A Blade Doesn't Need Reloading: Top Rated Melee Weapons For Your Post-Apocalyptic Survival Enjoyment

It's been a week since the outbreak first started, blackouts occur regularly, roving hordes roam the streets and sometimes the countrysides. Miraculously you've survived this far with your wits, and a 9mm Beretta by your side.You're low on ammo, low on food, and have been trapped in a barn by a wandering horde. Only 3 shots remain as the horde descends you look back on when it all began, where it was thought better to go to the gun store than look for a proper melee weapon. Sadly, all that was found was your pistol and a limited supply of ammo. Regret comes to mind at what you could have done, you take down two of the undead monsters with clean precision, with one last shot you raise the gun to your head, and pull the trigger.


Now only imagine how much better things could have gone if you had decided to grab a melee weapon along the way instead of always scrambling to find ammo for a pistol. Instead of being trapped in a corner by the undead horde, you could have survived another day. So be smart, grab a blade, a bludgeon, anything that can smash through a zombie skull or slice through the brain. For everyone's benefit a list has been compiled that is meant to recommend the best melee weapons to get the job done and why they're the best.

• Starting out we have the common machete, a versatile tool that can be used to chop, slash, and decapitate. Easy and simple to use without much training though safety must be kept in mind. Not the best tool for continuous zombie killing as it will need almost constant maintenance and sharpening after each use.
• Next up we have the hammer, useful for smashing, nailing, and building. When it comes to fortifications and survival the hammer is an essential tool. Comes in many varieties from the ball peen light-weight and deadly, to the sledge hammer strong and durable. Not much maintenance would be required unless the handle of the hammer will need repairs. A shorter range though puts the user in more danger than other weapons with a longer reach.
• After, we have an old firehouse favorite the ax, useful for decapitating and chopping for survival and building. Unless you can chop wood with your mind the ax will be essential. Comes in many varieties from the one handed camping ax, to the heavy double bladed ax. May not require as much sharpening after every use but will require cleaning and maintenance.
• Up next a favorite from the Half-Life series, the crowbar, a solid metal bar curved at one end, useful for prying open doors, hammering, and smashing in skulls. Useful if you've got the strength and wit to be careful, no real maintenance required and no training either so can be used in a pinch

• Unless you live next to a store that sells classic weapons, you may not encounter some of my favorites, the Japanese katana, the medieval longsword, the viking war axe, and the Spartan spear. Though these may not be common retail items, when it comes down to the best of the best melee weapons to have, these weapons will get the job done. While the ancient Spartans and the aforementioned 'spear' may not be specific, any spear or javelin is potentially useful as it provides a longer distance between you and the undead. If you do happen upon such a tool, be sure to also have a close range weapon for any zombies that get past you field of death, I recommend the katana or the war axe as both can be used in short range, though the katana is a blade that requires a certain amount of skill to be potentially deadly with, and to well not cut off your own arm by accident. It's always good to be prepared, so get yourself a melee weapon today just in case. Remember that most sites sell these weapons, but they are for display and are not battle ready. Sites that do sell such weapons are coldsteel.com and any others, well I don't know of them right now.

So remember, it's not always smart to go for the gun-wielding bad ass, because once you're out of ammo, all you've got is a hunk of metal. A potential melee weapon yes, but do the smart thing, get a real weapon before you're forced into a corner. Be ready and stay strong my friends