A measure of danger: Weapons from a tape measure

A colleague recently asked me, “What could a contrabandist craft from a single tape measure?”  This was a good question and something that I had not yet pondered. 

Her query prompted me to look at the common flexible metal ruler.  I added a roll of painter’s tape to the mix to increase the grim possibilities.  It is a completely plausible scenario. What if an enterprising contrabandist acquired these items?  What weapons might later be in circulation?

It is said that a picture is worth 1,000 words. With that in mind, I offer nine times as many pictures and about 40% of the words.