Most of the times, when I've really needed
a weapon, it's been improvised. Signposts,
as an example. The sword stick scared the
HELL out of the guy whose eye it was pointing
at, but had he known that the damned thing
was held together with wax, he might not have
been.
Still, it was probably a lot scarier than a knife,
which I'd trust far more, in a real fight. Did it's
job.