In most situations it is better to engage from a distance. The gun gives you this advantage without a doubt. However the edged weapon should never be overlooked. The ancient accounts of zombies were littered with tales of romans decapitating zombies, knights slaying the demons, The "Brotherhood of Life" killed zombies for centuries without use of firearms. They are a convenience that any practical person should opt for. Why engage a target at close ranges when their best method of attack is in close combat. The edged weapon should be used when stealth, last minute close quarters defense, or conservation of ammo is vital to your survival. This is where edged-weapons excel. Since both types of weapons have their individual strengths and weaknesses, try to have multiple weapons. "Be Prepared." Boy scouts have spoken the mantra for decades. And for good reason.

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Edged weapons, simply speaking, equal death. Melee weapons should only be used as an absolute last resort. If you are see a single zombie and think you could take him easy with your katana, axe, longsword, whatever, then you've already made two mistakes.
The first mistake is taking an aggressive stance towards zombies. Survival requires you to avoid any contact with them. Every single time you encounter one, you run the risk of becoming infected. It's a gamble, every time. Some things can stack the deck in your favor, but NOTHING will ENSURE that you win, every time. The thing you have to keep in your mind first and foremost is Murphy's Law. Something eventually will get fucked up.
Say you do run up and swing your sword. IF you score a direct hit, what happens when the blood splatters you? What happens if some freak accident happens, and a bone chip imbeds itself in you? Then you're infected. What about a non-direct hit? Say you don't destroy the entire brainstem. Then the zombie knows you are there, and you're in range. Sure, you'll most likely win, but the key word is most likely. Combat is a chaotic environment, and ANYTHING can happen.
Or, to add another element of fun, apply to either of the previous two scenarios your weapon becoming embedded in the zombie. More and more possibility of infection, from the previously mentioned chip hitting you, to you cutting yourself pulling the weapon out, to the zombie not really being alone and now you are franticly trying to pull out the weapon while another one shambles over to you. The second mistake is using an edged weapon in general. Especially if you think youre a ninja and can run around stealth killing zombies. Darwin for the win.
My backup melee weapon of choice is a metal baseball bat. Easy to acquire, not likely to get broken, and it's a blunt weapon, requiring a lot less precision or skill to use and not likely to get stuck in a walking corpse.

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Why Not have Both? I Would have My Favorite Handgun (I'm not saying which one because of the debate that will ensue) as well as a Machete, Sword, Axe, or Knife with me.

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