Melee weapons for home defense

Patrick, I wholeheartily agree with you that a firearm is superior to other weapons. Sometimes firearms are not an option though. Some areas have restrictive gun laws and some people choose non-firearm weaponry for a variety of reasons. This is why other weapons, such as a baseball bat or a spear point machete, seem appealing. Both of these items allow some space between you and an assailant. Also, a short thrusting spear makes a bit of sense too, although it strikes me as exotic.

Chester, I am disappointed that this Cold Steel product is substandard. Some of their products are good and some less so. This one seems to fall in the second category. Still, the idea of a quality spear point machete appeals to me. Finding one may prove to be a challenge.


Timthinker

Tim and Sawyer,
I think our disagreement actually comes from a misunderstanding about the post. The OP asked what a good melee weapon was to "back up" his "guns" he it would appear he is carrying a long gun and a bug gun so ammo shortages aren't really a problem unless he gets attacked by a small gang of MS13 gangsters or some such thing. Even then though he's probably got at least 10 rounds in which case the only situation where he's gonna be using a melee weapon is if the attacker closes the distance on him. If the gun is not your primary weapon then a machete is fine, I actually have a tomahawk and a 18" japanese bayonet I use when I can't keep a gun handy for range reasons. However as a back up a large knife is better.

Chester, I checked out your bad boy on ebay. That thing is a mini broadsword!

Now I finally have a reason to get that CZ pistol rail bayonet.

A louisville Sluger is always handy you do not need a lot of room to make it effective and it can second as rec equipment. If you would like to keep modern and yet have a midevil look try to pick up a 3' halogan bar

Patrick, yes, I have exceeded the scope of the original inquiry. We do that a lot at THR. Seriously, I wanted to give people some "food for thought" about good alternatives to firearms. Now, if I want a backup weapon to carry on my person, then the knife certainly has merit. If the backup weapon is for home defense and not one I seek to carry, then a strategically placed baseball bat or short sword seems reasonable also.

Some years ago, Duncan Long wrote a book on edged weapons in which he examined different "battle blades". This book is one I highly recommend for anyone thinking about knives, swords or other sharp objects for potential use against an assailant. Long has separate chapters on Bowie knives, daggers and kukris. He also addresses pocket knives as well. His primary purpose was to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different blade designs. Patrick, he explores the kabar knife and that may interest you. Hopefully, our members will get a chance to examine that book.


Timthinker

Tim,
Sorry for being such a stickler to the subject
The subject of non-gun weapons for self defense is actually something I also have a strong interest in. I spent several years growing up in the Philippines and began to consider the subject then, now I am at a nazi college that has an anti-weapons policy. It is definitely an interesting concept to study.

Sounds like a pretty good read. It sounds like a couple of books I've read. Personally I like the kabar of over all use and as a back up but would never make it a primary weapon. For that use I love my tomahawk and my bayonet. I'd like to get a cutlass or bowie knife instead in the future (not because I don't like the bayonet but because it's historic...)

how about a regular PR-24 or a ASP, or even a t-ball bat

Melee weapon? Have you guys ever really thought about what a district attorney is going to try and hit you with after you get arrested for hacking some guy up with a sword, bayonet, knife, or any other large edged weapon?(which will happen if you do, self defense or not)

I know, better alive and in court than dead, but how about the tried and true PR-24 (provided you have a basic understanding of its use) or an ASP baton, big mag light or other large aluminum bodied light, or even a regular old aluminum t-ball bat(or baseball if you'd prefer the bigger one), short, hits hard, and not obtrusive to leave a few around(if you wish to leave weapons around the house that the bg could potentially use against you). Either that or the aforementioned ball peen, or claw hammer. Much easier to explain that you used a household item than it would be to tell them you used a sword or fighting knife to protect yourself.

Patrick, the book is entitled Modern Battle Blades and it should prove interesting. Long does not discuss knight fighting tactics in this work. Instead, he examines the pros and cons of various blade designs as they relate to self-defense. This is why his work retains an enduring quality after 15 years. Good luck with your studies my friend.

Moojpg2, I do not believe that legitimate self-defense within your own residence automatically results in arrest. Sure, laws on the legitimate use of deadly force vary from one area to another, but my understanding is arrest is not automatic. I leave this matter to those with more knowledge and experience to answer.

If the weapon you use for justifiable self-defense is legal to posses within your residence, I do not see a great problem here either. Yes, self-defense with a baseball bat appears better than self-defense with a samurai sword. But the main question is the justifiability of the act. This is true for a criminal case. But it the deceased criminal's relatives wish to sue in civil court, then that is a different can of worms. I hope my response helps you to select a home defense weapon wisely.


Timthinker

A fish billy

An assortment of very sharp commercial kitchen chopping knives

An ice pick

A couple of old school can openers

Multiple large steel wrenches....big ones

Almost anything you can lay your hand on in your home could be a weapon.....in a pinch......when retreating to where the firearms are....or bugging out completely isn't an option.........

If I were home alone and forced into a melee situation, I would be looking to escape and evade......I am not a big guy, although I know how to handle myself in a physical confrontation...there's little in my house that would be worth that kind of possible beating from a larger or multiple opponents.....

A guns give me the tactical edge.....once that is lost.....it's time to cut losses and escape to fight another day.....

home defense?

In a hall-way, I'd choose aggamemnon's cake fork for the win



That's assuming I'm awake when the dude breaks in, hahah

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sctm/v127/246/61/658592972/n658592972_148743_3391.jpg




Oh yeah, to add to the sub-discussion about Cold-Steel machetes:

I just bought one of their Kopis', and it is a perfectly good machete for the money.

I've been chopping all kinds of things up(big[4" diameter] tree branches hanging over the back fence) and it holds an edge well, thus far. Is it the same quality as something your favourite smith would forge? Of course not; it's a massed produced machete.

My melee home defense (back-up to my guns) weapons include a USMC Ka-Bar, and a tire thumper with a iron ring on the end.

I bought a Khukuhri this weekend, for $20. very un-fancy , not so great finish , with an edge that needed a lot of work. Now it's sharp , has beaten several pieces of oak firewood to death , and is familiar to my hand. I like it.

But , although I totally hack an evildoer with this thing , I think it's going to end up with the camping gear. I always have a semi large folder on me , and carry my pistol until I sleep.

My home has multiple layers of security , by happenstance : Locked doors at night. 2 large dogs. a very light sleeping wife ( too light at times ). And Me.

By the time someone has kicked in my door , gotten past the dogs , and up the stairs to the people they'll be met with my Remington 870. If that somehow isn't enough firepower there is a 1911 in the room. if that isn't enough I suppose a big blade would be a last resort ... but I live in the real world. The dogs are enough.

moojpg2,
The two states I spend the overwhelming majority of my time in have laws that go something like that basically say once the BG comes into my house, he is automatically considered life threatening, and it is therefore self defense if he gets hurt or killed in the process. Therefore I am going to use the best weapon for the job.

Tim,
Thanks for the tip, good stuff seems to come through paladin.

David,
That is hardcore! Can we make an action series about you? lol

That would work pretty well. Although if you are just talking about backing up your guns a knife would still be better. Once your guns are out I don't think that the appearance of your back up is gonna matter much. If you are only defending yourself with one weapon than appearance counts, but once the guns are out just use a back up that works well. To me that is a knife because it is very helpful in the event that the attacker closes the distance...

How about a shield?

it allows you to put something solid between you and an opponent. Its not a really good weapon in and of itself. But can allow you to bring another weapon to bear with the other hand.
C-

actually, cpileri, it is said that shields used to be devastating weapons.

I imagine a buckler to the face would hurt, bad

"it is said that shields used to be devastating weapons"

they still are.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...526&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

I have a buddy who's filipino, he's the first generation born here. His granddad was a cop over there, and left him a loaded billy made of some really gorgeous hardwood.

Dick's sporting goods sells "stickball bats" for $10-ish. That, a saw and a roll of handlebar tape would make two of them (albeit unloaded).

Google the Styers short-end technique for an interesting perspective on close quarters stick work.

I imagine a buckler to the face would hurt, bad

Click to expand...

My home's full of, ah, tripoverable things. Also, you're never very far from a wall. having a shield to hide behind would make feasible (in my opinion) the full-body linebacker charge, drive a bg back into or over something.

He looks thirsty - let's give him a drink!

TO THE CLIFFS!


I can't even touch the attack wife bit - I'll get myself banned

Usefulness of a shield would have a lot to do with the layout of your home. If by design you are risk of someone getting behind you it's usefulness fades quickly...

hahaha, attack wife...

Well, my girlfriend's 5'10" and tough as nails.

I imagine if her house ever got broken into she'd start shouting in german and bustin' heads.... I'm 6'3" and she scares me sometimes... like the time we went to the range and she shot a full house buck load for the first time. She started laughing and cycled the rest of the tube...


Speakin' of shields, I was reading an "American Handgunner" issue recently where Clint Smith reviewed a shield that could stop up to Level II or III rounds.

It was about the same size as a buckler.

I have a asp baton, a coldsteel kurkri machete (mediocre steel) but enough to do the job. I recently cut a goats head of with it while dressing it for thanksgiving. I also have lots of tools lying around such as sheet metal hammers, screwdrivers, utility knives and a metal pipe or two close to my backdoor and laundry room.

Gordon Freeman Style

36" crowbar, hold it like Gordon Freeman (in the half-life series) does and it can rip the attacker to shreds. turn it 180* and its a 9lb bat.
It never needs sharpening, care, proper storage, and is readily available in any hardware store, even on the smallest budgets.

When I bought it, It was for opening stuff. The store called it a "wreaking bar" so I destroy stuff with it to. And now its a melee weapon.
Video games have a tendency to downplay the crowbar's destructive power. I just gotta watch where it swing it, because if I don't it'll destroy a whole lot more than the attacker's body.