Welcome to Gaia! ::

I was interesting in getting one. But I have no idea whether they're useful for anything. XD I know you can use it as a club when closed... or so I heard. But how else can you use it? XD

Many arts consider the fan a viable weapon. It does, after all as you said make a dandy club when closed. However, the true value of it lies not in bludgeoning but in the way that it forces you to react. The fan is a weapon of deception, soft and light yet forceful and potent. Most don't suspect the power of it so they underestimate it to their own detriment. And since it is not a rigid, powerful weapon like a sword or staff, you cannot use it to confront an opponent's attack directly. Thus you must learn to think in terms of misdirection and deflection if you are to effectively utilize the fan as a weapon. One must also consider the fact that historically combat fans tended to be used to conceal other weapons such as a small razor or some sort of knife. The fan was used to distract while the other weapon did the dirty work. It is a subtle weapon and takes years to master but is one that I consider worthwhile for the character that it builds during that training.