Hat-pin self defence?!

[Stray Cat]

Funny (yet, amusing!) thing:

A wealth of evidence from the period demonstrates that hatpins were popularly regarded as secret weapons, and indeed as “every woman’s weapon” against the depredations of hooligans and ill-mannered brutes.
According to a story in the New York Times of January 10, 1898:

Miss Sadie Hawkins assisted a Chicago tram-car conductor named Symington in fending off two determined would-be robbers by stabbing them both repeatedly in the arms and legs with her hatpin, causing the aggressors so much grief that they jumped off the moving tram to escape the onslaught.

The picture emerges, though, of a two-phase counter-strategy against over-confident ruffians who seized their intended victims by the shoulders or arms. First, the defender would feign shock and indignation, her hand flying up apparently to steady her enormous hat, but in reality to pluck out a hatpin. Then, in one movement, she would jab the weapon forcefully into the offending hand or wrist; Mr. MacGrath was not the only writer to compare the resulting pain to “the sting of a hornet”. This might well suffice to discourage any further offence. If not, the consensus on following-up was to stab the assailant in the face or, if more conveniently accessible, “the place where it hurts the most”.

ound:

 

[Stray Cat]

“Never Go Walking Out Without Your Hat Pin”

My Granny was a very shrewd old lady,
The smartest woman that I ever met.
She used to say, “Now listen to me, Sadie,
There’s one thing that you never must forget.”

Never go walking out without your hat pin.
The law won’t let you carry more than that.
For if you go walking out without your hat pin,

You may lose your head as well as lose your hat.”

My Granny said men never could be trusted.
No matter how refined they might appear.
She said that many maidens’ hearts got busted
Because men never had but one idea.

I’ve heard that Grandpa really was a mess,
So Grandma knew whereof she spoke, I guess.

Never go walking out without your hat pin.
Not even to some very classy joints.
For when a fellow sees you’ve got a hat pin
He’s very much more apt to get the point.

My Mama, too, set quite a bad example.
She never heeded Grandmama’s advice.
She found that if you give a man a sample,
The sample somehow never does suffice.

In fact, it’s rumored I might not have been
If Mum had not gone out without her pin.

Never go walking out without your hat pin.
It’s about the best protection you have got.
For if you go walking out without your hat pin,

You may come home without your you-know-what!

:dance:

 

[Stray Cat]

From Harold MacGrath’s novel “Parrot & Co”, 1914:

Craig stepped in front of them, smiling as he raised his helmet. “This is an unexpected pleasure.”
Elsa, looking coldly beyond him, attempted to pass.
“Surely you remember me?”
“I remember an insolent cad,” replied Elsa, her eyes beginning to burn dangerously. “Will you stand aside?”
He threw a swift glance about. He saw with satisfaction that none but natives was in evidence.
Elsa’s glance roved, too, with a little chill of despair. In stories Warrington would have appeared about this time and soundly trounced this impudent scoundrel. She realized that she must settle this affair alone. She was not a soldier’s daughter for nothing.
“Stand aside!”
“Hoity-toity!” he laughed. He had been drinking liberally and was a shade reckless. “Why not be a good fellow? Over here nobody minds. I know a neat little restaurant. Bring the old lady along,” with a genial nod toward the quaking Martha.
Resolutely Elsa’s hand went up to her helmet, and with a flourish drew out one of the long steel pins.
“Oh, Elsa!” warned Martha.
“Be still! This fellow needs a lesson. Once more, Mr. Craig, will you stand aside? ”
Had he been sober he would have seen the real danger in the young woman’s eyes.
“Cruel!” he said. ” At least, one kiss,” putting out his arms.
Elsa, merciless in her fury, plunged the pin into his wrist. It stung like a hornet; and with a gasp of pain, Craig leaped back out of range, sobered.
“Why, you she-cat!”
“I warned you,” she replied, her voice steady but low. “The second stab will be serious. Stand aside.”
He stepped into the gutter, biting his lips and straining his uninjured hand over the hurting throb in his wrist. The hat-pin as a weapon of defense he had hitherto accepted as reporters’ yarns. He was now thoroughly convinced of the truth. He had had wide experience with women. His advantage had always been in the fact that the general run of them will submit to insult rather than create a scene. This dark-eyed Judith was distinctly an exception to the rule. Gad! She might have missed his wrist and jabbed him in the throat. He swore, and walked off down the street.
Elsa set a pace which Martha, with her wabbling knees, found difficult to maintain.
“You might have killed him!” she cried breathlessly.
“You can’t kill that kind of a snake with a hat-pin; you have to stamp on its head. But I rather believe it will be some time before Mr. Craig will again make the mistake of insulting a woman because she appears to be defenseless.” Elsa’s chin was in the air. The choking sensation in her throat began to subside. “The deadly hat-pin; can’t you see the story in the newspapers? Well, I for one am not afraid to use it.”

[size=+1]Yet another brilliant reason to wear a hat![/size] :love:

 

[Stanley Doble]

I know my mother (born 1920) regarded a hat pin as a weapon. No doubt this was common wisdom at one time. I know some of my older relatives (my grandmothers and mother's aunts) made formidable foes with or without a hatpin. When I read about women in the past being meek, downtrodden and without opinions of their own I just laugh.

 

[Shangas]

Funny (yet, amusing!) thing:

Surely that's a redundancy?

But whatever.

Interesting reading. Back in the day, a lot of everyday items did double-duty as defensive weapons.

Women's hatpins were actually BANNED in Melbourne back in the 1800s (and thereafter, I believe), because during one public event (the name of which, escapes me), a baby had its eyes gouged out by a hatpin.

So the story goes, a mother held her infant son in her arms in the middle of a crowd. A lady nearby turned to face another, and her hatpin spiked the baby in the eye.

Thereafter, hatpins were banned as a danger to public safety. The ban was modified later on, however, and hatpins were made legal once more. But for the safety of others, by law, every hat-pin had to have s safety-cap at the end (such as with some varieties of gentlemans' tie-pins) to prevent any incidents in the future of eye-gouging.

 

[Stray Cat]

Surely that's a redundancy?

Pardon my ENGRISH, sir.

Women's hatpins were actually BANNED in Melbourne back in the 1800s (and thereafter, I believe), because during one public event (the name of which, escapes me), a baby had its eyes gouged out by a hatpin.
So the story goes, a mother held her infant son in her arms in the middle of a crowd. A lady nearby turned to face another, and her hatpin spiked the baby in the eye.
Thereafter, hatpins were banned as a danger to public safety. The ban was modified later on, however, and hatpins were made legal once more. But for the safety of others, by law, every hat-pin had to have s safety-cap at the end (such as with some varieties of gentlemans' tie-pins) to prevent any incidents in the future of eye-gouging.

Oh, my...
They WERE dangerous!

(safety covers at the hatpin's tip)

 

[Shangas]

That's right, Cat. Hat pins like that were legal. But the ones with the bare points were not, due to the above-mentioned eye-losing incident.

 

[Stray Cat]

That's right, Cat. Hat pins like that were legal. But the ones with the bare points were not, due to the above-mentioned eye-losing incident.

That does give space for some creative ideas. WHO could imagine that a girl nowadays has that sort hidden weapon? (Pepper-spray, small knife.. some may pack a gun.. that's expetable!)
...could you write a story on that subject?

 

[LizzieMaine]

I don't need a hat pin -- I have a sharpened key on my key ring that I carry protruding from my fist whenever I'm out and about at night. Anybody tries to mess with me will get shanked.

 

[Stray Cat]

I don't need a hat pin -- I have a sharpened key on my key ring that I carry protruding from my fist whenever I'm out and about at night. Anybody tries to mess with me will get shanked.

Ouch!
LizzieMaine,
I'm giving you 5 out of 5 for originality in choice of weapon! :thumb:

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

There is an exhibit at the Cleveland Historical Society that shows some beautiful hat pins. In the exhibit it is stated that they had to pass "Hat pin laws" to prevent women from using them as a weapon.

 

[Stray Cat]

TIn the exhibit it is stated that they had to pass "Hat pin laws" to prevent women from using them as a weapon.

Oh, yes.
[size=+2]1908.[/size]

An English judge, fearing that their pins could be used as weapons in his court, ordered a group of suffragettes on trial to remove their hatpins and hats, an insulting request. In 1909 a bill was introduced in the Arkansas legislature which copied an Illinois law limiting the length of pins to 9 inches or making ladies take out permits to possess longer ones. The pins were considered deadly weapons. As a result ladies had to cut their pins to the shorter length if they wanted to wear them in public.

 

[katiemakeup]

HA! Very helpful photos

 

[Drappa]

Well, last year I was searching charity shops in the UK for hat pins and was told by several volunteers that they were not allowed to sell them because they were too dangerous. This explains it all!

 

[LoveMyHats2]

The way this world is going to hell in a hand bag, I think it is a smart move for a woman to have a hat pin if not more, for protection. I would only also hope if any woman had to use one for defense, that the court would praise her and not want to prosecute over it. If a man is stabbed with one for a good reason, I would hope that the lady using the hat pin would get in one more last deep "jab" for good measure!