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Why You Might Want This 26-inch Tool

April 2, 2015 | by
Why You Might Want This 26-inch Tool

Why You Might Want This 26-inch Tool

The top three self-defense tools that I carry daily are my gun (currently a Springfield 1911), a knife (Benchmade, Kershaw, or one of several others), and a Tactical Pen.

However, I realize not everyone is comfortable carrying a gun and I would never recommend someone do so who isn’t comfortable and well trained. Also, some people don’t carry a knife for self-defense and maybe not even a tactical pen although it’s a no-brainer to carry one in my opinion.

Therefore, if none of the above appeal to you (or your spouse) another option you may want to consider is a collapsible baton, often referred to as an ASP because ASP is the company that makes most of the batons for law enforcement agencies.

When I was a police officer I carried one of these batons on my belt and they’re a great self-defense tool. You can deploy them quickly, and being that they’re made out of metal, they can do some serious damage. You can use them to stop an attacker by “whacking” them with it and you can also use them to smash out windows in an emergency.

Collapsible batons are relatively lightweight and they can be carried in a laptop bag or purse, and I know of several people who carry one in their vehicle.

If you do decide to get a collapsible baton I would spend the money for the ASP brand. They make the quality batons that will last you a long time, and you obviously don’t want to go cheap when you buy your self-defense products.

Just make sure you know your state law before you decide to purchase one of these. I know in California (big surprise) it’s illegal for civilians to have one of these. I’m sure in other terrible states it may be illegal too.

Even if you don’t want one of these for every day carry, you could get one to throw in an escape bag in the back of your car because when they’re fully collapsed they hardly take up any space at all.

Also, if you’ve got a son or daughter heading off to college next year, a Tactical Pen and a collapsible baton would be a good combination if a gun or knife are not viable options.

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  • Yukon

    Do you need a conceal carry permit for a baton?

    • G50AE

      You could probably have a CCW Badge engraved on the end of the handle.

    • Oingo Boingo

      The FL permit covers ALL weapons…guns, knives, batons, whatever.
      The OH permit covers ONLY firearms. Knives intended for self defense, not expressly for “work”, and batons are prohibited. Ahia is institutionally/culturally schizophrenic.
      The FL permit is good in OH…only for concealed firearms.
      The OH permit, in FL, is good for everything.
      Maine just went Constitutional Carry WITHOUT any Federal National Carry Permit nonsense.
      Vermont, despite legitimizing the raving Brooklyn jew Commie Sanders, is fairly sane in that Constitutional Carry has been the rule there for many years.

  • C.M. Dawson

    The professional versions of these batons are well outside the realm of affordability to most people, myself included. While an excellent means of self defense, their outrageous prices are a deal killer for me.

    Not enough “bang for the buck”.

    • Sianmink

      @80 bux for a friction ASP is out of affordability for most people? The same people who don’t bat an eyelash at $6 for their morning coffee?

      • C.M. Dawson

        The batons that cost well over 150 bucks and more are the ones I am referring to. Not enough bang for the buck.

        I’d rather (if I could) spend that money on something like a BUG or ammo.

        Just my personal assessment. YMMV. I’ve never had a 6 buck morning coffee, and never will. If those people may afford the pro batons, more power to them.

        The cost is a deal breaker for me.

      • hrairy

        It’s a deal breaker for me too. I don’t spend $6.00 for coffee. I’m disabled and on a fixed income. I live payday to payday with no extra money. I guess I’ll just have to carry a stick to protect myself.

  • Bill

    In most states and colleges it is a felony to possess a baton, club, or a night stick, You would get is less trouble with a gun in some states. It’s a felony here in Texas.

    • Shipwreck

      In Texas it is not a felony or even illegal to POSSESS a baton. You may have one in your home or a business./premises under your control. You may have one in your car, and you may have it on your person going directly to/from your vehicle. The illegality comes in when you carry the baton on your person nearly anywhere else.

      Carrying such a weapon is a Class A Misdemeanor “on the street” or “in public” so to speak. It becomes a 3nrd Degree Felony if the person carries the weapon on a premises which has a permit for the sale of alcoholic beverages. It is also a 3rd Degree Felony to possess one on such prohibited places as schools, polling places on election day, racetracks, amusement partks , etc. I just rechecked the statutes to be sure. Is it under 46.01-46.03 and no changes in the past 3 years except for the change decriminalizing the accidental display of a licensed, concealed handgun.

  • BJI

    Carry a cane or walking stick PROBABLY legal anywhere.

  • Sianmink

    I’ve got a 21 inch ASP talon airweight in my pocket. A bit pricey sure but so nice. In Florida it’s covered under my CCW. The trouble was finding a vendor who had it in stock and would sell it without a department note. gun shows here sell batons all the time, but they’re all the $10 ones that are made in china out of pot metal and broken dreams. Ended up getting mine from knifecenter.

  • Grunt

    I have a stun gun and a baton that you spoke of that I used to carry for my job in protection field. My understanding these are illegal to carry on you or in your vehicle as an average Joe. I do have a tire checker in my vehicle. It is sold and stamped as a tire checker I bought in a truck stop when driving a rig. I figure if these were illegal there would be a lot of truckers in trouble. The pen us a good idea but not sure if legal. Today anything, even a stick can be considered a weapon. I feel when it comes to protecting a loved one you do what you can.

    • G50AE

      In what state do you reside? I know of no state that makes carrying a “pen” illegal. However, go figure that in SC carrying an over-sized canister of mace is crime if you are not law enforcement.

      • rev_dave

        My state considers anything that can be used as a weapon to be a weapon, and I believe that Colorado does too – although CO has an ‘intent’ disclaimer so if used defensively nothing is a ‘weapon’. So where I live if you pick up a rock it becomes a weapon. Police aren’t all that stupid, but our legislators are. And yes, I live ‘back east’.

  • rev_dave

    They are illegal to carry in some states – ‘to protect the police’ of course. (Definitely illegal in mine) So if guys with guns, tasers, mace or pepper spray and ballistic vests need to be protected from them, they must be pretty bad-ass weapons. Every citizen should own a few, and conceal them.

    A perfectly legal, but not quite as effective alternative, is those fiberglass driveway markers that you can buy for a few bucks. They’re the diameter of a pinky finger, and about 3 ft. long. They actually come in two differing diameters – and they are flexible, heavy and hard, I believe the thinner one would break a forearm readily, and used as a sjambok, they’d put a hurting on a bad guy in a New York minute. Because they are light in weight you can also swing them fast enough to probably defend yourself from even multiple bad guys. There’s one in my truck at all times.

    • Oingo Boingo

      I got an orange one last week. I would not like to get hit with it.
      The small diameter vinyl over steel chicken wire/tomato tie-up stakes are in the same league.
      Sjambok Time !

  • ElHefeDeBombaros

    I would, but in California where carrying a loaded firearm without benefit of a CCW, carrying a collapsable baton is a felony. Once again, genius in government.

    • Own Defense

      That’s what happen when voters keep electing the same leftest at every election cycles. The voters deserve the people they put in office. Including the presidency.

  • ElHefeDeBombaros

    Meant to saw “in California where carrying a loaded firearm without benefit of a CCW is a ‘wobbler’ chargeable as a misdemeanor or a felony”

  • Devil Dawg 223

    I gotta say, the Asp would be one of the last self defense weapons I’d carry, especially as a concealed weapon. Yeah, they work when properly used and in the right situation, but to recommend them is a stretch, especially not going through extensive training with a baton. I remember being trained with the PR24/back in the day and we spend 18-20 hrs just in the academy. Mentioning it for a woman is absurd, stick with simple and hands off or away from any type.of.hand to hand combat, especially for a woman or my wife. Jframe .38 special 1st choice, then high power pepper spray and then a stun gun….just my option of course.

    • Oingo Boingo

      J Frames are our friends.
      That’s why creeps like Feinstein tried to get them banned some years ago.
      The creep also packs her own .357; frame size unknown to me. I’ll bet it’s a short bbl. K Frame because she got it a long time ago after the Milk/Moscone unpleasantness in City O’ Pervs before there were .357 Js available.

  • NorthendFool

    Super soaker squirt gun, buy them at Walmart or Toys R Us. Can shoot 10ft with accuracy and more. Fill with ammonia. Will stop a dog and a man.

  • Oingo Boingo

    Batons, for civilians (non-cops), are prohibited in Ohio; as are blades carried, by civilians (non-cops), for “self defense”. If one becomes entangled with the police, make sure your blade is “for work” and “it was the only thing I had to prevent death or grievous bodily injury” and “I want a lawyer” and SHUT UP.
    The Ahia carry permit is for handguns ONLY; unlike the permit for Florida that covers “weapons”…regular, auto and gravity knives, knuckles, batons, Manriki, Washizaki, Hawks, WHATEVER.
    Also, if scummy little hood rats and/or Suburban punkass Wiggers are parked in the back of your limited access Ohio condo development smoking weed, booming cRap and throwing their fast food trash out of their hoopty onto the pavement…and the cops land on them, the MOST they’ll get for the illegal weed possession, if smaller than “Trafficking” amounts, is a $100 dollar summary offense BUT the dirty juvie freaks will go away in cuffs for LITTERING.
    More Institutionalized Ohio State Schizophrenia:
    Breeding and raising Fighting Cocks is LEGAL in Ohio, just don’t fight them. One guy I met that raises them sells them to The Philippines and SouthEast Asia via Air Freight and makes a bundle.
    Maine/New Hampshire in Summer and Gulf in Winter, here I come.

  • Oingo Boingo

    Re: .45ACP
    “They All Fall Before The Ball.”
    Double and Triple Taps (Police and Military) are an extension of the commitment to 9mm. Multiple hits often required to STOP.
    If you tag a marauder Upper Body Mass with ONE 45 Hollow Point self defense round, it’s REALLY going to ruin their day.
    The FN Five seveN RAWKS but, it’s too expensive and the MilSpec ammo is restricted.
    Whatever you get, when Out and About in The Jungle load with self defense cartridges, not FMJs.
    OH, also…Feinstein, Schumer and the other delusional and/or evil “disarmament of the lawful” and oblivious to the armed unlawful…especially the ghetto/barrio gubbamint goofs… should perish by rock, arrow, hammer, spear or “unarmed” fist at the hands of the rampaging scum they never speak of, except to whine, moan and make apologies.

  • Clifford Ishii

    A Jo staff is a good option

  • Own Defense

    Wasp spray do wonders.

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