Office Bricolage 2

60 Second Shiv

Materials and Tools

	Parts: One No. 1 (Large) Ideal Clamp
	Tools: One Rough Patch of Concrete Floor (such as found in a mechanical room or emergency stairwell)

Construction

Completed Shiv

The 60 Second Shiv is a reasonably effective improvised piercing weapon designed for use when materials and time are extremely limited. It is a weapon of last resort, when no other options are available. Only one commonly available office implement (an Ideal Clamp) is required. Refer to these instructions for additional information.

Shiv in Use

Operation

To use the 60 Second Shiv, grip the handle in a clenched fist, with the wire shaft protruding between the middle and index fingers. Once securely grasped, the weapon can be used to pierce various soft targets on a foe, in a technique similar to that used with a push-dagger.

Timed Construction Test: Following photographic documentation of the prototype, a second weapon was constructed under simulated emergency conditions (that is, as fast as possible). A test subject was given one Ideal clamp and timed from start to finish. The total construction time was 1 minute, 3 seconds. The test subject felt confident that construction time could be shortened with practice.

The test subject also commented that the point became quite hot during sharpening. It is the considered opinion of the design team that, if he were in a situation where the use of such a weapon was required, potential burns to his finger tips would be the least of his worries. However, a small piece of paper or tape (if available), wrapped around the wire prior to sharpening, would probably provide sufficient short-term protection against friction heat.

Impact Test

Puncture Test: The 60 Second Shiv was tested against two layers of cardboard (notepad backer board) stacked on top of two high density foam crossbow target cores. The weapon's point was placed against the cardboard, and the shiv was forced downward rapidly. The wire shaft bent slightly, but was otherwise undamaged.
Given time, the device could be improved by wrapping the handle and the first inch of the shaft with several layers of tape (to help prevent damage to the user's hand during stronger impacts). Additionally, the shaft could be shortend by an inch or two (to help resist bending). However, such enhancements are beyond the scope of the compressed timeframe and limited materials for which this weapon was designed.

Acknowledgements

This project would not have been possible without the inspiration and support of the Bleach Eating Freaks.