Improvised weapons Improvised weapons are devices that were not designed to be used as weapons but can be put to that use . They are generally used for self - defence or where the person is otherwise unarmed . In some cases improvised weapons are commonly used by attackers in street fights , muggings , murders or during riots , usually when conventional weapons such as firearms are unavailable or inappropriate . " Improvised Weapons " is a term used to represent common everyday objects that can be used is a variety of defensive applications . These objects are not physically altered in any way , in an effort to make them more functional as weapons . They are generally utilized in their normal state . Examples . Any object that can be picked up and used by one to cause bodily harm to another can be considered an improvised weapon . For common , ready - at - hand weapons , they can include : Improvised weapons in martial arts . Throughout history , common tools were used so often as weapons in self - defense that many of them have evolved specifically into weapons or were adapted with the secondary purpose of being used in self - defense , usually by adding modifications to its design . Well - known examples include the Irish shillelagh , the Japan ese Bō and hanbo , which were originally used as walking canes and the Buddhist Monk ' s spade , a shovel monks used for burying corpses which often had sharpened edge s to defend against bandits with more ease . Thusly many martial arts throughout employ the use of common objects as weapons ; Okinawan karate features items of farming equipment that were later used as weapons by Okinawan peasants due the prohibition of weapons imposed by the shogun regime during feudal times ; Filipino martial arts such as Eskrima include practice with machetes , canes , bamboo spear s , and knives as a result of the 400 year Spanish colonization that took place in the Philippines which prohibited the ownership and use of standard swords and bladed weapons ; Chinese martial arts and some Korean martial arts commonly feature the use of improvised weapons such as fan s , hammers and staves . There are even some western martial arts that are based on improvised weapons such as British quarterstaff fighting and Irish stick fighting . After the Peasants ' War s during 1524 - 1525 , a fencing book edited by Paulus Hector Mair described in 1542 techniques how to fence using a scythe . Legal issues . Because of the use of common objects as weapons in violent crimes , many countries have made laws to prevent the use of some tools and other non - weapon objects to be used to cause harm . It is possible for a person to be detained , or even arrested , by a law enforcement official or security personnel for carrying a potentially - harmful object in a situation where there is no reasonable use for it . For example , while it is legal and perfectly understandable for someone to possess a kitchen knife or a hammer and keep it for use in one ' s home , it would seem highly suspicious for someone to carry a kitchen knife or a hammer concealed on his / her person or in plain sight when walking down a city street . Many areas even prohibit people from entering with objects that may used as weapons . Most public schools in North America will not allow their students to bring pocket knives , butter knives or chain - wallets , sometimes with harsh zero tolerance policies . Airports typically prohibit objects that could be used as weapons from being carried onto planes , with restrictions widely extended after the September 11 Terrorist Attacks to cover even objects like nail clippers and spiked wristbands . ( See Airport security repercussions due to the September 11 , 2001 attacks ) . On the other hand there are countries where weapons are prohibited by law . In these locations a law abiding citizen ' s only options for self - defense are to use empty handed techniques or to utilize the aid of an improvised weapon . Makeshift weapons . Makeshift Weapon is a term used to represent any everyday object that has been physically altered to enhance its potential as a weapon . It can also be used to represent the making of standard weapons such as guns , knives , and bombs out of commonly available items . Examples of makeshift weapons consist of : The improvised Molotov cocktail was used with great success by the heavily outnumbered Finnish forces in the Winter War against the Soviet Union . The mixture of flammable petroleum , often thickened with soap or tar , was so effective against the Soviet tanks that the Finns began mass producing Molotov cocktails , and issuing them to their troops . While the first documented use of such improvised incendiary devices was in the Spanish Civil War , their use in the Winter War was much more prevalent , and it was at that time they were named after the Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov . Weapons such as blackjacks or saps , consisting of a sock or stocking with a heavy , hard object inside ( at the toe ) are a quick , effective mêlée weapons .