History Main / ImprovisedWeapon

[[TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty A creative fighting tactic]] used by unarmed people in any situation: Make what's around you a weapon. Even outside the [[NoOSHACompliance dangerous environments]], there's a lot of stuff to try. Anything can be used as a club if it's sturdy enough, and most stuff will develop a sharp edge if properly coaxed. For comedy value, go as wacky as you like.

* Prison - Real knives are hard to get and quickly confiscated. So convicts improvise a ''lot''. All of the above is used, with the addition of broken glass, plastic bags, elastic bands, gum, toothbrushes, and many, many other things. Notably, ingenious inmates have been known to make usable [[SinisterShiv shivs]] out of papier-mache toilet paper (you can literally flush the evidence), a shotgun out of bedposts (which was used to blow out a pane of bulletproof glass before they held a guard hostage), and best of all, a fully functioning crossbow (the components included rubber gloves, a wire coathanger, and ten toothbrushes).

* ImprovisedWeapon/{{Live-Action TV}}

* Anywhere in your own home - cameras (those flash bulbs are always a handy distraction), the couch, the [[GolfClubbing golf caddy]], pet cages (especially if Fido or Fluffy is inside), the indoor fireplace (HOT HOT HOOOOT!!!), or [[ClothFu towels, blankets, and curtains]]. The flashlight at the garage is also useful both as a blinding light and as a club.

* Kitchen - {{kni|feNut}}ves and [[KnifeOutline lots of 'em]], hot pots of coffee, [[ProjectileToast toasters]] (whacking opponents with the toaster is an option), [[BadWithTheBone bones from meat cuts]], {{frying pan|OfDoom}}s, {{rolling pin|OfDoom}}s, [[EdibleBludgeon any large, solid mass of frozen food]] (which gives a whole new meaning to LethalChef), [[DropTheHammer Meat Tenderizers]]; when applying to silverware specifically, it is ForkFencing, A fridge, the microwave, [[DeepFriedWhatever deep-fat fryers]], a hot stovetop (those things burn a LOT, as will the fryers), china dishes, plates (break one upon the opponent's head, then use the shards as makeshift knives or throwing stars). [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg And don't forget]] [[BaguetteBeatdown loaves of bread]].

* If you're a DistressedDamsel, always a vase. [[AlphaProtocol Maybe a small statue]]. Or a high heeled shoe. Or a pen... ([[Film/RedEye we're looking at you, McAdams]]).

* Anywhere in your own home - cameras (those flash bulbs are always a handy distraction), the couch, pet cages (especially if Fido or Fluffy is inside), the indoor fireplace (HOT HOT HOOOOT!!!), or [[ClothFu towels, blankets, and curtains]]. The flashlight at the garage is also useful both as a blinding light and as a club.

* The Wilderness - branches, fire, rocks, avalanches, {{bears|AreBadNews}}, {{sha|muFu}}rks, local wildlife, fishing poles and {{hooks|AndCrooks}}.

* Anywhere in your own home - cameras (those flash bulbs are always a handy distraction), the couch, pet cages (especially if Fido or Fluffy is inside), the indoor fireplace (HOT HOT HOOOOT!!!), or [[ClothFu towels, blankets, and curtains]].

* Prison - Real knives are hard to get and quickly confiscated. So convicts improvise a LOT. All of the above is used, with the addition of broken glass, plastic bags, elastic bands, gum, toothbrushes, and many, many other things. Notably, ingenious inmates have been known to make usable shivs out of papier-mache toilet paper (you can literally flush the evidence), a shotgun out of bedposts (which was used to blow out a pane of bulletproof glass before they held a guard hostage), and best of all, a fully functioning crossbow (the components included rubber gloves, a wire coathanger, and ten toothbrushes).

[[caption-width-right:350:Modern fencing in demonstration.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:A gentleman displaying the noble art of [[{{Pun}} fencing]].]]

* School - Eraser dust, erasers, pointers, AV carts, [[ThrowTheBookAtThem heavy textbooks]], [[FoodFight cafeteria]] [[EdibleAmmunition food]], [[ThePenIsMightier writing implements]], [[BatterUp wooden or aluminum bats (from the gym)]], [[BroomstickQuarterstaff broom handle from the janitor's closet]], [[InstrumentOfMurder instruments from the music classes and/or marching band]], desks (those things are a lot lighter than they look), [[ChairmanOfTheBrawl chairs]] (again, and like tables they are lighter than they look) [[PaperMaster note paper]] (there's always some form of blank white paper in a school), A computer, or any sort of sports equipment.

A person who uses one of these as their standard weapon may be an ImprobableWeaponUser. Or a {{Ninja}}.

* CarFu. Need we say more?
* BadWithTheBone.

* Construction Sites -- {{wrench|Whack}}es, {{shovel|Strike}}s, [[DropTheHammer hammers]], [[AnAxeToGrind hatchets]], [[PipePain pipes]], iron bars, wooden stick, [[PowerfulPick pickaxes]], paint buckets, blowtorches, [[AerosolFlamethrower aerosol flamethrowers]], [[CrowbarCombatant crowbars]], hacksaws, [[ThisIsADrill portable drills]], [[ChainsawGood power cutters]], [[NailEm rivet guns]], welding equipment, bulldozers, excavators, [[CarFu trucks]], [[ForkliftFu forklifts]], [[ChainPain chains]], [[GasCylinderRocket gas cylinders]], and many other tools.

* Kitchen - {{kni|feNut}}ves and [[KnifeOutline lots of 'em]], hot pots of coffee, [[ProjectileToast toasters]] (whacking opponents with the toaster is an option), {{frying pan|OfDoom}}s, {{rolling pin|OfDoom}}s, [[EdibleBludgeon any large, solid mass of frozen food]] (which gives a whole new meaning to LethalChef), [[DropTheHammer Meat Tenderizers]]; when applying to silverware specifically, it is ForkFencing, A fridge, the microwave, [[DeepFriedWhatever deep-fat fryers]], a hot stovetop (those things burn a LOT, as will the fryers), china dishes, plates (break one upon the opponent's head, then use the shards as makeshift knives or throwing stars). And don't forget [[BaguetteBeatdown loaves of bread]].

* CarFu.

* Somewhat overlaps with environmental kills in [[FanWorks/DiamondsCut Diamond's Cut]], as 007 kills two final villains with sticks lying around: the [[spoiler: arms’ dealer]] gets throttled with a fallen tree limb, while final villain gets [[{{Squick}} stabbed through the stomach with a branch]].

* Kitchen - {{kni|feNut}}ves and [[KnifeOutline lots of 'em]], hot pots of coffee, [[ProjectileToast toasters]] (whacking opponents with the toaster is an option), {{frying pan|OfDoom}}s, {{rolling pin|OfDoom}}s, [[EdibleBludgeon any large, solid mass of frozen food]] (which gives a whole new meaning to LethalChef); when applying to silverware specifically, it is ForkFencing, A fridge, the microwave, [[DeepFriedWhatever deep-fat fryers]], a hot stovetop (those things burn a LOT, as will the fryers), china dishes, plates (break one upon the opponent's head, then use the shards as makeshift knives or throwing stars). And don't forget [[BaguetteBeatdown loaves of bread]].

* School - Eraser dust, erasers, pointers, AV carts, [[ThrowTheBookAtThem heavy textbooks]], [[FoodFight cafeteria]] [[EdibleAmmunition food]], [[ThePenIsMightier writing implements]], [[BatterUp wooden or aluminum bats (from the gym)]], [[BroomstickQuarterstaff broom handle from the janitor's closet]], [[InstrumentOfMurder instruments from the music classes and/or marching band]], desks (those things are a lot lighter then they look), [[ChairmanOfTheBrawl chairs]] (again, and like tables they are lighter than they look) [[PaperMaster note paper]] (there's always some form of blank white paper in a school), A computer, or any sort of sports equipment.

* In ''Literature/TheBible'' Cain picked up a rock and killed Abel with it, and Samson killed an army with a donkey's jawbone.

** Shamgar's act of killing six hundred heavily armed spearmen with an oxgoad (stick with a nail in it). (That would be Judges 3:31, if you've never heard of him.)

* In ''BrokenSaints'', Raimi defeats [[spoiler: a deranged Kamimura]] by picking up a mirror off the ground in the alleyway and smashing it over his head.
* Tifa in ''DeadFantasy''. Hold on this might take a while... [[DrunkenBoxing Ether bottles]], bits of lava stuck to her shoes, a table, a garage jack, the same garage jack [[DualWielding cut in half]], and lastly the chains that where used to try and restrain her.
* ''RedvsBlue:'' "Protect me cone!"

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=fgcds27403ond9wt9fp1qzot

[[quoteright:350:[[{{Banksy}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Improvised_weapon_2504.jpg]]]]

* ImprovisedWeapon/{{Anime And Manga}}
* ImprovisedWeapon/{{Comic Books}}

* ImprovisedWeapon/{{Professional Wrestling}}
* ImprovisedWeapon/{{Tabletop Games}}
* ImprovisedWeapon/{{Video Games}}
* ImprovisedWeapon/{{Web Comics}}
* ImprovisedWeapon/{{Web Original}}
* ImprovisedWeapon/{{Western Animation}}
* ImprovisedWeapon/{{Real Life}}

* Kitchen - {{kni|feNut}}ves and [[KnifeOutline lots of 'em]], hot pots of coffee, [[ProjectileToast toasters]] (whacking opponents with the toaster is an option), {{frying pan|OfDoom}}s, {{rolling pin|OfDoom}}s, [[EdibleBludgeon any large, solid mass of frozen food]] (which gives a whole new meaning to LethalChef); when applying to silverware specifically, it is ForkFencing, A fridge, the microwave, [[DeepFriedWhatever deep-fat fryers]], a hot stovetop (those things burn a LOT, as will the fryers), china dishes, plates (break one upon the opponent's head, then use the shards as makeshift knives or throwing stars).

* Somewhat overlaps with environmental kills in [[FanWorks/DiamondsCut Diamond's Cut]], as 007 kills two final villains with sticks lying around: the [[spoiler: arms’ dealer]] gets throttled with a fallen tree limb, while final villain gets [[Squick stabbed through the stomach with a branch]].

* Prison - Real knives are hard to get and quickly confiscated. So convicts improvise a LOT. All of the above is used, with the addition of broken glass, plastic bags, elastic bands, gum, toothbrushes, and many, many other things.
** Notably, ingenious inmates have been known to make usable shivs out of papier-mache toilet paper (you can literally flush the evidence), a shotgun out of bedposts (which was used to blow out a pane of bulletproof glass before they held a guard hostage), and best of all, a fully functioning crossbow (the components included rubber gloves, a wire coathanger, and ten toothbrushes).

* In DoctorSteel's song, "Lament for a Toy Factory", Steel goes insane after being fired by a toy factory. He invades the factory with [[NightmareFuel an army of toys]] and gasoline-filled Super Soakers.