Gizmodo once published an article calling deer “nature’s unstoppable killing machines.” A big part of the reason for this description is that deer antlers are remarkably dangerous. In 2017, a cornered deer gored a French hunter to death. Antlers will mess you up, and they don’t have to be very sharp to do it. They’re very strong, a natural weapon that deer use for fighting and dominance contests.
A few years ago, I picked up this antler yawara from Heretic Tools on Instagram — an account that, sadly, I don’t seem to be able to find anymore. I don’t know if the original maker has moved on to another account or left the scene entirely, but as evidence of his passing I have this awesome antler yawara.
Heretic Tools is or was based in the Pacific Northwest. He or she didn’t have a personal name available, preferring to let his or her work speak for itself. Billing the products as “unorthodox modern variations on traditional weapons,” Heretic Tools has a background in Brazilian JiuJitsu, Judo, Aikido, and Iaido.
“My work in private security led me to develop a philosophy of creating non-metallic weapons with plausible deniability factor,” Heretic Tools told me at the time (about three years ago). “It’s a low-tech solution to the high-tech problems resulting from non-permissive environments.”
The tool is small but very effective. It is great as a “poking” defensive weapon, one that can create discomfort, pain, and even injury. Jabbed into “softer” targets its an incredibly effective weapon.
Given that makers like this come and go from social media, if you see a tool like this that you like, it’s wise to go after it while you can. It doesn’t help that folks like me are sometimes very slow to get these reviews out there, but if you can find this maker (or one like him or her), do yourself a favor and consider these natural, “plausibly deniable” defense tools as one possible option for your daily carry.
A tool like that has a number of non-defensive uses, just in case one had to justify it. It is used to apply transfers, or work leather. Often called a bone folder. It adds creases to projects, like holsters (possibly better not to mention that use). A bone folder is actually shaped like a dagger, but it is very fragile. Bone, or antler polish like nothing else, plastic being the obvious substitute. But plastic doesn’t work nearly as well. Amazon sells bone folders.