as Jeanne d'Arc). May be used to deliver mass projectiles, incendiaries, biological weapons (infected bodies of animals), psychological weapons (severed heads or whole bodies of people), or Mini-Coopers.
2. Staff-sling (aka "pole-sling", "fustibalus"): like a run-of-the-mill sling (not a rubber-band catapult) but on the end of a two-meter stick. Stuff really flies. Essentially a small hand-operated trebuchet.
3. Halberd: Three weapons in one - spear, axe, and hooking spike. What's not to like? Stop a cavalry charge when used as improvised paling, hook mounted knight off his horse, and finish him on the ground.
4. English/Welsh Longbow: Particularly when used in large numbers to fire volleys of bodkin arrows. See Battle of Agincourt, Battle of Crécy, Battle of Poitiers.
5. Danish Axe: They look really cool.
6. Cutlass: Arrrrrgh! My weapon of choice for zombie invasions in a variety of scenarios.
FWIW I've built and/or used #1, 2, 4 and 5.
For regular sword-play I stick to epees and rapiers, particularly rapier and buckler, or rapier with dagger in off-hand.
No katanas - highly over-rated, especially when compared to equivalent European swords built with similar skills and quality of materials. Fine for cosplay I suppose.
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1. Hinged Counterweight Trebuchet: The atomic bomb of the middle ages. Unique among siege weapons in that it is easy to scale upward for truly massive payloads. Best depiction of operation seen in "The Messenger" (with Milla Jovovich as Jeanne d'Arc).
In the brief space between "Messenger" and "Jeanne d'Arc", a movie appeared in my head. A movie about the medieval equivalent of a bicycle messenger service. Only, no bicycles; trebuchets.
What my movie lacks in historical accuracy would have been made up for in pure awesome.
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1. Hinged Counterweight Trebuchet: The atomic bomb of the middle ages. Unique among siege weapons in that it is easy to scale upward for truly massive payloads. Best depiction of operation seen in "The Messenger" (with Milla Jovovich as Jeanne d'Arc).
In the brief space between "Messenger" and "Jeanne d'Arc", a movie appeared in my head. A movie about the medieval equivalent of a bicycle messenger service. Only, no bicycles; trebuchets.
What my movie lacks in historical accuracy would have been made up for in pure awesome.
BlairHippo... I want you to be my very good friend.
There is something so beautifully asinine about that idea. I think... I... love you.
Please go to my blog and read the absurd "Fun @ Work" posts. We could SO use that kind of thinking to further degrade civilization. http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=36024803 (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=36024803)
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Some ... interesting... weapons.
- The Paris Gun http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Gun - "It was capable of hurling a 94 kilogram (210 lb) shell to a range of 130 kilometres".
- two railway guns, "Schwerer Gustav" and "Dora" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwerer_Gustav - "could fire a shell that weighed more than 7 tons at distances up to 37 km". Dora was featured in one of Harry Turtledove's Worldwar novels.
- Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte: Huge tank. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landkreuzer_P._1000_Ratte , and site with photos of scale model: http://www.panzerbaer.de/workshop/wdieb_mod_87-a.htm . It never even got to the prototype stage. Also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landkreuzer_P._1500_Monster , and
- Gyrojet rocket pistol (and rifles) fires bullet-sized spin-stabilized rockets. "Due to the properties of the rocket, with continued acceleration after it left the barrel, the Gyrojet had poor short-range power, but improved dramatically with distance. After about 75 yards (70 m) the motor would burn out, at which point the rocket had about 50% more power than the common .45 ACP round." OTOH, "A round can actually be stopped if a finger or even piece of cardboard is held directly at the end of the barrel. This flaw is fatal, however, for a firearm intended to be used at relatively close range. "
- V-3 cannon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon - "The complex contained five hidden shafts, each containing five guns with a barrel length of about 120 m. These were the largest Axis artillery pieces, surpassing the Schwerer Gustav or Dora railway-propelled 800 mm super-cannon, the Mörser Karl (Gerät 040) 600 mm tracked siege mortar, and the Leopold and Robert 320 mm railway cannons. The calibre was 150 mm and the shell weight was 140 kg.
The technological innovation employed by these huge guns was the use of multiple propelling charges, placed along the barrels' length and timed to explode as soon as the projectile passed them by, to provide an additional boost. Due to their higher suitability and ease of use, rocket boosters were used instead of explosive charges, arranged in symmetrical pairs, attached to the barrel with a low (below 30º) angle. This layout spawned the German codenames Hochdruckpumpe ("high-pressure-pump") and Tausendfüßler ("millipede"). Unlike conventional rifled weapons of the day, the smooth-bore gun ejected a fin-stablized shell, dependent upon aerodynamic (rather than gyroscopic) forces to prevent tumbling and consequent high drag.
These guns had a muzzle velocity of 1500 m/s and the rate of fire for the entire complex of 25 guns was projected to be 300 shells per hour, with a projected maximum range of 165 km.
It was of course very hard to aim even a single gun, but that was not much of a problem since the complex had been built and oriented with the sole purpose of attacking London from a safe distance. This leads to its alternate name, the London Gun."
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The gyrojet reminds me of the mini-rockets that launchers are on the bottoms of the pistols in BSG.
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Discussion on other threads has caused me to recall one of the most jaw-droppingly cool weapons ever: The "possible sword" from "The Scar."
The sword is hooked by wires to a sort of generator worn on the belt. When the generator is off, it's just a sword. When the generator is on, a strange application of quantum theory comes into play: The sword's strikes land not only in the single place where it "really" hits, but also in all of the places where it could have hit. You wield the sword in a semi-controlled manner, so that it could land in many different places, and it lands in all of those places, hitting an enemy in a hundred different spots with a single stroke.
This makes the sword virtually impossible to block, allowing its wielder to take on an unlimited number of enemies and win.
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Good anti-zombie weapon.
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Discussion on other threads has caused me to recall one of the most jaw-droppingly cool weapons ever: The "possible sword" from "The Scar."
I'm not sure how I forgot about that one. It could possibly be the coolest weapon ever. The little snippet of legend about how Uther Doul descended into hell to find it and fought his way back up using it was awesome.
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M4 carbine...many reasons.
My personal favorite vehicle based weapon system is the airborne laser. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_laser (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_laser)
I posted it before in the Reggie vs. Kaiju Storm Chimera Wold thread, but I think it deserves a repeat appearance. Word is the targeting system can pick an individual out of a crowd and POOF. Gone in a stinky cloud like in the new War of the Worlds. It can't get much better than that.
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I'm surprised no one mentioned the cup Riddick used in Pitch Black 2. And then didn't he take out a little key or something, like a luggage key, and threaten to kill the other dude with it?
Not necessarily an awesome weapon, but an awesome wielding of it.
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hahaha, yes, death by teacup. that was awesome.
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I would venture to say Death by Teacup is one of the most inventive deaths ever.
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Inventive ways of killing people...that sounds like a fun thread! In the comic 'Johnny the Homicidal Maniac' Johnny once kills 30+ people in a Taco Bell using a spork.
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Inventive ways of killing people...that sounds like a fun thread! In the comic 'Johnny the Homicidal Maniac' Johnny once kills 30+ people in a Taco Bell using a spork.
i love that comic. that scene was "wacky"!
anyways...
http://www.trueswords.com/deluxe-reverse-blade-sword-rurouni-kenshin-sakabato-p-3098.html
i almost had an orgasm.
look at the rest of this site, especially The anime and video games section (http://www.trueswords.com/swords-anime-video-games-c-4_16.html) and the movie/tv section (http://www.trueswords.com/more-movie-c-15.html)
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I would venture to say Death by Teacup is one of the most inventive deaths ever.
My favourite is the Russian hit man on the TV series "Oz" who pulled the arm off his titanium eyeglass frames and drove the sharpened end into his target's temple (or some other vulnerable spot, I forget exactly where). Then he puts it back on his glasses, puts his glasses on, and goes his merry way.
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I would venture to say Death by Teacup is one of the most inventive deaths ever.
My favourite is the Russian hit man on the TV series "Oz" who pulled the arm off his titanium eyeglass frames and drove the sharpened end into his target's temple (or some other vulnerable spot, I forget exactly where). Then he puts it back on his glasses, puts his glasses on, and goes his merry way.
Dear God, I think I just puked.
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I would venture to say Death by Teacup is one of the most inventive deaths ever.
My favourite is the Russian hit man on the TV series "Oz" who pulled the arm off his titanium eyeglass frames and drove the sharpened end into his target's temple (or some other vulnerable spot, I forget exactly where). Then he puts it back on his glasses, puts his glasses on, and goes his merry way.
Dear God, I think I just puked.
My job is done. :'(
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My top five favorite weapons:
5. SPAS 12 shotgun, the shotgunniest of them all!
4. Desert Eagle, you don't even need to say it, just have one on your hip.
3. 553 Commando, because it has Commando in the name
2. The chaingun, Because I kick so much butt, two barrels isn't enough ;D
1. The meteorite tactic in GalCivII, apparently Meteor doen't have a long casting time anymore ;)
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I would venture to say Death by Teacup is one of the most inventive deaths ever.
If you died this way... and was not already dead... you'd die of shame.
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I would venture to say Death by Teacup is one of the most inventive deaths ever.
If you died this way... and was not already dead... you'd die of shame.
When killing with a teacup, is it appropriate to keep your pinky extended.
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I would venture to say Death by Teacup is one of the most inventive deaths ever.
If you died this way... and was not already dead... you'd die of shame.
When killing with a teacup, is it appropriate to keep your pinky extended.
its simply good manners! very lowly to not extend the pinky, its below us... for the peasants.
hmm maybe there should be an 'inventive death' thread... where we try to think of the best examples of new ways to die.
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"I once killed the president of Paraguay with a fork..."
and not the poking end either.
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"I once killed the president of Paraguay with a fork..."
and not the poking end either.
Grosse Point Blank??
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what no one posted zat or staff weapon?
those would be in my top 2 SF weapons
as for real ones
in order
1) H&K 416 http://world.guns.ru/assault/as75-e.htm is also nice
2) love the barrett .50 but you cant shoot it most places so I would go for the REC7 instead
3) Tavor http://www.trackpads.com/media/files/2/1/8/2/tarmicro01.JPG
4) Smith & Wesson M&P
5) and for those days when you feel just a little old school (http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii74/CGFxColONeill/102_0207.jpg)
finally got it to work for real this time lol
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ya that def did not work posting the pic like that I dont really know how to post a pic on here ( if that is not obvious already lol)
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Gotta contribute my own two cents:
Singularity grenade, from Donaldsons "Gap" series.
Creates a mini, self consuming black hole of very brief lifespan. One is used to swallow up an entire starship at one point. Mind you, this is not a hand grenade, though it is not very large. Think a large suitcase, massing several hundred kilos.
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I guess I'm a little more simple than most of you dudes; I'd prefer to sit in the very calm center of a GSV (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_types_(The_Culture)) sipping bourbon while it does all the dirty work.
Personally, I'm more into non-lethal weapons (http://www.theneitherworld.com/mmen/lab.htm) for the hand-to-hand stuff, though.
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I'm not going to come up with a list of five, but I am going to voice my surprise that nobody even mentioned my personal #1: The Zorg Industries ZF1.
It's light. Handle's adjustable for easy carrying. Good for righties and lefties. Breaks down into four parts undetectable by X-Ray. Ideal for quick, discrete interventions.
A word on firepower: titanium recharger, 3000 round clip with bursts of three to 300, and with the Replay Button, another Zorg invention, it's even easier. One shot, and Replay sends every following shot to the same location. And to finish the job, all those Zorg oldies but goldies: rocket launcher, arrow launcher, with exploding or poisonous gas heads (very practical), our famous net launcher, the always efficient flamethrower (my favorite), and for the grand finale, the All-New "Ice Cube System".
Mr. Zorg gives a demo here: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/zorgs-zf-1-gun/2779611193
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I'm not going to come up with a list of five, but I am going to voice my surprise that nobody even mentioned my personal #1: The Zorg Industries ZF1.
It's light. Handle's adjustable for easy carrying. Good for righties and lefties. Breaks down into four parts undetectable by X-Ray. Ideal for quick, discrete interventions.
A word on firepower: titanium recharger, 3000 round clip with bursts of three to 300, and with the Replay Button, another Zorg invention, it's even easier. One shot, and Replay sends every following shot to the same location. And to finish the job, all those Zorg oldies but goldies: rocket launcher, arrow launcher, with exploding or poisonous gas heads (very practical), our famous net launcher, the always efficient flamethrower (my favorite), and for the grand finale, the All-New "Ice Cube System".
Mr. Zorg gives a demo here: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/zorgs-zf-1-gun/2779611193
Yeah. But what's the button on the bottom do?
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Yeah. But what's the button on the bottom do?
The first rule of Button-on-the-Bottom club is that you don't talk about the Button-on-the-Bottom club.
Edit: In retrospect, that sounds dirty.
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I'm not going to come up with a list of five, but I am going to voice my surprise that nobody even mentioned my personal #1: The Zorg Industries ZF1....
Yeah. But what's the button on the bottom do?
That's the first thing I asked about when Zorg let me test the weapon. Basically, you shouldn't press it if you know what's good for you.
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1) The power of a fully operational Deathstar (It vaporizes enemy planets.)
2) The "Grand Canon" on the SDF-1 in Robotech (It vaporizes emeny fleets.)
3) The Lion Voltron's sword (I cuts enemy Ro-Beasts in half. Why they didn't just whip it out at the start of every fight, I'll never know.)
4) The beam weapons the aliens had in Independence Day (Being threatened with having to watch ID again is even more frightening.)
5) The Eighty Eight Magnum from Johnny Dangerously (It shoot through schools!)
On a side note: I used to do Aikido (before I discovered S.C.A.R.S.) and my sensei had a great FAQ page at the front of the dojo for visitors. One of the questions was "So, is Aikido, like, the BEST martial art?" and his answer was "No, the best martial art is thermonuclear warfare, followed by long range bombing and artillery." I still get a chuckle out of that.
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1) The power of a fully operational Deathstar (It vaporizes enemy planets.)
2) The "Grand Canon" on the SDF-1 in Robotech (It vaporizes emeny fleets.)
3) The Lion Voltron's sword (I cuts enemy Ro-Beasts in half. Why they didn't just whip it out at the start of every fight, I'll never know.)
4) The beam weapons the aliens had in Independence Day (Being threatened with having to watch ID again is even more frightening.)
5) The Eighty Eight Magnum from Johnny Dangerously (It shoot through schools!)
On a side note: I used to do Aikido (before I discovered S.C.A.R.S.) and my sensei had a great FAQ page at the front of the dojo for visitors. One of the questions was "So, is Aikido, like, the BEST martial art?" and his answer was "No, the best martial art is thermonuclear warfare, followed by long range bombing and artillery." I still get a chuckle out of that.
just out of curiosity what style of Aikido did you study?
I was in Nihon Goshen for about a year before I had to move I def wished I could get the instructor to relocate but ya lol
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1. The Iron Man Extremis virus: It basically puts anything with an electrical signal in your command.
2. Gunblade from FF8: It's a gun, and a sword.
3. Katanna. Like others have mentioned, Katanna beats every weapon.
4. Flame-thrower. It throws flame.
5. Bowel disruptor from Transmetropolitan. It's less for pure enemies in their fullest health, and more for when they're already defeated or if you just want to mess with someone who angers you. People fear and respect someone who could make them shit themselves with the pull of a trigger.
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Jeez, guys... why do we have to resort to violence? Don't you know that LOVE is the most powerful weapon?
(Runs away, laughing and dodging DarkKnightJRK's Bowel disruptor.... oops. Crap.)
:o
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(Runs away, laughing and dodging DarkKnightJRK's Bowel disruptor.... oops. Crap.)
:o
Literally
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3. Katanna. Like others have mentioned, Katanna beats every weapon.
i beg to difer on this one, thare are a wide veriaty of western sword that can match the katana no problem. thares alot of hoo-har about the super 3000 fold metal working that goas in to them, but this was oanly neded dute to the relativly pore qualaty of iron avalabul . pound for pound thay arnt realy any beter than wester wepons of the same era. the lack of a real hand gard is also a problem, give me a 15th century sword and buckler combo or basket hillt over yer fancy wall decoraton any day
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3. Katanna. Like others have mentioned, Katanna beats every weapon.
i beg to difer on this one, thare are a wide veriaty of western sword that can match the katana no problem. thares alot of hoo-har about the super 3000 fold metal working that goas in to them, but this was oanly neded dute to the relativly pore qualaty of iron avalabul . pound for pound thay arnt realy any beter than wester wepons of the same era. the lack of a real hand gard is also a problem, give me a 15th century sword and buckler combo or basket hillt over yer fancy wall decoraton any day
The thing that really amazes me about the katana is the fact that an early form of carburization was used. The trailing edge of the blade had a clay and water mixture painted onto the back before final heat treatment. This has three purposes:
1) It prevents the introduction of carbon to the rear portion of the blade, keeping the steel in that area flexible. More carbon = more hardness. More hardness = more strength and better edge, but also more likely to fracture. The edge of the blade remained unpainted allowing carbon introduction or "carburization".
2) It slowed the cooling of the trailing edge of the blade. This caused a different temperature gradient through the metal, meaning different rates of shrinkage due to the cold water. This is what gives the blade its characteristic curve (it was hammered straight up until this point).
3) It produced an attractive pattern that appears after polishing. This is caused by the different crystal structure of the steel in the two areas (austenite and martensite). It's purely cosmetic, but it looks awesome.
The workmanship that went into these swords is really amazing, especially for the time period. As an engineer it blows my mind that these blacksmiths could do the things they did with the equipment they had. Absolutely incredible.
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indead
thay are neat bits of kit ,but how fancy dose a sharp bit of metal be to kill some one?
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indead
thay are neat bits of kit ,but how fancy dose a sharp bit of metal be to kill some one?
Depends on how strong the wielder is.
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thare is a tradishanal way to settel this kind of thing:)
we already know what wepons we are using, just nead a time and place now
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indead
thay are neat bits of kit ,but how fancy dose a sharp bit of metal be to kill some one?
Depends on how strong the wielder is.
and how sharp the bit of metal is as well
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thare is a tradishanal way to settel this kind of thing:)
we already know what wepons we are using, just nead a time and place now
I'll host that. I have sleeping space for the combatants and an open area in the yard for the test.
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thare is a tradishanal way to settel this kind of thing:)
we already know what wepons we are using, just nead a time and place now
I'll host that. I have sleeping space for the combatants and an open area in the yard for the test.
dont forget to take a video camera
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thare is a tradishanal way to settel this kind of thing:)
we already know what wepons we are using, just nead a time and place now
I'll host that. I have sleeping space for the combatants and an open area in the yard for the test.
I'm going to have to bow out. I have a feeling that with a sword I would be more dangerous to myself than anyone else.
Now, if we're talking pistols I might be up for it. Then I would have a fighting chance.
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thare is a tradishanal way to settel this kind of thing:)
we already know what wepons we are using, just nead a time and place now
I'll host that. I have sleeping space for the combatants and an open area in the yard for the test.
I'm going to have to bow out. I have a feeling that with a sword I would be more dangerous to myself than anyone else.
Now, if we're talking pistols I might be up for it. Then I would have a fighting chance.
You guys slay me...
But in all seriousness, I have to say that I admire Chodon's sensible recognition of his limitations. I myself come from a long line of accident-prone men, so I stay far away from deadly weapons. This sometimes means long, agonizing conversations with gun enthusiasts... one of whom told me I was violating the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) by NOT owning a gun.
When I told him my range score from basic training, though, he let up on me. (I got 17 out of 40 shots fired... and the guys on either side of me got ~50 out of 40.)
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since we are on the subject of weapons some of you might find this interesting
a guy in one of my classes and I are planing to build this ( although maybe not the body for it just yet just the circuit for now )
Coil Gun (http://www.thinkbotics.com/military.htm)
if any of you have done anything like this before let me know.
the guy in my class got ahold of the circuit diagram and parts list in a magazine so we should not have to much trouble with it
but any incites would be nice
thanks
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nice, has any one linked to metal storm yet?
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since we are on the subject of weapons some of you might find this interesting
a guy in one of my classes and I are planing to build this ( although maybe not the body for it just yet just the circuit for now )
Coil Gun (http://www.thinkbotics.com/military.htm)
I've seen stuff like this before. It's essentially a rail gun. Right now there are several issues with the design. The battery life is crap. It takes a lot of energy released very quickly to get a projectile to go fast enough to hurt someone (like a cartridge full of gunpowder). It looks like this is run on capacitors, which generally take a long time to charge. I would imagine it's heavy between the batteries and caps. Electronics are not the most reliable thing in the world (I sure as hell wouldn't trust my life to it). Someday it might have some application in crew serviced or vehicle weapons, because that's the only way I can see enough batteries being carried to make it useful.
It might be a neat toy though...
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It might be a neat toy though...
Hey, did you get that bottle opener for your AR15 yet? Cause you know, you can never hang to much crap off your gun!
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It might be a neat toy though...
Hey, did you get that bottle opener for your AR15 yet? Cause you know, you can never hang to much crap off your gun!
Come on now. We both know drinking and AR-15s don't mix. There's no need for a bottle opener on a Weaver rail.
Now if we're talking an infrared laser, surefire flashlight, vertical foregrip, night sights and EOTech optics that's a different story.
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It might be a neat toy though...
That was the idea lol just for the heck of building something cool that is real instead of just putting together the boring crap circuits we do in labs
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It might be a neat toy though...
That was the idea lol just for the heck of building something cool that is real instead of just putting together the boring crap circuits we do in labs
Have you checked the legality of it yet? It might be classified as a firearm. Depends on the state and federal statutes. I forget how firearms are classified...
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It might be a neat toy though...
That was the idea lol just for the heck of building something cool that is real instead of just putting together the boring crap circuits we do in labs
Have you checked the legality of it yet? It might be classified as a firearm. Depends on the state and federal statutes. I forget how firearms are classified...
not as yet but the muzzle velocity is not more than 120 something fps the way the circuit is set up so I think it will be good but I will have to look into that thanks for reminding me about it lol
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btw here is the scan of the circuit
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii74/CGFxColONeill/img001.jpg)
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1) It prevents the introduction of carbon to the rear portion of the blade, keeping the steel in that area flexible. More carbon = more hardness. More hardness = more strength and better edge, but also more likely to fracture. The edge of the blade remained unpainted allowing carbon introduction or "carburization".
I'm not sure about your sources, but I don't think that's quite right.
There are a lot of legends of ways to add more carbon to metal once its been formed, such as quenching in the blood of a dog/cow/slave, but its easier to get carbon out of the metal than in once its below 1600 degrees. I believe that the real effect is that the coated spine cools slower, effectively annealing it. This makes the spine and body of the blade softer and more flexible so it can absorb shock while keeping the blade hard so it holds an edge.
The workmanship that went into these swords is really amazing, especially for the time period. As an engineer it blows my mind that these blacksmiths could do the things they did with the equipment they had. Absolutely incredible.
Very, very true.
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just out of curiosity what style of Aikido did you study?
I was in Nihon Goshen for about a year before I had to move I def wished I could get the instructor to relocate but ya lol
I studied at Memphis Aikiki (RIP) under a great instructor who came from NY Aikiki which is run by a couple of direct students of O Sensei Morihei Ueshiba. We even got Sugano Sensei http://www.nyaikikai.com/sugano.asp (http://www.nyaikikai.com/sugano.asp) to come down and do a weekend workshop once.
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1) It prevents the introduction of carbon to the rear portion of the blade, keeping the steel in that area flexible. More carbon = more hardness. More hardness = more strength and better edge, but also more likely to fracture. The edge of the blade remained unpainted allowing carbon introduction or "carburization".
I'm not sure about your sources, but I don't think that's quite right.
There are a lot of legends of ways to add more carbon to metal once its been formed, such as quenching in the blood of a dog/cow/slave, but its easier to get carbon out of the metal than in once its below 1600 degrees. I believe that the real effect is that the coated spine cools slower, effectively annealing it. This makes the spine and body of the blade softer and more flexible so it can absorb shock while keeping the blade hard so it holds an edge.
Well, I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm an aerospace engineer that works with carburized parts every day. Mostly gears, but some friction surfaces for clutches and the like. I work with several suppliers who carburize parts for us and regularly need to clarify requirements for their processing. I wouldn't go as far as to call myself an expert, but I work with carburization every day.
I think you're confusing the carbon issue. Too much carbon is a bad thing. It is essentially an impurity in the steel, causing dislocations between the grains. Too many carbon grains will reduce the strength of the steel. By adding just the right amount of carbon the properties of the steel can be fine tuned (hard and brittle or soft and ductile). In order to fine tune the carbon content the steel does need to have the carbon removed as you described (called decarburization), but at the last heat treatment prior to quench carbon is reintroduced to the uncovered edge of the blade to add hardness.
I'm going to try to keep this as non-technical as possible. Carburization is essentially dissolving carbon into the steel. The carbon fits between the iron atoms and changes its crystal structure. Carburization is usually a surface treatment. The applications I have seen generally have an effective depth of .005-.050 inches. This is defined as the point where the hardness of the steel transitions between 50HRC. Areas of the steel can be protected from introduction of carbon by masking those surfaces. Nowadays we use copper plating because it is easy to apply and remove. Clay is an acceptable alternate and also has the added benefit of a high heat capacity, meaning it takes longer to cool than steel. It is not as good at masking the carbon as copper, but hey, it's the best they had.
Having said that, the process used in making katanas is not a true carburization process. It is more of a case hardening. The carbon was introduced through the fuel used to heat the blade (coal or charcoal). Carburization nowadays is usually done quickly in a precision controlled furnace to prevent the carbon from dissolving too deep into the steel, thus ending up with a solid piece of high carbon steel instead of a thin layer. The carbon can be introduced as a gas allowing precise control of the thickness of the high carbon layer. In ancient Japan they couldn't control the thickness of the case like we can today. But the edge of the blade does have a higher carbon content because of the clay on the back of the blade.
Some wikipedia articles on steel and carburization:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carburization (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carburization)
It's really a testament to the skill of these blacksmiths that they could do this sort of work with the tools they had at their disposal. I would like to think if I were around back then I would be able to figure this stuff out, but I doubt it. These guys were true masters.
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Having done a bit of digging to clarify for myself, you're right: A carburizing atmosphere was used on case-hardening Japanese swords.
I think you're confusing the carbon issue. Too much carbon is a bad thing. It is essentially an impurity in the steel, causing dislocations between the grains. Too many carbon grains will reduce the strength of the steel. By adding just the right amount of carbon the properties of the steel can be fine tuned (hard and brittle or soft and ductile). In order to fine tune the carbon content the steel does need to have the carbon removed as you described (called decarburization), but at the last heat treatment prior to quench carbon is reintroduced to the uncovered edge of the blade to add hardness.
Actually, it wasn't the carbon issue I was confused on. I spent 6 years doing artisan blacksmith work, and one of those years with spent making knives. I'm familiar with, or at least aware of, rockwell points, pearlite nodes, and how carbon acts in steel. Unfortunately I was far too young to appreciate the opportunity I had of studying under a master bladesmith.
Where my confusion came in was the ability to create and hold a carburizing atmosphere in a coal forge. In all forges there is a small zone just above the pot that is a carburizing atmosphere, so carburizing a speard, knife, or sword would only be a matter of enlarging that zone to the size needed. That, as you've said before, is where the beauty and mastery of ancient bladesmiths comes in. It truly is amazing.
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I was gonna say Sting or Glamdring, but 90% of their cool factor is diminished by the lack of nearby Orcs. :-\
Damn non-existence of orcs... >:(
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btw here is the scan of the circuit
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii74/CGFxColONeill/img001.jpg)
If I wanted to build one, what values would I use for coil L1 and capacitors C8-C17? :-\
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If I wanted to build one, what values would I use for coil L1 and capacitors C8-C17? :-\
It looks to me like L1 is the actual magnetic coil that will go around the projectile, so I would think more winds=better (as long as the wire can handle the current).
As far as the caps, I'm at a loss. It looks like they are the caps that actually store the charge and then deliver the charge to the coil. Again, larger=more velocity, but the coil has to handle the current. Some calculations required.
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And here I thought it looked like a dungeon map for a D&D campaign.
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1. Numchucks...
A friend of mine, when we were playing Star Wars RPG became convinced that light-nunchucks would be the ultimate weapon.
Now, it's not as studly as Tom Sellick, but he is a ninja; several times British Martial Arts Weapons champion and one of the few people in Britain licensed to teach nunchucks, so he knows what he's talking about. Anyway, this sounded about as stupid as most of his ideas, so we decided to set up a challenge: He has a pair of nunchucks mostly covered in boot polish, to represent the blades, and someone pokes him with a broom handle, similarly covered in bootblack, and we see how much of the polish makes its way onto his person. It took many months to convince him to take part in our scientific experiment.
But, anyway, the moral of the story is that lightsabres are cool, and nunchucks are cool, but light-nunchucks are really, really stupid.
#5 Whatever the throwing star with knives thing from Krull was called. As a kid, I just thought that thing was too cool for words.
It was called the Glaive. Which is confusing, because a glaive (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaive) is a type of polearm.
#4: USS Defiant (Deep Space Nine).
If you're going to go for Federation starships, then the USS Prometheus (http://ditl.org/index.php?daybody=/picship.php?fedprometheus&1) has to win. You think you're fighting just one ship, and then it splits up into three, and you're surrounded!
OK, best weapons ever dreamed of, in no particular order:
Excalibur. Not only was it the most powerful magic item in the world, but it also conferred kingship on its owner. What's not to like about that?
HMS Habbakuk. During WWII, the British started building a destroyer half again as large as any other ship in the world. What makes it fifteen varieties of awesome is that it was made of ice. Well, pykrete, which was a sawdust suspended in ice. It was never completed (the Admiralty ended up deciding that their resources should go to more traditional projects), but what was made of it to 20 years to melt.
Micro black holes. Used at least three times in Niven's Known Space series (The Hole Man, The Soft Weapon and Borderlands of Sol). In one case it was used to disable space ships (through a quirk of Known Space physics), so they can be robbed, and then all the pesky physical evidence just gets fed into black hole...
The tornado grenades from Mystery Men. 100% effective, 100% non-lethal. Maybe the blame-thrower, from the same source, too.
Laughter. "Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution -- these can lift at a colossal humbug -- push it a little -- weaken it a little over the course of a century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand." -- Mr Mark Twain.
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If I wanted to build one, what values would I use for coil L1 and capacitors C8-C17? :-\
the coil is 300 turns around a nylon ( according to the website) tube stopping every 50 turns and warping it in electrical tape
the bank of caps is 600 uF at 1000 volts ( the cheapest we could find were like 470 uF at 200 volts and we needed 12)
also the caps in the multiplier are .01 uF at 1.5kV NOT 1000 uF at 1.5 kV that is on the scan ( potentially lethal typo in the article that he talked about on the web site)
It looks to me like L1 is the actual magnetic coil that will go around the projectile, so I would think more winds=better (as long as the wire can handle the current).
sort of but the calculations the guy did were for 300 so we will be using that I think
As far as the caps, I'm at a loss. It looks like they are the caps that actually store the charge and then deliver the charge to the coil. Again, larger=more velocity, but the coil has to handle the current. Some calculations required.
I have no idea what bigger caps would do to it other than up the amp load, you would have to run the numbers for other effects
btw we ran it by an ex- cop and he did not say anything about it being illegal
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I got this in an email last week and I wanted to share it here...
Tell me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D99NHb6B03s)you dont want one of these at least a little bit
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I got this in an email last week and I wanted to share it here...
Tell me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D99NHb6B03s)you dont want one of these at least a little bit
A drug dealer's best friend. And I don't want one. I have no interest in spraying the street with tiny munitions. Give me a 1911 any day.
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I got this in an email last week and I wanted to share it here...
Tell me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D99NHb6B03s)you dont want one of these at least a little bit
A drug dealer's best friend. And I don't want one. I have no interest in spraying the street with tiny munitions. Give me a 1911 any day.
Good choice!
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1911 is a good one I just meant for the cool factor I dont really want to spray the street either it just looks really cool imo
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1911 is a good one I just meant for the cool factor I dont really want to spray the street either it just looks really cool imo
It's cool the way they were able to put it together, but that thing hitting the market would be very very bad. Not a single one would end up in the hands of a law abiding citizen.