Alpha Innovation kubotans
A company called Alpha Innovations LCC came up with a new Kubatons. They are made from polymer, or, as some people wrongly call it, plastic.

So what, do you think? Well, read on.

First impressions
These Kubatons are light. Very light. If you are used to steel kubotans, or even aluminum ones, you will appreciate the difference immediatelly, and even more so after a few days of carry.

Thanks to machined grooves with rounded edges, they offer a good grip that doesn't hurt the holding hand during strikes. They have an eye-pleasing matte finish that hides scratches well and further improves owner's grip.

Alpha Innovations Kubatons come in two lenghts, 5 1⁄4 and 4 3⁄4 inches long. The longer is better for people with larger hands as it allows striking with both ends, the shorter is best suited for thumbcapping the flat end and striking with the tip.

Both are well suited for concealment, because of almost no weight and a non-glare finish.

Tests
When I saw the Kubaton's tip, my first thought was "nasty“. It is steep enough to drive deep, and rounded enough to really hurt without actual tissue penetration. I poked myself several times and what I found out exceeded my expectations, pain-wise.

Full power strike into a bony area would definitely take somebody out of fight. The relatively small impact area makes pokes and jabs into mucle groups unpleasant, too... very much so.

I hit a pine board with this Kubatons, and made a deep dent. Several strikes after, the board cracked. Kubatons has no scuff whatsoever... not even after I hammered it through another board, to find out if the Alpha Innovations claim that their kubotans will survive such treatment is true. It is.

The only thing that was able to damage (gouge) the Kubatons tip was a full-power strike into a rough concrete wall. I tried brick before that, and the Kubatons was just taking chips out of it!

I don't believe that it it possible to destroy this thing with any normal means. Sure, a saw or a blowtorch can manage it, but strikes? No way.

Conclusion
These Kubatons are light, strong, totally impervious to elements, effective, and cheap. Do I need to say more? Get one, if only to try it out.

Alpha Innovations also plans to make 6 inch kubotans and Koppo Sticks. That's right, polymer koppos for affordable prices!

With the set standard of quality, they will be undoubtedly great. Look out, metal kubotan makers... here comes your Nemesis!

Michal Barda