The Wakizashi. Opinions? Thoughts?

[ednemo]

Hmmm...allow me to clarify a few things that were stated earlier. This forum is largely a survival forum. So, you are quite correct on the popular feelings on martial weapons. I personally think machetes are not the greatest weapon. If you were to try to cut off heads with one...it would fail on you pretty quickly. Standard machete steel is cheap and crappy and cannot even be sharpened well. This is why I recommended a nice one...such as the Junglee Short Sword. As part of my normal training regime I still practice my dual wakizashi and daisho fighting. Katana's are too heavy to carry around and too unweildy when you are also carrying a lot of gear and one long gun. This is why their is always an effort to make something fill as many niches as possible. (Forgive me for overstating this as it is obvious.) One of the problems of the wakizashi is that while it offers a decent cutting edge, the handle is too short to get a strong enough swing in, to cut off a head. Against humans the japanese styles swords work great! In a zombie situation, the best weapon would be tailor made to kill zombies. A war-hammer, or weighted blade would be the best possible weapon.

All that being said. I have no problem with anyone carrying any weapon that works for them when they are running around killing zombies. But, in this instance you were asking for advice. A lot of people cheap-out when buying a good blade. If you want an effective zombie killing wakizashi. Avoid all of the Paul Chen crap as well as any of the other mass produced swords. I would recommend a Criswell Wakizashi. Get at least a 12" handle on it, and somewhere between a 18-22" blade. Criswell's stuff is meant to last and work. Also make arrangements to be able to sharpen the sword (properly) for maximum effectiveness.

[tupac4rhymes]

ednemo
you are my god

[ednemo]

ednemo
you are my god

Awesome! Does this mean you are going to tithe? If so I can share with you my Paypal Account info.

[-Jason-]

Swords are next to useless. Their blades dull to fast. And cutting through fat and done only does worse thins to their edge. Now a matchete can take some serious poundings.

[TDW586]

Swords are next to useless. Their blades dull to fast. And cutting through fat and done only does worse thins to their edge.

Why do you say this?

[ednemo]

A sword can be a valuable weapon...and unlike some of the heavy-weight monstrosities people have thrown up here lately, a wak is a decent weapon to go around with. It's just not versatile enough to throw on a pack and go hunting zombies with. Of course even a moderately well made machete will dull and die much faster than a sword. But they are lighter and multi-purpose. It's a trade off...and an easy one in my opinion. Get a high quality machete.

[JMalone]

I'm going to endorse the machete here, with some reservations. Personally, myself, I would rather use a bludgeon (say, one of those aluminum T-ball bats that are 2 feet long), because my experience with swords is limited to beating people with foam weaponry.

[ednemo]

Personally, if I were to carry a weapon besides a firearm specifically for killing zombies. I would carry a footman's war hammer. They actually are not too heavy. And have almost no chance of breaking or reducing in effectiveness.

[-Jason-]

Swords are next to useless. Their blades dull to fast. And cutting through fat and bone only does worse thins to their edge.

Why do you say this?

Why do you think swords rarly made it through more then one battle unless they were masterfully crafted?

[TDW586]

Swords are next to useless. Their blades dull to fast. And cutting through fat and bone only does worse thins to their edge.

Why do you say this?

Why do you think swords rarly made it through more then one battle unless they were masterfully crafted?

So, you think that a machete and a sword made out of the same steel (as many are) would have a noticeable difference in durability?



Swords in ancient battles had inferior temper and other metallurgic deficiencies.

A sword made today and a machete made today can both have the same grade of steel.

[TheBlunderbuss]

I'm partial to tanto blades.
I have some cheapo Paki job that...well cuts. Doesn't beat genuine Nipon blades, of course.

[-Jason-]

But matchetes are more flimsy and a lot less expesnive so they dont break nearly as easily.

[TDW586]

But matchetes are more flimsy and a lot less expesnive so they dont break nearly as easily.

Wow. Just...wow.

Alrighty, man. Have a good one.

[Ashemaru]

lol .

I don't know where some people get their misconceptions about swords.

Swords come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. They are all built with the soul purpose of killing human beings in one way or another. To say that a sword is "useless" confounds me. It defies logic. They may not be the best zombie slayers, but they were used and valued by warriors for a great swath of human history.

The trick about not breaking or dulling a sword is knowing how to use it. In the wrong hands, yes, a sword can dull, chip, and even snap. In the right hands, it can be a very effective weapon.

Modern weaponry is by far superior to any sword and, for that matter, any swordsman. But, to pass off a sword as useless is to ignore historical fact.

[tupac4rhymes]

lol .

I don't know where some people get their misconceptions about swords.

Swords come and many forms, shapes, and sizes. They are all built with the soul purpose of killing human beings in one way or another. To say that a sword is "useless" confounds me. It defies logic. They may not be the best zombie slayers, but they were used and valued by warriors for a great swath of human history.

The trick about not breaking or dulling a sword is knowing how to use it. In the wrong hands, yes, a sword can dull, chip, and even snap. In the right hands, it can be a very effective weapon.

Modern weaponry is by far superior to any sword and, for that matter, any swordsman. But, to pass off a sword as useless is to ignore historical fact.

ok, now i have two gods . i totally agree with you man. everyone calls me a pussy because i got a katana before a gun or anything else. everyone who picks my katana up says it's too heavy. i do agree, my katana is heavy, but a few hundred push-ups fixed that . when you have the katana in your hands... its far beyond belief. so before anyone here disses the katana, or feels that a machete is far better, then use a katana first. pick it up, learn some moves from someone experianced and try it for awaile before you dis it. the only people who dis katanas are the ones too weak or impatient to use one

[TheLastRifleMan]

Wakasashis are fine if you can find them and know how to use them. Cold Steel has some of the best I have seen but they are pricey. Look in their catalog and what else do you see? Machetes.

I have owned severel machetes in my time. The cheaper they are, the worse they are. The ones you find in most surplus stores aren't with the price tag and break or won't hold an edge for long.

One brand I have found that is tops is Tramontina. These are made in Brazil and are high carbon steel (keep 'em oiled!) and take an edge quickly and holds it. They make several blade length and designs (one is just like Serena's in 28 Days Later) and are very affordable. Smokey Mountain Knife Works has a good selection, as well as sheaths for them.

I own three of the Cold Steel machetes and have been impressed. The Double Edged is very nice and reminds me of the Roman gladius. The kukri machete goes just about ever where I do, a nice dry spot in my car's trunk. I want to purchase the two handed machete from Cold Steel soon but would like to see one first.

I have to agree about getting pulled over. It is easier to explain to an officer that you have a machete in your trunk when you can also show him your BOB, which may look like camping gear to him. Explaining a sword in you car is much more difficult.

[Ashemaru]

I actually had to do that before (explain to a cop why I had a sword in my car) .

Luckely, he was an ex aikido student and didn't seem to care that much. It may have helped that I was also a city employee and that I am real good at talking my way out of sticky situations.

Either way, I agree. I need to find a nice machete for my BOB.

[saber]

they are made frome hard razor like steel which is not just pron to but desind to break. they will take legs of fast or cut a cow in half but dont have the stay power of more utilterain blades. if comeing across a room full of them the first ones whould fall fast then you are stuck with a lite dull blade insted of a heavy dull blade if it even survives the hacking.
the best kitanas were tested by how many heads taking off before dulling typicaly less then 5 but as many as 15. british swords would be better they were made to hit steal armor all day and still work.
saber

[CLEAR CUT]

HuH?

I think a wakazashi would be an excellent alternative to the Katana. This type of blade would offer more range of motion especially in cramped places( inside of homes or tight hallways). The Sword was designed to kill look into the history books.

As far as the European blades go, if Zombies come out in platemail armor I'll look into a good broadsword or hand and a half. Until then I'm going to stick to my WW2 era Blade slung over my shoulder.

Long Live The Sword!

[tupac4rhymes]

As far as the European blades go, if Zombies come out in platemail armor I'll look into a good broadsword or hand and a half. Until then I'm going to stick to my WW2 era Blade slung over my shoulder.

if you followed brucy in army of darkness, u'd know that to be true. those zombies were armored.

[CLEAR CUT]

As far as the European blades go, if Zombies come out in platemail armor I'll look into a good broadsword or hand and a half. Until then I'm going to stick to my WW2 era Blade slung over my shoulder.

if you followed brucy in army of darkness, u'd know that to be true. those zombies were armored.

That's cool it just ups the degree of difficulty by a notch. I'm still going to stick with mine and I know I'll come out on top!

[Ashemaru]

That's cool it just ups the degree of difficulty by a notch. I'm still going to stick with mine and I know I'll come out on top!

Rock on!!!

[CLEAR CUT]

That's cool it just ups the degree of difficulty by a notch. I'm still going to stick with mine and I know I'll come out on top!

Rock on!!!

May the Gods feel the Power of MY Sword!

[DoubleTap]

Granted, this is coming from a guy who still trains with nunchucks (for exercise and skill development), but I've never understood the appeal of edged weapons for zombie combat. While you could certainly lop off a zombie cabeza or two with a quality blade, you run a high risk of getting exposed to all sorts of potentionally infectious zombie goop or the weapon getting wedged in your adversary. For close combat when a firearm isn't an option, I think blunt force trauma is a better way to go.