I Only Have Historical Films To Draw On,

but in a duel it is normally, "Choose your weapons"

a pair of duelling pistols or swords the normal choice, but for myself a first, the weapon of choice? a sand filled sock! it all happened towards the end of 1902, the above illustration was published in “Le Petit Journal” November 1^st 1902, apparently in the rue du Général-Morin, Louise Henin, a girl of twenty, became so angered by Andrée Merle, twenty-three years, for reasons that have long been lost, a duel between them transpired, much to the amusement of the locals, (look at the locals faces), the girls went at it until Louise Henin collapsed, after a blow so violent that she had to be transported – in a very poor shape – to the Hotel-Dieu hospital, as for her opponent, Andrée Merle, she quickly melted into the crowd, now here is the problem, the next time I watch a period drama when the protagonist are offered a sword or a pistol I am going to have to shout out, "Or a sand filled sock!", the above Found via Old French Crime from the Gallica Archives.