The Zombie Combat Manual (15 page)

Do not be tempted into choosing a weapon that is too long. With an aggressive thrust, you run the risk of penetrating the opposite side of the skull, possibly damaging the blade tip and making extraction from the skull cavity difficult. The thickness of the blade is another important consideration, as you will require a stout weapon that resists breakage, even after repeated thrusts through flesh and bone.

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Edge type:
The edge of your knife should be completely straight, preferably devoid of serrations, to facilitate a quick thrust and a smooth, fast withdrawal. Though somewhat useful in a utilitarian situation, saw teeth on a knife used to battle the undead are completely inappropriate. Jagged indentations can catch on muscle, tendons, and sinew, increasing the likelihood that your weapon will become snagged within a ghoul’s cranium.

Should you choose a blade with a single or a double cutting edge? This is largely a combatant’s preference, but for frequent zombie combat, we believe that a single-edged knife is slightly superior. A double-edged dagger may benefit from improved penetrating power, but this comes at the expense of a structurally weaker blade and more fragile point. In brutal combat situations in which you are repeatedly plunging the weapon through bone, a single-edged blade with a thick spine will hold up better under intense use. Some combat techniques also require you to wield the knife in close proximity to your opposite hand. A double-edged blade may increase the likelihood of accidentally nicking yourself in combat, escalating the risk of infection.

Fixed Blades versus Folding Knives

Knives fall under two general classes: fixed and folding blades. Fixed knives are those whose blade is attached to a handle and stored in a separate sheath when not in use. Folding knives have blades that pivot into the handle itself and often incorporate a locking mechanism to secure the blade in the open position. It is highly recommended that you choose a fixed blade over a folding knife as your undead close-quarters weapon for the following reasons:

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Speed:
In close-range combat with the undead, speed is of the essence. The time it takes to extract your weapon and strike your target is critical to a successful neutralization. Every extra second required to draw your weapon makes you more vulnerable to a ghoul’s attack. In noncombat situations, drawing a fixed blade knife is typically faster than drawing a folding knife. When your face is inches away from a rotting corpse, this speed differential becomes even more pronounced.

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Dexterity:
Opening a folding knife requires greater fine-motor coordination in your fingers than pulling a fixed blade from its sheath. In a combat situation, stress levels peak and your body is flooded with a surge of adrenaline, known as the “fight or flight” reflex. This reflex can provide a temporary boost in strength, but it also causes major disruptions to your manual dexterity, making small movements, such as thumbing open the blade of a folding knife, nearly impossible to accomplish. This loss of precision can be somewhat controlled by constant practice and drills with your weapon, but why take the chance?

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Construction:
A fixed blade knife is a very simple tool. At its most primal level, it is a single length of sharpened steel. A folding knife, though often more elegant in design, is a much more complex device with a folding pivot, locking mechanism, and the bolts that hold the components in place. Like any tool, the more complex in construction, the greater potential for failure in one or several of its elements. Additionally, a folding knife has many small crevices compared to a fixed blade—crevices that run the risk of retaining infectious residue during combat.

Knife Styles

Peruse the knife case of any hunting shop or cutlery store and you will note a broad variety of knife shapes and blade styles: hunter, spear point, Wharncliffe; the list is seemingly endless. Many of these styles can be adequate for your undead combat needs, as long as the previously detailed requirements are met. Make certain that whatever design you choose, the blade comes to a sharp, sturdy point. Avoid diving, sheepsfoot, and rescue-type knives, and any blade with a dull or rounded tip. In a safety situation in which a sharp point may unintentionally pierce delicate material, equipment, or flesh, this safety-tip style of knife is ideal. In an undead-combat scenario, it is nearly useless.

With so many different choices available, is there an optimal knife design to use against the living dead? Although there is no one ideal style, there are three particular blade variations that are worth a closer analysis.

Tanto

Japanese in style and modeled after traditional
katana
blades, the
tanto
combines the benefits of its larger brethren in a smaller, close-combat package. Wielding one of these blades is akin to having a miniature samurai sword in your pocket. With a thick spine, unserrated edge, and aggressive point, the
tanto
blade possesses an almost ideal combination of characteristics for close-quarters zombie combat. The strongest feature of this blade style is its broad, chisel-like point, which can handily penetrate bone with negligible damage to the knife tip. This blade style is a popular choice for custom and production knife makers alike, making it relatively easy to find a high-quality, moderately priced weapon. Just as in your search for long-range and melee weapons, be skeptical of any “exotic”
tantos
that are designed more as showpieces than combat arms.

Stiletto

The root of its name originating from the Latin word
stilus
, literally meaning “pike” or “pointed tool,” the stiletto has been used for centuries as a stabbing implement in close-combat situations. Throughout history, it was a stiletto-type blade that was used to deliver the coup de grâce, or mercy blow, to a fallen ally or enemy whose wounds were too grave to survive. It could be said that the use of this blade in undead combat parallels its historical context. This style of knife was also popular during World War I, in which soldiers often found themselves engaging opponents in violent trench warfare. The stiletto’s long, thin blade slides effortlessly into flesh and penetrates soft targets with ease. This narrow profile also contributes to the weapon’s greatest liability. Although nonzombie use of the stiletto targeted organs such as the heart and liver, ghoul neutralization necessitates penetration of the skull into the brain. Thus, the fragile stiletto blade may not endure prolonged zombie combat.

Bowie

A legendary blade style made famous by its name-sake, the bowie knife has an American history spanning nearly two hundred years. It grew into international prominence after the famed Sandbar Fight of 1827, in which Jim Bowie, having been bludgeoned, shot, and stabbed with a sword cane, still managed to impale one of his attackers, mutilate another, and run off the remaining group. This feat was related more to Bowie’s deftness with the blade than the weapon itself. Nonetheless, the bowie knife gained a reputation for being a superior fighting implement. Wielded by a skilled combatant, the bowie knife can perform just as viciously against the living dead. Selecting the appropriate blade length is important for this particular design, as bowie blades can range anywhere from six to twelve inches, with some models that look more like small swords. The large, heavy blade can serve as both a stabbing and chopping tool against a zombie, the latter technique not encouraged given the close range between opponents.

WEAPON-CARRYING METHODS

Once you select your personal close-combat weapon, how will you store it so that it is available at a moment’s notice, but out of the way during normal non-combat-related activity? A plethora of options are available—tucked into the waistband, wedged in the small of the back, strapped to a thigh or ankle—all of which have supporters and detractors.

Unlike long-range and melee combat, in which you will most likely be holding your weapon at the ready just before engagement, close-quarters battles with the undead often occur unexpectedly and in locations where your longer arsenal may not be practical. In our opinion, there is only one favorable carry position for undead close combat: the cross-draw position.

In this arrangement, your weapon is sheathed in a blade-up position, over the lapel opposite your dominant hand (if you are right-handed, it will be positioned over your left shoulder). This location provides several distinct advantages over other carry positions in close-quarters zombie attacks:

1.
Accessibility:
In the cross-draw position, the knife is stored near its ultimate target, the zombie’s skull. Picture yourself in a boxer’s stance, hands up in front of your torso in a fighting position. In this position, your weapon is inches away from your dominant hand, ready to be pulled at a moment’s notice should you round a corner and find yourself staring into the lifeless eyes of the undead. There’s no need to reach down into your waistband, behind your back, or down into your boot. As we will examine later in the chapter on combat strategies, this level of accessibility is integral to executing several techniques.