That's the kind of question that leads one to browse vintage tool sites, and eventually to this wonderful photograph. It's a collection of burglary tools acquired by Police Chief William Desmond and displayed at the 1904 Worlds Fair. There's an argument to be made that this is the kind of gear a real vampire hunter would be using. The conventional Blomberg-style accoutrements (the hammer and stakes, holy water, garlic, and all that) are certainly handy, but you only need them for the actual dispatch. Getting to that point is going to require the tools for some classic breaking and entering.*
*Don't forget the pry bar and wedges. I'm told they're the single most useful tools for breaking into a structure, and equally important for making sure you can get out again.
Officer, you don't understand. I'm cosplaying as a vampire hunter...
ReplyDelete--Andy
Van Helsing would approve. He and his fellow hunters brought a number of tools with them to Lucy's tomb and to Carfax, from screwdrivers to wrenches to skeleton keys.
ReplyDeleteThe badge is a nice touch; of _course_ fake credentials can come in handy.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit mystified about the snake whip and opium pipe, though.