In a surprising turn of events, one of my many areas of expertise has been called upon to write an article for Living Behind Bars titled "Shankmaking 101: Crafting the perfect weapon for each occasion". Bet you didn't know there is an etiquette to shanking. Well there is.

And excerpt from the article I'm working on:
"You can certainly shank someone with any old sharpened object, but you can imagine the gossip that will circulate through the recreation area if you use a white shank after Labor Day. After all, you are not a prisoner without taste.

The first consideration in creating the right shank for the job is material. If you're planning a cafeteria stabbing, a sharpened plastic utensil is obviously the most appropriate. Likewise, a toothbrush handle, honed to a fine point, is perfect for those balmy shower shankings."