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Thread: Smaller Saps?

  1. #1
    Member
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    Oct 2011
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    Texas

    Smaller Saps?

    Mods/Staff, feel free to move this thread.

    I’ve seen a few posts on this forum in the past regarding saps but I never delved into due to state law. It appears that is changing for Texas so I’m actually interested in some of the smaller finger and palm and coin saps available. Any comments on effectiveness or training with these tools?

    I have some judo/jj experience but not too much in the way of striking, and I was more interested in the palm saps as opposed to the larger ones for carry but I don’t know very much in the way of drills or dedicated instructors for it - unless I’ve overthinking it. Thanks in advance!
    When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk. -Tuco
    Today is victory over yourself of yesterday... -Miyamoto Musashi

  2. #2
    i am not a fan of the finger/palm saps. I just don't think you get the bang for the buck. They are not quick to access or put on (certainly generally slower than the standard ones), and you lose any reach you get with a regular sap. You also lose the ability change up the impact by having the choice of the edge or the flat that you do with a normal flat sap. To me they are more of a gimmick than a usable EDC type thing. I have a hard time visualizing a situation where a private citizen will have either the time or the foreknowledge to have a finger or palm sap in place ready to go, and in a typical criminal assault, you are not going to have the time.

    Having said that, YMMV and everyone is different, so I would take a look here:

    https://www.davidsonleather.com/home/saps/


    http://www.greenmanleather.ca/jack-saps.php


    https://d3protection.com/palm-and-finger-saps


    I have saps from the last one, but none personally from the first two, but I know plenty of people who do, and I have not heard anything negative on the quality of their work.

    One thing I would strongly encourage you on is to get some training, especially seeing as how you have little in the way of a striking background. the only sap course where someone actually put together a deep dive into saps and jacks and not just some generic impact stick class that they reconfigured is Larry Lindenman's of Point Driven Training. Steve Moses of Palisade Training Group is hosting Larry Dec 7/8 in Dallas. I would urge you to sign up. Larry does not cover finger and palm saps specifically, but does cover the general principles.

    http://www.ptgtrainingllc.com/store/...or_Course.html
    For info about training or to contact me:
    Immediate Action Combatives

  3. #3
    Member
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    Oct 2011
    Location
    Texas
    Cecil, thanks so much for the information - great content and contributions like this are why I keep coming back to this forum, I appreciate the help!
    When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk. -Tuco
    Today is victory over yourself of yesterday... -Miyamoto Musashi

  4. #4
    I had a 7" one that was perfect once, gave it away bc they are illegal in my new state of Michigan. It was perfect, would disappear in a normal sized front jean pocket. The hand strap on it was supple and soft too, which I preferred to the formed and firm version. I'll see if I can find a pic somewhere, but I remember I paid under 20$ for it.

  5. #5
    the current issue of Concealment has a really good article by Larry on Saps and Jacks. Here are a couple of older articles from Concealment online (note that one of the articles has nice things to say about me - just a caveat):


    https://www.recoilweb.com/the-art-of...wn-143329.html

    https://www.recoilweb.com/striking-distance-143325.html
    For info about training or to contact me:
    Immediate Action Combatives

  6. #6
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    Nov 2013
    Location
    Illinois
    When I worked long term care I took care of an old timer who ran a jewelry store back in the day. He kept in his room, a big ass slapper that must have been a foot long.

    I got the distinct impression that even this feeble old man who walked with a cane could deliver an unpleasant strike with that worn out piece of leather and I wondered how many heads he'd had to thump with it.

    If the director of nursing had known about that she'd have probably lost her shit, but me and this old timer had a few decent conversations and she would never hear it from me.

    Come to think of it, I had a number of good conversations with a number of old timers with combat time in WWII, and Korea. Lots of hunters, competitive shooters etc in the Northern IL and Chicago area, some even back when there was a trap range on Lake Michigan...It's a damned shame that so few of that generation are left now.

    A coin sap is an appealing thought to me, given the legality of saps in IL and especially because my striking skill set, while decent, is nowhere what it should be against a half decent boxer.

    Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

  7. #7
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    I had a sap collection which I gave away item by item to police officers interested in collecting them. I well remember when every cop carried one. I also gave away my sap gloves, a choice not known to all. For me saps were items to collect. I see saps having little use for civilians. One exception might be a larger one kept indoors near a door.

  8. #8
    banana republican blues's Avatar
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    Aug 2016
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    Just took delivery this afternoon of a Boston Leather "Midget" sap and the size is perfect for what I wanted...something small and pocketable.

    6.75" and 9.5 ounces. Fits perfect in the small outside pocket of Duluth Trading Post firehose cargo pants or shorts. Very pleased.

    Last edited by blues; 08-28-2019 at 03:54 PM.
    There's nothing civil about this war.

    Read: Harrison Bergeron

  9. #9
    Member Gadfly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blues View Post
    Just took delivery this afternoon of a Boston Leather "Midget" sap and the size is perfect for what I wanted...something small and pocketable.

    6.75" and 9.5 ounces. Fits perfect in the small outside pocket of Duluth Trading Post firehose cargo pants or shorts. Very pleased.

    Can you pos a pic of that in your hand so I can get a scale of how much grip you have compared to “slap” surface?


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    “A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.” - Shane

  10. #10
    banana republican blues's Avatar
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    Aug 2016
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    Blue Ridge Mtns
    I have a medium sized hand. About 9" around the knuckles...


    Name:  Boston Leather Sap.jpg
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    There's nothing civil about this war.

    Read: Harrison Bergeron

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