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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 range 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 weapons on this list, you won't get a second try. However, this weapon is also an excellent utility tool. Locked doors, provided their wooden, become less of an obstacle. Closed containers are easily opened. Wooden materials for a handle are easily found as long as there are trees! Like the sledgehammer, this can penetrate a skull with ease due to the leverage and the weight of the head.

Wood Plank: Though it isn't exactly the most effective weapon to finish off a zombie, with no other weapon in sight a plank's bashing capabilities make for a fine improvised weapon. Nails or bolts embedded into one side can increase the damage dealt, but also increase the chance that your plank will get stuck in a zombie's head at the worst possible moment.



Meat Cleaver: It has good flesh chopping power. However, its short reach limits its use and the typical kitchen cleaver doesn't have nearly enough power to break bone.





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Halberd: I saw this weapon 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 quarter 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. Real battle-ready halberds are a rarity.








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Hunting Knife: A very useful tool. Lightweight, multipurpose and easily stowed. This is 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 sever the spine. This is not suggested for accuracy and control reasons, not to mention the fact that you have to get real close and personal. A last-ditch weapon against zombies in any case.
NOTE: A blade like this one that isn't serrated would be best as the serrated edges could get caught in a zombie, leaving you open to attack as you try to remove the knife.







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Katana: A single-edged blade favored by samurai. It can sever limbs or even decapitate a zombie, but remember that 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. BEWARE: Most of the katanas you find (yes, even the "battle ready" ones) are for display only, and will shatter when put to any strenuous - not good when the blade is all that stands between you and a horrid eternity as the living dead. Do your homework before buying. Look for blades made for tameshigiri (cutting) work, as they should easily be able to deal with rotting bone and flesh!














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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 decent reach (depending on blade length, of course) and is light enough for those on the go, making for an excellent companion. In addition to its exciting, combative abilities, the tool is also excellent at trail and brush clearing. Do NOT attempt to chop wood of any sort with this, unless you desire to needlessly wear down a tool of survival.







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Spear: Fairly straightforward. A long stick with a sharp piece of metal or rock on the end, or even just one end 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. Note: May get stuck. Training and/or practice recommended before use.










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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. 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. Cold Steel makes a very sturdy line of swords.





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Bayonet: 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 a zombie's face can provide you with enough distance to get away. Again, not a commonly obtained item, and not legal for civilian use in all states.



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Trench Spike: Used in World War One, these were made for rough hand-to-hand combat. The blade can be swung into a zombie's 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 knife, stabbing directly into the skull is impractical. A stab to the lower jaw up into the brain would be better. When gripping the knife in the finger holes it can be used as brass knuckles with spikes if a zombie surprises you and you don't have time to stab or the tip breaks.





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Monk's Spade: Although at first glance this may be seen as an impractical weapon, it is surprisingly effective. A 6-foot long staff with a flat bell-shaped blade on one end and an outward facing crescent blade on the other. The only disadvantages are the standard disadvantages of a long melee weapon, the difficulty of finding a real monk's spade and that extensive training is a must to utilize the full capabilities of the weapon.























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Scythe: This weapon may seem unwieldy and and not very useful but against waves of zombies, if you know what you are doing, the scythe could be one of the most valuable tools you have. Using one of these as a weapon takes training and hard work, and as a awkward close combat weapon it may not be the best choice to take into battle. Also, you may end up losing a limb or two or decapitating a group member if you are not careful. This is not a weapon you should use unless your on a farm or out in the country where your odds of encountering a zombie are smaller. Use in a city or enclosed area will easily lead to your demise.
















Shillalagh: Basically a crude bludgeon, the shillalagh was used in rural Scotland,Ireland, due to the English not banning its use as a walking stick. Not a good choice, but has some merit.merit.some of these have a knots sticking out and are also very strong compared to other types of wood even against a baseball bat.


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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, situations 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 it to keep the zombie's 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) All bats will bend or break when used repeatedly on a skull. And one can nail a bunch of spikes into it, turning it into a wicked club.






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Flanged Mace: Maces were some of the world's first weapon developed with the intention of killing human beings. A flanged mace is essentially an advanced club made of 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 and lowering connecting surface area. Being an upgraded club, the flanged mace is weldable by all who have two working arms and hands, as no great skill is required to swing and connect the striking area to the intended target.
The drawback of the mace is the close proximity required to be of any use. It is also possible to lodge the flanges' in an animated corpse or not so animated objects around you. Its 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, with extremely close quarters proving counterproductive. Lastly, other than a weapon the mace is of no use to a survivor trying to economize on weight and space, as it could very well become ten pounds of dead weight.


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Cricket Bat: The ol' trusty cricket bat is useful for bashing skulls in and with enough force can smash a ribcage. Not too heavy and can be swung around with great speed if used properly. Basically it is a good all-round weapon but if used for too long could easily break.













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Indian War Club: In battle, a dedicated blow from the ball of the club could easily break a limb or crush a skull like a bat going through a watermelon. For added dynamism, the ball is spiked with a small iron spike. Cold Steel makes a version that is about two feet long, weighs less than two pounds and is molded out of black polypropylene which is practically unbreakable. Essentially a baseball bat but without the durability problems of its counterpart.

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Bokken/Bokuto: A hardword bludgeon shaped like a katana. Solid hits can bruise and break bones. Not recommended if you haven't trained at least a little with Japanese swords. Unless you plan on hitting trees like a madman, it should hold up in battle. These can usually be ordered on the Internet for cheap or found in random China Towns. Cold Steel makes one that is very strong, shown to break the boards of a wooden pallet with no damage to the bokken. However, if your even just an amateur with swords and think you can grab on and run, don't. In a fight with the undead this weapon will break and splinter, becoming useless and you becoming dead faster.

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Chainsaw: It's noisy, needs regular cleaning, guts and other bodily matter jam the blade and it runs on already scarce and precious gas. Basically useless in any situation. Unfortunately, this weapon strikes most civilians as the ultimate zombie- killer because of its portrayal in movies.







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Hand Saw: Not recommended at all, as 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 on you, this can be used to cut off the arm.



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Hammer: When has the hammer ever let you down? It definitely will when it comes to zombies. Aside from its building purposes, very few people can deliver enough force for it to be an effective skull-crusher. War hammers 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 will be weaponless and you die, and we all know that's never a good thing.










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Pool Cue: a long fragile stick that would be better used for what it is meant for: playing pool. However, if you are forced to use one to defend yourself, quickly break it off and use it as an improvised spear.











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Soda Bottles:

A crude improvised weapon, in the midst of a hand-to-hand fight, a soda bottle can be shoved into a skin bob's mouth until it gets stuck and thereby buy you time to escape.




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Brass Knuckles/ Knuckle Duster: In the USA, it's easy to get a hold of 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 rather than my bare fists. The Brass knuckles have been known to have small blades on the striking edge or improvised additions such as looped barbed wire or metal shards.





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Rubble: After Z-Day, there is bound to be a lot of destruction, especially in urban centers. This destruction of our infrastructure can work to your advantage. Piles of rubble produce an endless supply of blunt objects and projectile weaponry such as stones, broken wood or pipes. These rubble heaps can be a great spot for improvised weapons in a jam. Remember that contrary to popular belief, you can't kill zombies with just anything, like a soccer ball or a giant cactus *cough*DEADRISING*cough*.







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Spiked Gauntlet: This weapon is basically a glove with metal spikes. This weapon allows you to operate guns, machinery, etc and still have some defense against arm bites. Keep in mind that you have to get dangerously close to a zombie and will probably not kill it. 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.




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Unarmed: The absolutely WORST weapon you can defend yourself with is the one you were born with- Your body. When forced to defend yourself against a skin job in direct, hand-to-hand combat, use a good hard shove or kick (do not bother with groin kicks, they hurt but that’s it) to knock them either way, or better still on their asses, allowing you the minute precious seconds to escape.
If it all goes totally south, knock them down, then JUMP ON TOP OF THEM; Use your body weight to hold them down and use an weapon, even a weap of opportunity, to kill the skin job.
WARNING: In a knock-down, drag out, street brawl with a skin job YOU WILL LOOSELOSE EACH AND EVERY TIME unless you escape. The skin job is stronger, faster, and will kill you if you’re lucky. DO NOT GO KUNG FU ON A SKIN JOB. You will die. Or worse.








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Stick: An extremely simple weapon, the stick is easy to use, plentiful in rural areas or city parks and can be used as an improvised bludgeon. Unfortunately, it has very little killing power and breaks easily. Can also be turned into a torch with a rag and some alcohol. The best use of this is to not hit or try to kill the zombie, but better to simply knock it out of the way. Although this may seem stupid to some people, that push will buy you precious seconds to get away.















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ASP Expandable Baton: The ASP baton may very well be THE impact weapon, as it is the lightest and most compact. It might not look like much but it can deliver bone crushing force with ease. Its compact design allows for it to be used in tight spaces such as a dark alley. The ASP can also be retracted and stored for ready use when your firearm runs dry.

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Cane: This weapon is can be used a bludgeon in a pinch. Do not use for long periods of time, as it will p
robably break. Also with the right one, you can look pimp WHILE bashing zombie skulls. What's not to love?