Anyone familiar with ShivWorks?

[PizDoff]

Shivworks?


They even have a dangerous jail time story on their site. Their stuff is kinda 'cute.' The 'Team' page is conveniently missing some info.
http://www.shivworks.com/

[RoninPimp]

Seems borderline OK to me. Very weapons focussed. If they're like most RBSD guys, they probably could spar more...

[Neildo]

I want the top-popper. Someone get me one for my birthday.

http://www.shivworks.com/toppopper.asp

[fubar]

need to get rid of the " You haven't posted in a while " message ....

I think Shivworks is run by " SOuthnarc" internet seminar trainer guy with a good reputation among weekend gunfight seminar & Filipino knife fighter types.

But they don't grapple and compete or anything ....

[meng_mao]

I want the top-popper. Someone get me one for my birthday.

http://www.shivworks.com/toppopper.asp

When you make a weapon like this and discuss disguising it as a bottle opener on a website, does that legally defeat its purpose as a disguised weapon?

[Neildo]

Disguised what-now? It's a nice bottle opener.




~Shhhhhhut up meng!~

[meng_mao]

No, I'm seriously curious as to the legal implications of revealing the intended purpose of a disguised self-defense device. Someone put up the Samuel Browning signal!

[Sam Browning]

If there is such a signal, how can I use it to meet cute women?

[Neildo]

If there is such a signal, how can I use it to meet cute women?

Requires matching custom-made crime fighting vehicle.

[RoninPimp]

I really should write a review of SouthNarc's Hide-Away knife DVD...Or that "Tactical" seminar I went to with "Mercop"....

[Sam Browning]

Okay, in Connecticut where I practice law, metal or brass knuckles are considered a dangerous weapon and their carrying is prohibited. The statute does not define this term however, and its possible that you could convince the police that that item is a lowly bottle opener, if of course they did not trip across that ad. If you come from a state that actually defines brass knuckles along the lines of a metal item held in ones hand with the intent of inflicting damage on another while striking them, then this defense will not go very far.

If however, you managed to dodge the dangerous weapon category, at least in Connecticut, they could also charge you with possessing a dangerous instrument which is "any instrument, article or substance which under the circumstances in which it is used or threatened to be used, is capable of causing death or serious physical injury." When people try to run each other with cars in CT they get charged with possessing a dangerous instrument.

In conclusion, there are some states in which a favorable definition of the phrase brass knuckles would probably make that device legal. However in certain Nanny states like Connecticut they could hit you with lesser charges. Of course if the cops found you with that device any you had not hit anyone I think you would have a very good chance of talking your way out of the mess since it does look like a bottle opener. Only after they discovered its use would they start looking at it with a more discriminating eye.

Incidently I wrote the website a short note and suggested that they engrave on this tool the words "bottle opener". That may help someone down the road.

[meng_mao]

Okay, in Connecticut where I practice law, metal or brass knuckles are considered a dangerous weapon and their carrying is prohibited. The statute does not define this term however, and its possible that you could convince the police that that item is a lowly bottle opener, if of course they did not trip across that ad. If you come from a state that actually defines brass knuckles along the lines of a metal item held in ones hand with the intent of inflicting damage on another while striking them, then this defense will not go very far.

If however, you managed to dodge the dangerous weapon category, at least in Connecticut, they could also charge you with possessing a dangerous instrument which is "any instrument, article or substance which under the circumstances in which it is used or threatened to be used, is capable of causing death or serious physical injury." When people try to run each other with cars in CT they get charged with possessing a dangerous instrument.

In conclusion, there are some states in which a favorable definition of the phrase brass knuckles would probably make that device legal. However in certain Nanny states like Connecticut they could hit you with lesser charges. Of course if the cops found you with that device any you had not hit anyone I think you would have a very good chance of talking your way out of the mess since it does look like a bottle opener. Only after they discovered its use would they start looking at it with a more discriminating eye.

Incidently I wrote the website a short note and suggested that they engrave on this tool the words "bottle opener". That may help someone down the road.

So there's not much chance the user of such a device would get in extra trouble for the attempted deception?

"Sorry officer, I just happen to have 4 bottle openers on my hand here."

[Sam Browning]

Your real worry would be the dangerous instrument / deadly weapons charge, that would typically carry a higher exposure or sentence then hindering or interfering with an investigation.

[Don Gwinn]

Wait, Ronin has MET Mercop? Is that event narrated somewhere at Bullshido?

Anyway, Shivworks started out as a loose project of knife makers. The training and stuff came later. They're still basically knife makers allied with some training guys.

I don't think the Top Popper is intended to allow you to stand in front of a judge and say "No, really, Your Honor, I clearly had no intent to assault that man because this so-called 'weapon' is merely an ordinary bottle opener!"

The idea seems to be that the TSA drone or the deputy at the courthouse door will let you through his checkpoint with it, and you won't freak out the other people on the city bus with a bottle opener.

Some of their stuff gets gimmicky, but you have to think of knifemakers as "Q" from the Bond movies. They don't always have an answer for "What is it for?"

[StickHead]

The type of knife work they advocate and teach is great for extreme close quarter, but mileage may vary for longer ranges.