# Why are Klingon weapons so ridiculous? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 29, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-klingon-weapons-so-ridiculous/333249 "2005-11-29T19:35:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-klingon-weapons-so-ridiculous/333249/141 "2008-10-06T13:43:26Z")
Out of curiosity, could there be an advantage to a bat’leth in an extended fight because its curved and reinforced design makes it less likely to snap than a sword blade? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-klingon-weapons-so-ridiculous/333249/142 "2008-10-06T14:29:55Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Out of curiosity, could there be an advantage to a bat’leth in an extended fight because its curved and reinforced design makes it less likely to snap than a sword blade? No. A handtruck/dolly is reinforced and less likely to snap, that doesn’t mean it works well in a fight. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-klingon-weapons-so-ridiculous/333249/143 "2008-10-06T14:46:54Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > No. > > A handtruck/dolly is reinforced and less likely to snap, that doesn’t mean it works well in a fight. As a black-belt in dolly-fu, I beg to differ. Though I don’t recall bat’leth technique being portrayed as anything more intricate than “swing that mofo!” I can imagine it’s curved two-handed form being useful for disarming an opponent, i.e. he swings a sword at you, you block, then rapidly give the bat’leth a spin to either break his blade or pull the sword from his grip, and even more easily if you can catch the sword in one of the open sections of the bat’leth. The bat’leth, to the extent that is is useful at all even after years of training, strikes me as, at best, a defensive weapon. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-klingon-weapons-so-ridiculous/333249/144 "2008-10-06T15:19:24Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > A handtruck/dolly is reinforced and less likely to snap, that doesn’t mean it works well in a fight. I dunno, not for you or me perhaps, buy Worf could probably clear a bar out rather quickly with one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-klingon-weapons-so-ridiculous/333249/145 "2008-10-06T16:37:33Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > … > Though I don’t recall bat’leth technique being portrayed as anything more intricate than “swing that mofo!” I can imagine it’s curved two-handed form being useful for disarming an opponent, i.e. he swings a sword at you, you block, then rapidly give the bat’leth a spin to either break his blade or pull the sword from his grip, and even more easily if you can catch the sword in one of the open sections of the bat’leth. > > The bat’leth, to the extent that is is useful at all even after years of training, strikes me as, at best, a defensive weapon. It’s a stupid design and any mediocre fencer can get past the “guard” you can put up with one and impale you. It’s what happens when hollywood design artistes try to come up with something new for a humanoid shape to fight hand-to-hand and yet they themselves have only watched movies and have no hand-to-hand combat experience themselves. Then add years of ret-conning and fan wankery and _poof!_ The Bat’leth. > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I dunno, not for you or me perhaps, buy Worf could probably clear a bar out rather quickly with one. I never considered it a true Next Generation episode unless Worf got his ass kicked. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-klingon-weapons-so-ridiculous/333249.md?page=7)