[Stealth-Miner Classic Prov 2.37.e
Betty Neyhart
Many zombie survivalists promote or even recommend melee weapons over firearms. One such proponent is Max Brooks, who has wrote in his book that, "blades don't need reloading." This, however, ignores that blades do require reloading in a very real sense. Melee weapons rely entirely on the user for the energy needed to kill something and combat, even with an edged weapon, is extremely tiring and wears on the body. Melee weapons also require extreme care in their use and constant, regular maintenance anytime they are deployed. A blade that sees regular use can require as much or more maintenance and care than a firearm. Using melee weapons also runs the risk of exposing one's self to infection, either through a zombie bite or blood splatter. This is especially true if one is tired or injured.
Bludgeons are weapons that do damage through blunt force trauma or bashing. Such weapons can be found almost anywhere, even if you have to use a fallen tree branch. Finding one that can take repeated punishment of smashing zombie skulls is a bit trickier, but things made from aluminum are both lightweight and durable.
A mace is a type of bludgeon designed to injure through or cave in heavy armor. Typically, they are heavy weapons used by various nations across the globe during the Middle Ages. Its pronged (sometimes spiked) head is also capable of breaking even the thickest bones. The flanged mace favored by the Mongolians was so effective that it could literally disintegrate a human skull in a single strike. However, as may be expected, maces are somewhat rare these days. However, if you can find one and have the considerable strength and fitness required to effectively wield it, you have yourself a great close-range zombie-smasher. Just make sure that you have something to protect yourself from the splatter. It would be possible to make a makeshift mace by attaching something somewhat heavy (like a rock) to a thick stick or a metal bar.
The flail immediately conjures up images from the Dark Ages. A metal stick or ball attached to a handle via a chain, flails were swung in a circular arc and brought crashing down on an enemy's head. Even if they were wearing a helmet, the flail would deliver some serious blunt force trauma, and the helmet could become so distorted that should the intended victim somehow survive the battle, they'd require a blacksmith to help pry the helmet off his head. An even more insidious weapon was the morning star, which had numerous spikes on the ball itself, and when used on an unarmored human head, could cause such damage that most of the brain itself could be flung out of the shattered skull. Over time and repeated usage, the spikes wear down and become nubs, but this does not significantly diminish the damage rendered. However, don't even think of using this against the undead unless you have lots of practice or no alternative. When using a flail, having a slightly longer handle and using two hands can improve one's control over the weapon. Even fully trained modern experts wear reinforced helmets when demonstrating these weapons, because the whirling ball is so unpredictable that the user has a very good chance of smashing his own brain in with the thing.
To parry a flail is a very difficult thing to do. Even shields offer little protection against them. Flails are known for simply going over or around the shield, possibly hitting the opponent or even digging into the shield and ripping it from the user's hands. The same thing, as often seen in movies and video games, can be said for weapons. The only problem with this tactic is that the flail is more likely to wrap around the weapon, effectively making both weapons useless, which can put either user at a great advantage or a disadvantage depending on the strength of the fighters and whether or not they have another weapon.
This weapon is an invention from the late Middle Ages. It was commonly used by infantry to knock horsemen off the horse and could penetrate the plate armor with a well-struck hit. It has a spiked end and a blunt end. It can be used in many ways, mostly as a weapon, but also a hammer. It is most effective when you know how to handle it as it is quite heavy, but it can penetrate or crush the zombie skull. You have to be careful, because it is often curved, and could get stuck in there. Accurate replica war hammers can be obtained online or through Renaissance Faire vendors. It is possible to create a crude war hammer via the modification of a pickaxe or ice axe, however simply using the original weapon is more than sufficient in most cases.
A bō is long wooden, graphite or metal pole. Basically an Asian staff, mastery of these weapons began millennia ago in the Shaolin Temple, in what is now Henan Province, China. From there, their ideas were the basis for other Asian martial arts. Because Asian history is devoid of armies or cavalries donning heavy armor, bashing weapons were reserved for unarmored combat, and piercing and slashing weapons for light armor. As such, bō are ineffective at breaking bones. The use of hardware store dowel rods is inadvisable. Dowel rods are frequently made from pine, which isn't sturdy enough for combat. As a general rule , bo is not useful for fighting the undead (except if you're Sun Wukong, the Monkey King), as the bo lacks the ability to easily perform a killing blow to the head (as the philosophy of the bo is to maime rather to kill)
A dangerous weapon from Japan, the Kanabō is a heavy, 3 to 5-foot long club made from either metal or wood, with rows of either round metal studs or spikes running down the length. The main problems with the Kanabō are that it is heavy (over 8 pounds), hard to find, and has little to no secondary purpose (unless you are hunting and need a secondary method of putting prey down, which would need to be around the size of an elephant to not be overkill). Even in feudal Japan, the weapon was rarely used by soldiers, instead being more of a weapon for those with major strength who could swing and recover fast if they missed their target. In addition, the kanabō may smash a zombie's head a little too well, splattering infected brain matter all over you like watermelons at a Gallagher show. Also, the studs can come off with enough force, making the weapon less useful after every fight.
However, if one has considerable physical strength, and uses the Kanabō in horizontal swings (sending infected gray matter flying away from you), then it is among the best melee weapons you can get. Apart from the studs. And the weapon's greatness is only applicable in certain conditions.
The spiked stick is a simple, easily made weapon. It is a tree branch cut into a club or whatever shape you want it, and with rows of metal bolts protruding from the sides for bashing zombies heads in. If you want, you can replace bolts with pointed screws to pierce the skull. Cut the club to a desired length for your purposes. The main advantage is that it is incredibly easy to make and can supply a group with an effective melee weapon.
Indian Clubs are not Native American war clubs, which are described further on. They are Victorian exercise equipment (borrowed from Asian-Indian Athletes), and fell out of use in the 1930s but have recently regained a retro-comeback among some fitness enthusiasts. Indian Clubs come in a bevy of shapes, sizes, and weights. Some look like short, thick turned-wood chair legs with an adjustable-length metal shaft and a D handle. Others look like bowling pins. Some can take the shape of a glass bottle (pretty much any glass vessel with a narrow neck) and some look like giant, oversized bowling pins with faded circus paint and fading fancy letters that say stuff like "100-pound Herculean". It's worth noting that the vast majority of ones that say they're 100 pounds or more rarely approach that weight. An ordinary, one-handed Indian Club offer a slight increase in range over a knife, but multiple strikes may be needed to smash the brain. However, the majority of Indian Clubs that still survive are extremely well-made out of the most durable hardwoods, or occasionally metal.
An impact weapon invented by Native Americans, especially associated with Iroquois and Algonquin warriors. This pre-contact weapon was traditionally carved from a single piece of hardwood (usually hornbeam, a variant of ironwood) and was much more durable in close-quarter combat than the indigenous stone-headed tomahawks. The slightly inverse-curved weapon typically ranged from 18" to 25" in length and was highly regarded by both Indian and Euro-Americans for its capacity to smash a human skull with a single full-arm swing.
Even after the introduction of steel-headed tomahawks, ball-headed war clubs remained popular for Indian warriors as they never needed to be sharpened, did not rust or have their heads come loose, and could be carried slung through a belt with no fear of cutting the user.
While wood replicas of the ball-headed war club are available, a more affordable and durable polypropylene model is available through Cold Steel (pictured). The Cold Steel offering also features a steel post set into the striking head to concentrate the bone-crushing impact.
Traditionally used by the East Woodland Indians such as the Iroquois and Huron-Wyandot, gunstock war clubs resemble gunstocks but are not made from actual gunstocks. Gunstock-like clubs are usually fitted with a spike or wedge-shaped blade. They can be made of wood or polypropylene, and are effective in bashing skulls and bones of both the living and undead. The gunstock war club is also good for knocking zombies out of one's way.
Popularized by martial arts and screen legend Bruce Lee, nunchaku (or in common English, "nunchucks") were famous martial arts weapons. Most nunchucks were comprised of two identical wooden sticks connected by rope or small linked chain. While potentially devastating to a human opponent (who reacts to both pain and visual misdirection) nunchucks are ill advised to dispatch a zombie. One has to get within grabbing distance to connect a blow with them, and unless the entire structure is made of a sturdy metal or studded, the impact on a skull will, at best, cause a small crack. Even then, the chain cannot be too thick, which means it will quickly wear thin, rust, or outright snap like a bicycle chain. The speed nunchucks generate is substantial, and can cause substantial bruising, pain, bleeding, and hairline fractures in smaller bones. It can also generate concussive force, which is irrelevant to a zombie. It was never designed to penetrate armor or the thick human skull. However, assuming you find a sturdy metal one, and just treat it as a simple flail (a.k.a. skip all the fancy but utterly useless martial arts movie moves), you have yourself an amazing close-quarters zombie smasher. It's worth noting that nunchucks are flashy enough to distract a human, but not a zombie. It is advisable to practice sufficiently before the zombie apocalypse in order to attain the necessary level of competence with the nunchaku, as they are also functional against multiple zombies.
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