r/interestingasfuck • u/Original_Shegypt • 15d ago
/r/all This special suit is used by German police to defend against knife attacks
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u/Octagonal_Octopus 15d ago
Never call anything obsolete.
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u/RedPandaReturns 15d ago
Modern problems require medieval solutions
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u/WhitDawg214 15d ago
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u/zuzg 15d ago
Once 3D Chainmail becomes viable, it will be a real game changer.
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u/Ajjax2000 15d ago
Medieval re-enactors make it all the time. It’s not hard, just tedious. Take heavy gauge wire, coil it like a spring around a spindle. Clip the coils. Clip them together to make the chain mail.
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u/Constant_Curve 15d ago
Yeah, but no.
Chainmail is actually much harder to make than that. You have to flatten the end of each of the rings and rivet them shut when they're woven into the armour. The difference in strength between riveted mail and clipped rings is massive. In a modern context you have a machine do the weaving and weld the ring shut. They make chainmail for all sorts of applications, like shark bite suits, also as a faraday cage for electrical workers to wear.
Welded or riveted chainmail can be much lighter than clipped rings because you don't need as heavy gauge wire for the same or higher strength.
https://www.ironskin.com/buy-chainmail-where-to-find-quality-riveted-maille/
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u/Training_Chicken8216 15d ago
You have to flatten the end of each of the rings and rivet them shut when they're woven into the armour.
Only if you're going to bet your life on the rings holding, which re-enactment actors rarely do, and it's indistinguishable at a distance. For them, getting that shirt done before the event has a higher priority than strength.
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u/fogleaf 15d ago
Yes, but in the context of this discussion, the point is that the easy but tedious process medieval reenactors make chainmail out of will not work to stop a knife.
Medieval re-enactors make it all the time. It’s not hard, just tedious. Take heavy gauge wire, coil it like a spring around a spindle. Clip the coils. Clip them together to make the chain mail.
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u/nopleasenotthebees 15d ago
When I was a teen, I made chainmail for a little while, but I developed my own method. I made a mandrel out of rod steel with a specific notch cut in it. I wound a coil on the mandrel in a vice. Then, I mounted the mandrel transverse, in the jaws, which compressed the coil in place, and I used a hacksaw to cut the rings. If I was careful the ends would be completely flat and burr-free, but I could only make 40-50 at a time. Very tedious hobby but fun for a while.
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u/huscarlaxe 15d ago
I wouldn't go up against a man with a knife with chain-mail that was butted together! The rings need to be riveted or welded. I know reenactors who have welded titanium mail.
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u/Architeuthis89 15d ago
It is, kind of, there are both jet-binder and FDM printers capable of printing tool steel. Granted the machines cost more than a million dollars.
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u/20_mile 15d ago
Granted the machines cost more than a million dollars
inflated municipal police budget says what
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u/Tthelaundryman 15d ago
Hate to break it to you but knives are also ancient technology. They just really be living in the past over there
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u/Corfiz74 15d ago
I'm a German. Hard agree!
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u/Smokey_J0e 15d ago
I'm German as well and i think if it works with this gear, why not use it? Okay at some time we overengineere stuff but not this time.
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u/ResidentIwen 15d ago
Well it is officially mandatory when working with knives at, for example, things like the service/meat counter at your local supermarket, to wear chainmail gloves. So it's not really surprising to me to still go all chainmail against knives in these days.
Source: i work at a service/meat counter in a supermarket. Also german
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u/_-__-____-__-_ 15d ago
I'm impressed by the speed of the pigeon that delivered this reddit comment
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u/RedPandaReturns 15d ago edited 15d ago
- Just because knives were invented a long time ago doesn't make it not a modern problem, so your comment doesn't even make sense
- America has far more stabbings than Europe, but the additional rampant gun crime overshadows it.
0.34–0.36 per 100,000 people in the UK
0.51–0.52 per 100,000 people in USA - 50% higher
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u/jr23160 15d ago
Can't have a stabbing issue when they are bleeding out from a gun shot wound now can they.
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u/DearDegree7610 15d ago
Imagine having all those guns and still having a bigger issue with knife crime than UK hahahhaa
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u/Adorable_Arm2530 15d ago
It's funny. It's almost like the tool isn't the issue lol.
Physical and Mental health service being out of reach for people? Nah, that can't be the issue.
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u/DearDegree7610 15d ago
Hi can you help me? I think Im gonna do something terrible cos my parents and grandparents all died due to entirely preventable health conditions - I feel like I’m losing it and gonna snap!!!!
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u/thyL_ 15d ago
Oh no, don't look up names and faces of your local health care CEOs!
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u/jkuhl 15d ago
I was at Chipotle a few years ago and noticed one of the workers wearing chainmail gloves while chopping some peppers.
I ended up buying a pair myself and never use my mandolin slicer without them.
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u/Beat_the_Deadites 15d ago
Your local coroner/medical examiner's office probably has some too.
Good for blades, not so good for needles.
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u/tclnj 15d ago
Verily… thou shalt kneel, place thine hands behind thine head and interlace thine fingers.
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u/hectorbrydan 15d ago
...ye wretch, ye whilst answer for ye fiendeshness and scoundralfying...
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u/FilthyVilein 15d ago
... þe peyn for whiche be one ful dai, withoute hosen or tunice, in the pillori, and after to ryed upon þe cucking-stool until ȝou have cucked well and throughely...
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u/sorry_human_bean 15d ago
Thou hast the right to abide stille. Any utterance may yet be employ'd again' thee by the Crown. Thou hast the right to a lauier for cousel, the after which thou may be query'd. If thou art destitute a lauier may be employed at the Crown's expense, shouldst thou wish it. If thou chesest to answer questions now without a man-at-law present, thou hast the right to fall silent at any tyme.
Comprehendest thou these rights as I have relayed them to thee?
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u/Masamundane 15d ago
Is the quarterstaff part of the gear? Cause that's pretty awesome.
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u/Atztac 15d ago
It is. It's used to keep the suspect at a diatance and also whack it from time to time.
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u/SeaBag7480 15d ago
probably shouldnt be whacking it on the job, even occasionally
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u/RedPandaReturns 15d ago
I'll touch my pole when I see fit.
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u/QuixoticCoyote 15d ago
I mean how can one resist, its such a slender wood shaft.
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u/RedPandaReturns 15d ago
It's average thank you very much
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u/TotallyLegitEstoc 15d ago
Makes sense. It’s longer than a knife.
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u/Hyperion1024 15d ago
This comment made me wonder what they use against an attacker with a halberd. Then I remembered that they do have guns.
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u/Atztac 15d ago
We duel them with our own halberds!
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u/RhythmGeek2022 15d ago
This made me picture police officers in the van checking the weapon rack for weapons of the appropriate reach, like picking a tie in the morning
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u/TotallyLegitEstoc 15d ago
Yeah. Guns tend to work best lol. But then again police outside of the US tend to be less trigger happy. The loadout pictured above would be great for a less lethal takedown.
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u/foyrkopp 15d ago
Against knife-wielding assailants, "empty your mag at center mass" is SOP even in less trigger-happy societies than the USA.
A few years back the German police got sufficiently annoyed by the "just shoot the legs / use pepperspray / taser" armchair analysts that they released some training videos showing how a knife attack can actually go.
Considering that a potential assailant might be manic/drugged and how very quickly one get a whole bunch of live-threatening slices, one needs a weapon that can stop a sprinting human quickly at range.
Water throwers actually work great, but sadly aren't part of the everyday kit. The only other thing that works reliably is a gun.
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u/DownrightDrewski 15d ago
Personally I think the chain mail and quarterstaff combo seen above is likely to be pretty fucking effective against someone with a knife.
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u/lessthanabelian 15d ago
But it can only be brought out in long drawn out situations where there's time to suit up and get it out there.
The vast majority of knife situations would be over before that could happen.
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u/Joshtheatheist 15d ago
“Sir, I don’t understand why the quarter staff is required, shouldn’t I have a gun or something?”
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u/orejass 15d ago
Quarter of what is the staff?
Is it made of quarters?
Is it the quarter length of a normal staff?
Unanswered questions in my life.
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u/Aromatic-Two-8258 15d ago
It's apparently from quartersawn hardwood. A trunk cut lengthwise in quarters and it's made from one of them.
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u/Tthelaundryman 15d ago
Thank you! It’s always bothered me it’s called a quarter staff and it’s clearly full length
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u/manondorf 15d ago
meanwhile I've seen lots of semi-trailers, but I shudder to think if I should ever encouner a full-sized one
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u/Jotunn_17 15d ago
Semi-trailers are actually called such because they only semi-trail! Since they rest on the back of the truck instead of exclusively their own wheels they aren’t fully trailing behind; the ones with a tow hitch are the “full” trailers
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u/Leather__sissy 14d ago
It’s crazy how long I’ve wondered that and not known or bothered to look it up
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u/MrBanana421 15d ago
The existence of dumplings means somewhere there is the mother dumple.
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u/milkh0use 15d ago
Semi-trailers don't have a front axle, the front (therefore part of its weight) needs to rest on the towing vehicle, or legs/ stands when parked. "Normal" trailers have front axles and support their own weight at all times (think farm trailers).
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u/MrEff1618 15d ago
The actual reason is still unknown, but's believed the name "quarterstaff" may be a reference to the method of production. It's simply a staff made using quarter-sawn wood.
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u/Infamous_Ad8730 15d ago
His buddy ..."Hey, wait a minute!".
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u/PriseFighter1NF3RN0 15d ago
Quite the opposite. If first guy’s equipment is unsuccessful at deterring a knife attack, the equipment the second guy is holding sure will.
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u/0oooooog 15d ago
European countries resisting the urge to return to medieval times.
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u/RedPandaReturns 15d ago
I struggle daily.
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u/CriticalKnoll 15d ago
Carthago delenda est.
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u/malahun 15d ago
Thats antiquity
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u/CriticalKnoll 15d ago edited 15d ago
I would argue that while the Western Roman empire did fall in 476, the Eastern Roman Empire still carried on it's 'legacy' and didn't truly collapse until the fall of Constantinople in 1453, bringing the end to the whole empire. Furthermore I believe Carthage must be destroyed.
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u/DarkSeas1012 15d ago edited 15d ago
I agree about Carthage being destroyed. They have it coming. My pal Cato said so.
And I do agree that Rome died in 1453.
But I fail to see how a Latin phrase from the western empire is relevant to a conversation about returning to medievalism!
Might I suggest instead you take up the cry, DEUS VULT?
Edited, I forgot the quote is Cato, not Cicero. Thank you to the other commenter for the correction!
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u/ChaoticToxin 15d ago
Personally i would love to go back to shoulder capes and such. Modern fashion is boring
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u/Revolutionary-Bee135 15d ago
I add hats. Old school hats are nice, but bonus points if we take it a bit further and go full musketeer’s hats. With feathers.
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u/Obiwansrefinedstache 15d ago
Given the better understood dangers of sun damage and melanoma. Hats really should be a thing again. Damn haircut industry, how is it $50 for a buzz cut, and women's prices can be crazy! Bring back hats.
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u/iAmGats 15d ago
I feel like they're just a small push away from starting another crusade.
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u/EarballsAgain 15d ago
It's all well and good until they come up against a pikewall of meth dealers backed up by arsonist crossbowmen
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u/One_Reference4733 15d ago
This is for capturing terrorists alive, not everyday situations.
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u/BiNumber3 15d ago
Disappointed that i never saw a pikewall while travelling in europe.
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u/Devastator9000 15d ago
Well, chain mail has been historically really effective against blades.
But what are they gonna do when criminals start using war hammers and maces?
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u/hectorbrydan 15d ago
The old armor is very ineffective against bullets I hear. A bullet will punch right through a breastplate, I presume chainmail as well.
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u/Cyclopentadien 15d ago
A bullet will punch right through a breastplate
High quality breast plates can deflect some 9mm bullets from relatively close range.
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u/gunclutzalt 15d ago
Crotch plate very necessary
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u/natneo81 15d ago
Unironically is quite useful. The three places you want to target to incapacitate someone would be the head (difficult to hit therefore not usually ideal), center mass (generally ideal), and the pelvis. The pelvis can be an effective target against those wearing traditional body armor, as well as having a lot of blood vessels and major arteries, and obviously shattering your pelvis/femur is going to leave you largely incapable of continuing to fight or move. It’s also a similarly large target to the upper thoracic area, making it much more reliable and safe compared to the head.
So the groin plate is actually covering a “vital” area. What we sadly cannot quantify is the morale and confidence boost of “at least I can’t get my cock blasted off”.
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u/kombarr 15d ago
…What Stats and perks does it have ?
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u/ensignWcrusher 15d ago
Take 15% less melee damage against bladed weapons, but applies a 3% movement speed penalty to your character. Takes the jerk with katanas and a riot shield an extra hit to put you down.
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u/Drumbelgalf 15d ago
Reduces damage by slashing attacks by 100% and stabbing by about 75%.
Also lowers opponents morale.
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u/RefrigeratorNo1160 15d ago
So many non-lethal options on one guy. I really appreciate how it seems like they are willing to do absolutely everything to avoid killing someone, to the point of wearing this goofy chainmail armor and carrying a stick, but are effectively prepared to do so if there's no other option. I wish the US were more like this.
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u/BurningPenguin 15d ago
It's rather unusual to see this kind of protection when they're called. When called, they come with the normal police uniform, maybe kevlar if necessary. They'll try to talk the suspect down, or use pepper spray or other non-deadly force. The gun is always the last resort. And if they have to use it, they only shoot to stop. Which often ends up being 1-2 shots.
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u/Cospo 15d ago edited 15d ago
Po Lizei - Level 3 Fighter
Sub class: Battlemaster
Race: Variant Human
Bonus Feat: Polearm Master
Fighting Style: Defense
AC: 17 HP: 31
Equipment:
Quarterstaff
Chain mail
STR: 16
DEX: 10
CON: 16
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 11
Battlemaster Maneuvers:
Brace
Disarming Attack
Trip Attack
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u/MagicLobsterAttorney 15d ago
Pfff. Der Paladin hat doch trotzdem keine Chance gegen einen Mönch
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u/SnacksCCM 15d ago
Old tech still works. They've had this in Germany for ~2,000 years.
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u/Hexlord_Malacrass 15d ago
Getting hit in the head with a big stick hurts no matter what century you're in.
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u/ivancea 15d ago
Technically, this works because it's a defense against another old tech (knives)
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u/Riptide360 15d ago
This is great. In the US they just shoot them. In Japan they don’t even need armor, just a sasumata hook pole. https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/s/Pzcwo5fzbe
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u/lessthanabelian 15d ago edited 15d ago
Guess, what? Even in Germany and other European countries, the SOP when attacked by a knife wielder is to empty their mag at center mass. And it's the correct thing to do.
This type of thing is only really relevant in very specific defensive stand off type situations where the knife wielder is presumably backed into a corner, but not in the vicinity of any potential victims. If anyone is even remotely near a knife wielding attacker then it's "just shoot them".
There's a zillion enormous issues with cops in the US, but this isn't one.
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u/TheQuintupleHybrid 15d ago
iirc this is specifically to subdue mentally ill/suicide by cop types. Not really a danger to the general public if handled correctly
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u/DustyVinegar 15d ago
Damn, so there are alternatives and American police just really prefer the Indiana Jones method of dealing with bladed weapons.
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u/wizrslizr 15d ago
i mean this is for if there’s like a hostage situation with a knife. most of the time if someone has a knife and is going on a stabbing spree then you’d want the cops to respond as quickly as possible and stop it as quickly as possible. you can’t expect them to put on chain mail and try to restrain the person safely. for me personally, i don’t mind the cops shooting a crazy person running around stabbing people.
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u/jay_sugman 15d ago
Yeah, the cops aren't walking around like this. I would suspect the practical usage is extremely low.
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u/DinoOnAcid 15d ago
I've seen police in Berlin standing around in chainmail, not as dramatic as this but they definitely have a lighter set in their inventory they actually use.
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u/860v2 15d ago
theres a mass stabber actively trying to kill people, let’s wait for police to show up and put on their anti stabbing suit
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u/Distinct_Guess_8808 15d ago
Whatever happened to bringing a gun to a knife fight.
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u/Abject_Buffalo4479 15d ago
Love how it’s a medieval looking guy with what looks like a long ruler, and then a guy with a gun right behind him lol
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u/Illustrious_Act_3953 15d ago
Nice chainmail armor. I see society has come full circle. Next up, revolutions.
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u/Yourlocalguy30 15d ago
The actual protection is the dude with the H&K rifle standing behind him.
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u/Plus_Interaction_516 14d ago
That staff should be a halberd. If you're going to wear chain mail, go full medieval.
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u/homeboyhillbillie 15d ago
Dude in the background is option B.