"What is the best brand? Do you carry one? Easy to use?
Both my mother and girlfriend have been asking me about self-defense when running or walking as they often do. The areas they stick to are safe, however it never hurts to have a little insurance. I recommended a collapsible baton to them, however I'm a gun guy and am not too sure what the best brands or styles are.
Thanks in advance guys"
I have a dim view of any kind of baton or stick to be used by a person of any gender without proper prior training. Even with the training, I don't think the typical female is up to swinging it out in combat with a guy trying to grab her. There are better ways to do this.
Are you in a CCw state, and if so, are your mother and girlfriend the type to take the classes and get trained and certified to carry a gun? A firearm goes a long way to equal things out.
If not, a small cutting tool that can be used instictivly is the way to go right after a can of pepper spray. A really good blast of OC right in the peepers will give them a chance to evade some creep trying to grab them. There are some people who make a speach on how they can fight through pepper spray, but the the object of it is to give the crime victim a chance to evade, not fight. It's a fact that pepper spray will impare vission and hinder breathing, thus giving your mom time to duck, dodge and run. A would be attacker is not going to be running and chasing with a face full of good O.C.
Next down from a firearm and pepper spray, is a cutting tool that is compact, can be placed into action with one hand, is cheap enough to replaced at the next hardware store, and does not require sharpening because it's such a great slicer right out of the package. The sliding blade Stanley utility knife.
As was pointed out by glistam, it was my wife who was indeed attacked by a would be rapist, and she opened up his arm. Back in the mid 70's, Karen had a part time job at night at the local community center, leading exersise and dance classes. The jazzersise craze was in it's beginings thanks to Jane Fonda, and when I came home from work, I'd watch our kids while Karen went to work at the community center. One night a person who had been stalking karen, waited out in the dark parking lot, and jumped out from between two parked cars, grabbing her from behind. With one hand over her mouth, the other arm around her, he was dragging her toward the woods on the edge of the lot. At 5' 3" and 115 pounds, I can only guess he figued Karen was going be easy. Karen, who had already had one hand in her purse groping for her keys, grabbed the Stanley and slid it out and cut up from wrist to elbow. He wasn't hard to find, he was the guy at the local ER claiming he was mugged. The Stanley had done quite a number.
More recently, Karen has been doing work with a group helping down and out women. One younger female named Kate, has become very good friends with Karen, and they were comparing notes on street survival, and Kate showed Karen how to carry one or two box cutters on her person. Since they are so flat, they conceal almost anywhere, and are very effective against grabbing hands and wrists. Kate quoted something she called the cornered cat approach for self defense; when attacked, use your claws in a quick fury to make a break to escape.
It all depends on the person. How far and vicious are your mom and girlfriend willing to go in a fight? The absolute worst thing is for then to not have the mindset to use the weapon when they pull it. But among certain nationalities, and races, women and knives go together, and it is expected for a woman to use a knife for defense. My Karen is half Mexican, and is from Harlingen Texas on the Mexican border. She grew up with a certain mindset, and an uncle on the other side of the border who taught the girls how to be safe when out and about. All of the girls in her family got instruction on how to use a utility knife when they got to be teenages. None were ever assaulted. But that was a long time ago, far away.
Most of all, first off, you need to have a real sit down long talk with your mom and girlfriend, to see where they are comming from. And they need to look inside to see where they are comming from. And where they want to go.
It's not a nice world out there. Have them google Gary Hilton as an example.
Good luck.