[Dave Of The Dead]

I have a steel pipe in my closet just for this kind of purpose. I wrapped tennis racket gripping around the bottom half for a handle :)

[JakAttak]

Darkness said:

"Well, like I said in the introduction post of this thread, this isn't about blunt trauma. It's about bashing Zombie brains in, skull and all." ;-) :lol:

that's blunt trauma

[Hitman]

I think a flanged mace would be about ideal ,something like this

http://www.museumrep...x?CategoryID=91
or this http://www.myarmoury...mrl_rtmace.html

[Dave Of The Dead]

JakAttak said:

that's blunt trauma

Actually, no. Blunt trauma is the term used to describe concussions, abrasions, lacerations, and/or bone fracturing. None of the above can kill a zombie.

[JakAttak]

bone fracturing will if you get a piece of skull in the brain that will put him down

[Dave Of The Dead]

JakAttak said:

bone fracturing will if you get a piece of skull in the brain that will put him down

Then that wouldn't be a fracture, that would be shattering the skull.

[JakAttak]

kinda right what you need is blunt force penetrating trauma

[Dave Of The Dead]

Lol, kinda. But blunt force trauma is the complete opposite of penetration.

[JakAttak]

not quite blunt penetrating trauma is cracking the skull(or other part of the body) with a blunt object.

[Cenobite]

JakAttak said:

not quite blunt penetrating trauma is cracking the skull(or other part of the body) with a blunt object.

Lets just say we want skull bashed right the hell in. Blunt force trauma or not, we want to see bone shattered and brain mashed up.

Here is a nice one, I held one and it feels pretty heavy...the good heavy and sturdy. They advertise it is indestructible, and Im pretty sure it is to a certain extent.

http://www.truesword...TCS92BS_540.jpg

Smaller version.

http://www.truesword...da6e1934ab5cfd7



Now I wouldnt recommend getting any maces, morning stars or flails that are labeled Battle Ready. Unless you made one yourself it is NOT battle ready.

In fact anything from the hardware store is as good as it gets. Sledgehammers, wrecking bars, splitting bars.

Now my personal favourite is the Terminator wrecking bar.
It is quite heavier than your average 24" crow bar making it ideal for causing a lot of damage to body and surroundings. It has an oval shaped body to be even more sturdy than the regular one.

http://img.photobuck...sproc/bar03.jpg

http://img.photobuck...sproc/Bar02.jpg

http://img.photobuck...sproc/bar01.jpg

I also have the 36" version, but that one is overkill.

If anybody remember Im still working on my Skullcrusher 3000. Dont worry, you will get to see it someday.

[JakAttak]

morning stars require a lot of training to master.

[Dave Of The Dead]

A lot of things are hard to master when you try and resurrect a skill that died 500 years ago.

[Cenobite]

Dave Of The Dead said:

A lot of things are hard to master when you try and resurrect a skill that died 500 years ago.

By Morning Star did he mean the flail?
http://www.knightsed...-flail-2605.jpg

In that case...yeah.

But a Morning Star/Mace....you just swing it. Thats the beauty of it, no skill required. :evil:
http://www.fisk-knives.com/Mace.jpg
http://www.medieval-.../DX645Close.jpg

[Dave Of The Dead]

I don't know. With a mace you might as well have a crowbar or hammer or something that would be used as something more than a weapon, you know? I know they look cool and they can do a hell of a lot of damage to stuff, but you cant exactly pry open a door with a morningstar...

[Faran Brigo]

No, but the design of a mace is specifically geared towards breaking things by whacking them with it, that has a few perks that optimize that function. The balance is better than a crowbar since the weight is on the crushing end, and unlike a hammer it's usually one solid piece so it's going to be very hard to break off the handle, it's longer and it has a larger head so that makes combat easier and while it is heavier, that also means there's a higher probability of a kill in less hits. You can certainly bash some things open with it too.

[Dave Of The Dead]

But as with any other desired weapon, is it readily available? If yes, is it made to use in actual combat? A ball of sharpened spikes on the end of a stick is not something I want to be swinging around if I don't know if it will hold up.

[Faran Brigo]

Nope, probably isn't unless you raid a museum. Availability however is an independant factor from quality, the "best" weapon doesn't have to be ubiquitous it just has to be the best. Also, we're talking about class and type, it's obvious that regardless of the kind of weapon you pick, you will have to get the best of that particular quality, and this applies to blunt force weapons, edged weapons and ranged weapons equally.

The exception here applies to firearms because you might need to cannibalize an identical gun for spare parts if yours breaks down, but that's another story.

This post has been edited by Faran Brigo: 15 July 2008 - 11:58 PM

[Dave Of The Dead]

Well yeah, every weapon is going to wear down sooner or later, depending on the frequency of use. It is just easier to replace machine weapons like guns, bows, and crossbows because if one piece breaks, you can replace it from another gun, bow, or crossbow. If the shaft breaks on your sledgehammer or the blade breaks on your machete, all you're left with is a paperweight or a letter opener.

[Faran Brigo]

I would argue however that to fix the machete or the mace you only need a welder, to repair the guns you do need spare parts that you cannot make yourself. Both of them require specialized skills do get done properly, but I think it's easier to weld two metal pieces together or fashion another handle out of solid wood than repair a gas operated or roller delayed assault rifle. Plus if you screw up with the hammer it won't blow back near your face.

[Onslaught]

while not readily available right now, a serviceable mace can be welded up in as little as an hour.

you could even take that crowbar and chop the curved end off, weld on a "head" (possibly made 1/4" plate or leaf spring) and you're good to go.
the straight end of the crowbar is the only part really good for prying anyway.

on a slight side note; has anyone evar actually tried to pry open a locked door? not so easy. i'd rather use a sledge hammer or a shotgun.

the nice thing about purpose built weapon is that you know it'll work. many of the alteratives i've seen mentioned, from bats to sledgehammers are tools. they are tools pressed into service as weapons. such misuse will eventually lead to the failure of the tool.