Tools:

Axe: In terms of usage by an untrained hand, this thing can cause more problems then it solves. The long handle, while giving an initial advantage, becomes an unavoidable liability at closer ranges. Its hefty blade and easily leveraged handle lend themselves to some truly devastating blows to the head and neck, which are just as likely to fracture a neck as to decapitate. Unlike many of the previous weapons on this list, you won't get a second try. However, this weapon is also an excellent utility. Locked doors, provided their wooden, become less of an obstacle. Closed containers are easily opened. Wooden materials are procured as long as there are trees! Like the sledge hammer, this can penetrate a skull with ease due to the leverage and the weight of the head.

Sledgehammer
Sledgehammers are actually quite useful, as a weapon and for other uses, too. As for its use as a weapon, with a good swing this tool is more than capable of crushing Zombie skull, and as an added benefit, you don't have to worry about it getting stuck in his falling cadaver. The sledgehammer's biggest drawbacks are the weight that makes it such an efficient tool. This weight translates into a relatively long recovery between swings. This is a weapon best used against only one or two foes. Another drawback also related to weight is the difficulty in transporting a sledgehammer without a vehicle. Far too heavy to be part of a regular load, this should be considered a weapon of opportunity.
Smaller, one-handed versions are available that weigh considerably less, are easy to swing, and pack more a punch than a simple hammer.

Shovel/Spade/E-tool: There are three basic varieties - the classic shovel, the spade, trench folder. The full shovel is, at best, a weapon of improvisation. It is, however, a good tool to keep individual foes at bay (Simply hook the blade under its chin and drive it to the ground.), and a good actual tool for other uses. The spade is, however, faced with several of the same problems as its larger ilk without the advantage of reach. In close range it is the equivalent of a dulled, hatchet with very little impact power. To anyone who believes that they can put down a zombie with the flattened side of the shovel, please do not try to. Let me assure you, If it will not put down a HUMAN, it most certainly won't put down a painless, fearless beast that will likely grab you and have a fine meal of your throat the moment you go for another swing. However, it IS useful for digging latrines, trenches, and some uses a crowbar would be useful for.

Crowbar: Not the best in terms of being a weapon, but it allows those who carry them to break into previously unaccessible areas. IF used as a weapon one is better of aiming the straight end towards the eye and jamming upwards into the brain (very good aim is required for this), or bludgeoning the skull with the curved end, followed by the attack previous, which all in all is much more effective at dropping an undead foe. Note: (This can be used to open things that you normally couldn't.)

Bladed Weapons:

Halberd: I saw this thing and fell in love. Talk about crowd control. An 8 1/2 in. axe blade with sharpened hook and spike all on a 6 foot pole. Ever chopped firewood with an axe that had a 3 foot handle? Imagine the momentum this thing generates. Double the energy, half the effort! Then you have the spike for thrusting and spearing, and a hook for dragging or skull busting.
Halberds have been around for 600-1000 years for a reason, they wail ! Plus, they never need reloading, just rub them with a file or decent rock and presto! Good as new!
But of course, like the spear, once something gets too close, the reach is a liability. When that happens, simply drop it and pull a close quarters weapon and keep going!
This particular halberd was produced by Cold Steel. Although it's been discontinued off of the C.S. website, search the web and you should be able to find one easy.

Hatchet/Tomahawk: A useful weapon for close encounters, provided one doesn't attempt anything flashy or foolish. Don't expect any skull breakers with this, or to actually sever a neck on your first swing. Axes as a whole aren't meant for ONE swing.. They're meant to CHOP. That means be prepared to take another swing or three at the zombies neck! Do not, do not, *DO NOT EVER* bank on killing it in the first swing! However, one could actually circumvent severing the head proper if they go for the back of the neck. Even if your sole purpose is to kill the zombie(s), as opposed to escape, it is a simple matter involving your foot and gravity once the spinal column is severed. But, do remember, this is a close ranged weapon.. Very close. So if one can avoid engaging the zombie at all, do so.

Hunting Knife: A very useful tool for zombies. Lightweight and packs a punch. Easy to strap onto a belt or something else. A very close range weapon. Not recommended for killing zombies due to its short reach and generally low penetration of the skull, unless stabbed into the bottom of the jaw to severe the spine, this is not suggested for accuracy and control reasons.
Zombieshredder: A blade like this one that isnt serrated would be bast as the serrated edges could get caught in a zombie, leaving you open to be attacked as you tried to remove the knife.

Katana: A single edged blade favored by the samurai. It may sever limbs or even decapitate a zombie, but remember, a decapitated head can still bite. A katana is also strong and sharp enough to slice a bullet in half. This would be much better than a machete because it is longer and stronger than it. BEWARE: Most of the katanas you find (yes even the "battle ready" ones) are for display only, and will shatter - not good when the blade is all that stands between you and a horrid eternity as the living dead. Like the advice on swords above, do you homework before buying. Look for blades made for tameshigiri (cutting) work; they should easily be able to deal with rotting bone and flesh!

Machete: Hailed as a holy grail, savior, weapon of utter destruction by many an author and anonymous web user, this weapon may well be right next to the trench coat as the most hyped piece of zombie slaying material by self declared experts. I am not, however, knocking the merits of this blade. It is relatively cheap, reliable, has a decent reach ( Depending on blade length, of course. ) and is light enough for those on the go, especially compared to "battle ready" arms and armor that will likely snap at the handle if used in actual combat. ( More on that later. ) In terms of general use, the machete is an excellent companion. In addition to its exciting, combative abilities, the tool also makes for an excellent method of trail clearing, brush clearing, and so on like that. ( But do NOT attempt to chop wood of any sort with this.. Unless, of course, you desire to needlessly wear down a tool of survival. )

Spear: Fairly straightforward. A long stick with a sharp piece of metal or rock on the end, or even just one end being sharpened to a point. To use it you just jab the pointy end into a zombie skull, through the eye or temple, or if you can muster the strength through another part of the skull and into the brain. Can also be used to keep a zombie at a distance as they are long weapons. Note: May get stuck. Training and/or practice recommended before use.

Sword: simple and effective, but if it gets stuck in a zombie, it can be a bit of a pain. Use when against 1 or 2 is advised although, if there is a line of zombies you can take out some with a big swipe. Remember, as with katanas, even the "battle ready" ones are most of the time fake, ineffective and will break. The solution is to do your homework ahead of time. There are plenty of zombie-ready blades available, but you need to sift through the ones that will leave you drooling for brains to find them. Expect to spend several hundred dollars, go to blade forums to do some checking on the blade you're eyeing, look for reputable manufacturers/smiths, and don't forget to practice with something dull before you start wailing about with your three foot razor blade.


Bayonette: This thing never runs out of ammo! Fixed on the end of a decent gun, the two can prove to be a lifesaving combination. A quick jab into the face can mean an instant kill in a melee situation. Again, not a commonly obtained item, and not legal for civilian use in all states.


Trench Spike: Used in World War One, these were made for rough hand-to-hand combat. The blade may be swung into a zombies skull, and the design usually allows for easy removal from the zombie. This weapon does require the physical strength to put the blade through the skull, and the accuracy to place it there. This is also not a commonly found weapon, and those that are found may not be in combat condition. As with the Bowie Knife, stabbing directly into the skull is impractical, a stab to the lower jaw up into the brain would be better. Also if you scroll down to the entrey, Brasss Knuckles, you may find some simalaritites between these two. When griping the knife in the finger holes it can be used as brass kuckles if a zombie suprises you and you dont have time to stab or the tip breaks. And there are spikes on the knuckles for extra damage.

Blunt Weapons:

Baseball Bat: This bludgeon, perhaps more so then any other of its like, has more variations in quality and use. In general, however, the baseball bat is a fairly useless weapon. It lacks a one hit kill ability, general applications such as prying doors or hammering a nail, or anything such as a ready-made sheath, belt loop, or folding ability. However, situation may demand unconventional usage of it. For example.. You hit a zombie once. It continues. As opposed to lunging for a second swing, take your bat at half mast, place a hand on its end and use this to keep the zombies teeth off of you. Experiment with various grips, tricks, methods and so forth before attempting to go out with this. If at all possible, finding another person to practice with. ( A note on aluminum bats: While striking power may be improved, durability overrides this in any situation. If at all possible, use a wooden bat; if not, then go with aluminum.) All bats will bend or break when used repeatedly on a skull.skull.ZS207-You could always use it as a hammer.

Flanged Mace: Maces were the world's first weapon developed with the intentions of killing human beings. Essentially a flanged mace is an advanced club, made of mixed materials such as iron, steel, wood and leather. Usually an iron or steel head mounted on a wooden pole about two to three feet long with a leather wrapped handle and lanyard. The emphasis of the flanged mace is penetrating blunt force trauma, designed originally to deliver heavy blows to helmeted heads and armored torsos, bypassing the armor at point of contact by increasing PSI by lowering connecting surface area. Being an upgraded club, the flanged mace is weildable by all who have two working arms and hands, no great skill is required to swing and connect the striking area to the intended target.
The down fall to the mace is it's need for such a close proximity to the dead to be of any use. It is also possible to lodge the flanges in an animated corpse or not so animated objects around you. It's wooden handle is also vulnerable to damage. Hardening/tempering the wood and leather bindings should help a great deal. The mace also requires room to swing, extremely close courters may provide counter productive. Lastly other than a weapon the mace is of no use to a survivor trying to economize on weight and space, it could very well become ten pounds of junk.
In short; the flanged mace was designed to bash in the heads of individuals, wearing steel helmets, with great efficiency. Bashing in the heads of the rotting animated dead should be all to easy. Comparable with the skills needed to swing a baseball bat or axe.

Useless Weapons:

Chainsaw: It's noisy, needs regular cleaning, guts and other bodily matter jam the blade, runs on already scarce and precious gas. Basically useless in any situation.






Hand Saw: Not reccomended at all, it's worse than the chainsaw. Only real use would be to sever the head or grasping limb of a stuck zombie. For instance, if a building or wall collapses, and the zombie gets stuck under some rubble but still has a hold of you, this can be used to cut off the arm that has hold of you.




Good Ol' Hammer: When has the hammer ever let you down? It definitely will when it comes to zombies. Besides being able to be used for building shelter it is pretty rare for a person to be able to gather enough force to shatter a skull; if it can't take out the head in one blow, don't use it. Warhammers and sledge hammers, though heavier, will yield a much higher kill ratio. Also, don't use the fork end! It will most likely get stuck, and then you dont have a weapon and you die, and we all know thats never good.

Misc.:

Brass Knuckle/Knuckle Duster: In the USA, it's easy to get a hold of (I think.) and is fairly compact so it could be quite easily concealed for use as a very very last resort. Although not as effective as bladed weaponry, I would prefer to use this than my bare fists, and would probably improve your chances as well.

Torch: Zombies are as weak against fire as a regular human is. A torch poses an excellent mode of transporting a flame, but it is a close range weapon unless thrown. Note: Zombies that are on fire are still very dangerous due to the fact they feel no pain. The fire will spread as they move, maybe catching the one with the torch on fire. I would stay away from these on the grounds that the fire takes a large amount of time to reach and properly char the brain, in which time you have lost everything from this carelessly started fire. Can also be used as a source of light.

Rubble: In the ensuing Armageddon, there is bound to be a lot of destruction. Especially in urban centers, this destruction of our inforstructure can work to your advantage. Piles of rubble produce an endless supply of blunt objects and projectile weaponry such as stones and broken wood or pipes. These rubble heaps will be a great spot to pick up the tools you need in a jam. The destruction of our cities can help you survive. Remember that contrary to popular belief, you cant kill zombies with just anything, like a soccer ball or a giant cactus *cough*DEADRISING*cough*.








Spiked Gauntlet: This weapon is basically a glove with one or more metal spikes. This weapon allows you to operate guns, machinery, etc and still shut down a zombie. One of my personal favorites. Keep in mind that you have to get very, even dangerously close, to a zombie and may not kill in the first hit. Of course, actual use of this item would entail rubbing your arm back and forth on a zombie multiple times, virtually cheese grating it to the point of hemorrhaging. During the fifteen minutes this would take, your opponent would have ample time to pause to wonder what the hell you are doing, give up, and devour you bit by bit. This should only be used if you have absolutely no other option and the zombie already has you. Better yet, don't use it.

Unarmed: Perhaps the best weapon I can advise you on are the ones you were born with. While engaging a 'rot' in vicious, hand to hand battle is cinematic and boosts morale, avoiding the battle altogether is the wiser thing to do. Without a weapon to worry about losing, your empty hands will be totally free to get the zombie off of you. A good shove or kick will do much more for your ability to escape then a blow to the temple with a baseball bat ever will. Being able to PREVENT the bite outweighs removing the one which will actually bite it, and avoiding that kind of contact in the first place is most certainly the wisest thing one could do. Just try not to get bitten on the hand.

a stick would be extremely useless considering it wouldn't do much of anything!