But let's look at this WASP-thingy-bob. Despite the fact it's marketed as a diving/outdoor defense 'against predators,' the Wasp's real market is violence geeks. It's too damned expensive for anyone else. This is exhibited especially in light of its total uselessness for what it's supposedly designed for!
And yes, as a person with both free-diving and outdoor experience, I can tell you that the answer to any predator large enough to pose a danger involves gunpowder. The more the merrier. You want it to start dying as FAR away from you as possible. That's because anything that damned big ALSO means it's too damned fast to handle up close. If it's close enough to stab, it's in the process of killing you.This is why my summation of "The Wasp"(2) is simple: It's an item designed for killing people. Specifically, it is designed for murder. If you want to get technical, murdering unsuspecting people.
However, when homicide is mentioned, both violence geeks and the manufacturers of the Wasp, will start squealing that this item is for 'defensive purposes only!' Yeah riiiiight. And I'm supposed to believe this because the advertising says so? There's a reliable source.
Four points support this contention that this sucker is about anything BUT self-defense:
First, to most people the idea of killing someone is related to the word 'weapon.' It was Terry Pratchett, however, who summed up an important – but often misunderstood -- concept in The Fifth Elephant. When encountering the equivalent of a 'shark stick' in the hands of an assassin, Commander Vimes had the following conversation:
"This is not weapon. This is for killing people," he (Vimes) said. "Uh … most weapons are," said Inigo. "No they're not. They're so you don't have to kill people. They're for … for having. For being seen. For warning. This isn't one of those. It's for hiding away until you bring it out and kill people in the dark."
Never thought about it that way did ya?
Second, I often tell people, "I am negotiating until I pull the trigger." That means until the very last moment, I am trying to do my best to avoid violence. The Wasp is NOT a negotiate tool – or even an item to threaten. The added danger is hidden. Yet, it still has the limitations (specifically range) of a normal knife. And due to the construction modification, probably some limitations that make it useless as a tool. That means this blade is for walking up, ramming it in someone's back and assassinating him.
Third, I have a particularly high standard for a 'defensive item' – especially when it comes to close quarter combat. Guns are fine for distance; the bullet has time to take effect and mess up his ability to counter attack. But the closer someone is, the more I want something in my hand that I can use to deflect or absorb his attack! Yes, this is a real life problem in close quarter combat. If he's in range, so are you! Call me fussy about this, but, up close and personal, a defensive item REALLY needs to be able to function for defense. By that I mean protection, NOT just creating fatal damage. I mean it also keeps it from happening to you.The problem with the WASP is that while you are using its 'super-sekret,' extra deadly component, you cannot use it to fend off an incoming attack.
Which, surprise, surprise, is when you are legally justified to use lethal force.
Fourth, and in support of point Number 3 (and writers take note) it is NOT pain or even fatal damage that stops a committed attacker. It's either shutting down his nervous system or causing enough structural damage to incapacitate him and leave him UNABLE TO FUNCTION! (Did I emphasize that enough?).
Side trip here: If you've ever seen someone (or an animal) shot by a rifle, you will see him collapse or stumble in a specific manner. Whether this collapse is temporary or permanent, you'll see the effect on the nervous system as either a collapse or a stumble. (Oh yeah, in case you haven't guessed it, they also don't fly backwards through the air like in the movies.)
What is happening is that their RAS (reticulating activating system) is shocked by the hydrostatic effect of the rifle bullet. This creates a 'surge' that causes a temporary overload of the nervous system. Putting that into layman terms, it's a shock wave within the body (think of throwing a rock in a pool). This causes the nervous system to either brown or black out. Kind of like a computer that loses power, the nervous system either flickers or shuts down. This overload and shut down of the nervous system is what causes the collapse or stumble, NOT the force of the bullet.
Now mind you, I'm talking about rifle bullets, which have a whole lot more energy than bullets from a handgun ( 3).
What you need to realize is -- without this shock to the RAS to shut him down -- a fatally wounded person can remain functional for as long as two minutes! And if he's on the attack that means you still have problems! Among shooters, this is referred to as the 'dead man's 10,' as in 10 seconds.Knives, even with compressed gas canisters, do NOT create the same immediate and overwhelming shock to the RAS as a rifle bullet. That means if the person is in the middle of trying to split your skull with a cleaver or is pointing a gun at you, he is still going to be able to finish the job. The same issues that make this particular knife ineffective for defending yourself against large predators also make it useless for 'self-defense' against a human. Okay, we're back from the side trip. But it was necessary to understand that so you'll understand my next statement. That means if you're relying on the Wasp to do all the work, it's going to be a double kill!
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