Airbags save lives!

[robkelk]

Spotted on the SJGames forums: http://www.azcentral.com/community/chan ... icide.html]Man tries to commit suicide using sword, steering wheel

Is the quality of sword steel really that low nowadays, or are airbags really more powerful than I thought?
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Star Ranger4]

I'd suspect that the airbag actually just knocked the sword out of line, rather than actualy bending it, the Point of failure being in the Tshirt or tshirt
knot.
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children

[Sofaspud]

I dunno, the article doesn't state what quality sword it was.

And, honestly, having been to my share of dealer rooms at cons and supposed blade stores... it would not surprise me at all to find that the sword bent.

A lot of so-called swords are actually cheap stamped steel, which is then ground and buffed to a bright shine. Steel can be pretty bendy. Generally, I've
found, the cheaper it is, the more bendy or brittle it is.

--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs

[Rev Dark]

Okay - I went looking for pics of the sword - not good enough to give you make/model - but here is what I saw.

A twenty four inch blade and single edge with a chisel tip indicate a wakizashi - the blade in the picture shows no indication of a hamon - evan a cheap
etched or ground one. It does not look like stainless steel in the picture - so carbon - which means that depending on the temper, bending it should be
relatively easy (carbon steel will bend, cheap stainless has a tendency to break into sharp, jagged, chunks). Airbags blow with a lot of force, and applied
across the flat of the blade, could easily bend cheap carbon steel.

Cheers,

Shayne

[WengFook]

So, I'm thinking that tying a sword to a steering wheel and hoping the impact or sudden stop at the end will drive you onto the sword is a needlessly
complicated way of killing oneself?
_________________________________
Take Your Candle, Go Light Your World.

[Rod.H]

So, I'm thinking that tying a sword to a steering wheel and hoping the impact or sudden stop at the end will drive you onto the sword is a needlessly complicated way of killing oneself?

The answer to that is YES!, I am thinking this imbecile was aiming for immortality of the CSI, Mythbusters & Darwin Awards kind. Of cause he chose the wrong type of sword & car to do it in.

So Epic Fail to him.

--Rod.H

[Black Aeronaut]

If the dude was on his way out he should have at least blown the cash on a Cold Steel blade.
Outstanding quality for a 'mass produced' brand.