What melee weapons would you choose for when the SHTF?

reply to post by NoJoker13


haha.

It appears you spoke too soon.^

I'd probably have just what I normally carry (I walk at night, downtown, after getting off work)...

A stun-gun (that appears to be a cell phone), and an ASP baton (extendable night stick). A bit paranoid maybe, but I'm a big fan of being better armed than a possible opponent. If anyone actually approaches me within about 30', I take out the "cell phone" from my pocket, and have my finger on the button....

Sadly though, if the SHTF, unlikely I'd be able to keep the stun-gun charged.

If I had time to arm up though, I'd likely go for a nice long machete as my primary weapon of choice, with a survival bowie knife as a second.

everyone always talks about the guns they would want because those are the superior weapons of our times. You're honestly suggesting that you would rather have a samurai sword than an AK-47? If society collapsed and we had to start hunting for food, i would use traps, knives, bow and arrow etc for the hunting. I'd save all of my bullets for good old-fashioned self defense. As for spears, katanas, maces and the like...GET REAL! You're never going to become proficient with these weapons to the point where carrying an unrealistic and unwieldy sword would actually give you an advantage over someone with a baseball bat with a rusty nail in it. There are many good reasons why we no longer carry swords and spears today, and to think that those weapons would somehow become more functional or reliable after the FALL is just silly. Where would you rather go raiding for weapons post-apocalypse; a mechanic's garage, or a museum?

Affix a bayonet (especially a LONG one) to your weapon for a firearm that is also a melee weapon. Other than that, a cheap ninjato (straight, shorter katana), machete. Also, plan to have a bow and arrows; and/or a crossbow and bolts. Shuriken (throwing stars) and nunchaku (nun-chucks) come in handy for close quarters.

There's nothing like a good, tough sword (ninjato or katana) though. Eventually, all ammo will most likely be used up after a decade or two (if you have reloading capability and plenty of resources, then you're golden). After a decade, should you surive, a sword will distinguish the "samurai" or "knight" from the normal folks, much like in feudal Japan or medieval Europe.

Of course, axes, saws and picks make for GREAT tools that can be used as improvisational weapons.

reply to post by JDBlack


I will wield Excalibur!!!


Ok, seriously, since I'm studying ninjutsu, it would be a katana, and various ninja weps(stars, etc).

Originally posted by RicoMarston
everyone always talks about the guns they would want because those are the superior weapons of our times. You're honestly suggesting that you would rather have a samurai sword than an AK-47? If society collapsed and we had to start hunting for food, i would use traps, knives, bow and arrow etc for the hunting. I'd save all of my bullets for good old-fashioned self defense. As for spears, katanas, maces and the like...GET REAL! You're never going to become proficient with these weapons to the point where carrying an unrealistic and unwieldy sword would actually give you an advantage over someone with a baseball bat with a rusty nail in it. There are many good reasons why we no longer carry swords and spears today, and to think that those weapons would somehow become more functional or reliable after the FALL is just silly. Where would you rather go raiding for weapons post-apocalypse; a mechanic's garage, or a museum?

Keep in mind that this forum, and all of ATS is one of ***THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION***. No one person knows it all and there are many great ideas to be shared. It is truly possible to have interaction on ATS without insults and rude behavior. --Just saying you're coming across as an arrogant know-it-all condescending ________ fill in the blank at personal discretion (generally, the ruder a person is, the ruder his imagined fill-in-the-blank insult will be).

That being said. There are many reasons to use melee weapons. I happened to address one reason in my last posting here. Basically, guns will break with repeated use. Unless you are a gunsmith, are very familiar with guns at least, and/or have the right tools, when a firearm has a catastrophic failure (should you still be alive), chances are the weapon will be useless. Further, if your weapon doesn't jam, and you end up in a firefight (or seven or more), ammo, being a finite resource, will ultimately run out. Even if a person has 1000 rounds on him and 10,000 rounds stockpiled somewhere, how are you going to carry 10,000 rounds of ammo everywhere you go? Answer: you can't and you won't. If you did, your vehicle would be filled to capacity with ammo, and would therefore not be much good for anything else. And that is assuming you have enough gasoline. The point: a person can only carry only so much ammo into any given situation. This is a strong consideration when our military makes an attack: personal ammo.

Once engaged in whatever hostile scenario you might imagine, there's a good chance that prolonged encounters will result in a great deal of expended ammo. You might probably run out before you are resupplied by friends or are forced to retreat. Once you are out of ammo, if your firearm is your only weapon, then you basically have a glorified and awkward club. If you only had a pistol, sorry about your luck; it's just a very short club at that point.

At this point a sword, an axe, ---a shovel, even, is crucial if you are being attacked. Some people might say something about if they don't have a gun then they're surely going to die at that point anyway, --and that a melee weapon might be useless. Well, if you give up, then you give up. Go ahead and defeat yourself. "It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings" and "It ain't over 'til it's over" are popular sayings for a reason. Personally, I'd want back up in the form of a sword (or whatever).

Also, an AK-47 is not very stealthy. What if you want to conduct a silent operation? Guns are sort of a bad idea for STEALTH. For silent ops, you'd need a bow and arrows, perhaps a crossbow, a sword, bayonet, machete, etc.

One of my favorite quotes is: IF YOUR ONLY TOOL IS A HAMMER, THEN YOU WILL SEE ALL OF YOUR PROBLEMS AS NAILS. This applies to almost everything, from saying you only want firearms after the fall of civilization, to anyone being narrow-minded and condescending to others on ATS thinking they know it all.

Let's keep in mind that this is supposed to be a collaborative discussion, not a bunch of teenagers (or people who act like teenagers) slinging insults back and forth. --Just my take on things.

Originally posted by Gazrok
I'd probably have just what I normally carry (I walk at night, downtown, after getting off work)...A stun-gun (that appears to be a cell phone), and an ASP baton (extendable night stick). A bit paranoid maybe, but I'm a big fan of being better armed than a possible opponent. If anyone actually approaches me within about 30', I take out the "cell phone" from my pocket, and have my finger on the button....

That evokes a scene from a mental movie... You're leaving work, walking home. It's a bit dark because several street lights are out. Two "scary" looking, tatooed individuals approach you, and because it's dark, you can't see their faces, but they are well built and seem to be looking in your direction and slowing down. You reflexively pull out your stun-gun "cell phone" and finger it, ready to strike, so worked-up are you. But, they pass without incident. Breathing easily again, you continue to walk, still shaken somewhat by the tension. Your real cell phone rings in your pocked. But, still shaken, you put your stun-gun "cell phone" to your ear and press the button! ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzapppppppp! --and immediately collapse, twitching violently on the sidewalk.

That's a neat disguise for a stun-gun. I hadn't heard of those before. Thanks! I might even get one. I've been wanting to get an extendable asp, but hadn't found a good website from which to order one. Any suggestions?

Too bad there are no weapons like the katana wielded by Sulu in the latest Trek movie last year. Remember that? He had a hilt, and the blade sort of snapped out from it quickly in sections.

I guess if it ever came down to swords and shields I'd go for a sickle blade welded to an iron bar with a leather grip. Good for getting around or over their shield for a hit.

I have a set of Katanas...

I should get a Batleth.

Ka Plah!

Originally posted by JDBlack
Everyone always talks about what types of guns they would use in a SHTF senario, but no one ever considers what they would use after they run out of ammo. I plan to have a machete or ax to use for melee. However, I would like to aquire a katana or gladious, mabey a spear, could be used for hunting too. What type of melee weapon do you plan to use? And please keep on topic.

by SHTF do you mean zombies or government?

because if its government then all your knives, swords and clubs wont ge you far, you'l just get shot from their armord jeeps or helicopters

You'd be amazed at what a nice steel dog chain can do. Wrap it around your hand and rush in, a couple of shots to the face and then back release the chain while swinging and lash up the face with the snap lock end. Melees are fun.

I remember a friend of mine in JHS, we had a rumble in a big street in the BX and he took out a weapon he had made. SWEET! While everyone was rumblling, like 50 guys in total no exaggeration, he starts swinging a knitting thread with a rolled up and secured foot long barbwire; the razor kind not the bobby one. He cleared it out while I swung my bookbag around with 30 lbs of books in it lol.We cleared them out quick to get to the bus. Cops were everywhere.

Blackjacks were a melee weapon of choice back then. Those things can do damage. Also metal rods from public school windows can crack femur in half and allow for a victim to be stomped out for talking ish. LOL we were cruel kids.

Machetes would get you arrested so we learned to carry screwdrivers. Box cutters were kool until you started getting arrested just for carrying one. Also another fave was the bottle. Easy to find and easy to use, every fight I saw and was in eventually brought a bottle into play.

Socks with pool balls inside of them would crack open a head like a coconut by a nice construction hammer. LMAO the hammer: the melee version of a shotgun. You get hit with a hammer and something is going to be fractured enough to make anyone bow out. Ive seen dudes get hit in the ribs with hammers, big dudes, and run to the train never to be seen again.

WOW melee is fun until you get hit hard enough to disorient you, then it feels like everyone is hitting you and youre spinning out of control. Dangerous yes, and I'd rather just kill people from a distance or with a nice booby trap explosive. LOL but violence is a thing of my past.

The art of negotiation is best but every while you have to get your hands dirty. So always volunteer for coup de grace. Sad creature man is in the end.


reply to post by amc621

My M38 Mosin Nagant rifle has a very nasty steel buttplate that could probably crack someone's skull with ease.

I also got a Hi-Point pistol I could use as a hammer (it's that heavy lol)

otherwise i'm completely lacking in the melee department except for some tools and kitchen knifes.

In my personal opinion, 'everyone' should have a Machete as a backup.
Very handy with a machete as I have to use daily on the 'organic' fArm.

reply to post by Perseus Apex


Lets see how old people on this thread are. How about soda cans in a sock, What movie is that from?

reply to post by JDBlack


Well from a unrealistic movie perspective, yeah pretty cool weapons.

The katana is not a "hacking" weapon, it "slices" it takes a great deal of skill to use a katana properly, you dont just "swing it", if you dont know what your doing you WILL snap it after a few hits, a real one at least. (despite what you see in the movies, if 2 katana's collide, they would probably snap on the first hit, definelty on the second. most fights ended in about 3 moves, they would "flick" the an opponents sword out of the way using the sides, making way to strike.)

Its debatable wether ninjas used any kind of specific "katana" most of the time they would carry sticks, as they would never go "toe to toe" with a samuria anyway. (they run away, come back later & kill em in their sleep!) They were mostly used to get over walls or pry open doors. (there is no historical reference to any type "ninja katana" they did use shorter version though, samuria's also carried them as a secondary weapons,im sure its also just called a "katana") Unless you spent years training, not much point (although the scare factor may be worth it)

The Gladius however is effectively useless unless you have trained with it (properly) for YEARS (and years). You have a Gladius I have a 2 by 4, I will win every time. Its a huge, heavy ONE HANDED weapon, just a big lump of metal on the end of a little handle, you miss your first swing, you'll either hit yourself or the ground, if you hit it'll bounce right out of your hand, unless like I said you have done intense training for YEARS and/or have forearms like tree trunks!

The spear is good, quick simple and you can throw it if you have to, but from a realistic stand point you need to think about what you can handle, could you REALLY take hacking the side of a guys face of with a huge blade? Im pretty sure Id lose some sleep over that, I mean dont get me wrong if its life or death fair enough, but your not gonna want to kill every single person you fight with, and remember if TSHTF there will be no hospitals, so what is a simple flesh wound now could easily kill you or someone else in that scenario .

But if it happens, asses may need to kicked, I think Crossbow or bow for hunting & long distance & stealth fighting,a good club of some kind, decent alloy baseball bat or a good steel pole, something sturdy and a decent knife or axe for back up . Also a pair of shin guard, reinforced with some metal bar for my forearms, doesnt matter how good you are, at one point you will need to use your arms to protect your head! No hospitals remember! (and If I got my hands on a katana, I WOULD carry it, but only for the scare factor, Making them run away or give up is even better than fighting!)

reply to post by Becoming


I'm new but i always keep my fairbarn-sykes commando knife on me at all times, even to work but dont tell my boss LOL

reply to post by amc621


"Cans in a sock"?
Sounds like a prison flik.

I have one for you.
Which movie is 'this' from?
"Improvisation is the secret to genious".

Never give away the element of 'surprise'.
Why warn a fellow how your going to punish them?
So he may get 'Ready' for you?

I prefer the invisible or rather invincible Spear.
True Blue.

reply to post by Perseus Apex


You are right, a prison movie. With a HUGE star in it as a youngster. I'll give another hint, another movie of the same name came out 12 years later with a TOTALLY different story.

reply to post by JDBlack


A katana...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/486cc7ee8a4b.jpg[/atsimg]

Make that 2 of them... light and maneuverable.