Let's Talk Zombie Tools : yes, this again

BePrepared

BePrepared

Joined
Aug 26, 2010
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So i'm looking at trading for one and i'd like to hear some first hand accounts. If you own, or have owned one, tell me what you think

I am looking at the Zakasushi, Apokatana, or possibly the Deuce 2. I can't actually find any thorough reviews of these SLO's and none at all with good comparisons to other blades.

Tell me what you guys think
 
How do you legitimately test a zombie knife? It's not like you can really test em and if you do is it a legitimate test?

I mean zombies come in all kinds of consistencies, everything from juicy freshly dead to ancient, brittle and desiccated.

One would benefit from a slicer the other a chopper, the more I think about the mechanics of zombies the more questions I have....
 
I like the looks of some of their stuff; especially the Hellion modern falcata. The construction certainly looks sturdy and 5160 is good steel for a sword blade. If their heat treat is good these should be tough and apocalypse ready swords.
 
Wolf_1989 said:
I like the looks of some of their stuff; especially the Hellion modern falcata. The construction certainly looks sturdy and 5160 is good steel for a sword blade. If their heat treat is good these should be tough and apocalypse ready swords.
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I agree with this. Be Prepared, you are mistaken in calling them SLOs....they are genuine swords with a unique, modern-esque styling. I've got seven.
 
I have a huge collection of Zombie Tools, unfortunately, I am yet to use any of them. The only one out of the entire collection that I would not rate as high-end would be a neck knife I recently purchased off of fleabay. The grind lines are rather crude and the edge isn't very sharp. It came used, so I am not sure what it was like brand new. I have followed these guys for awhile and they have admitted that their grind lines sucked early on which is why they chose to make all the acid splatter marks to hide them. This neck knife is one of the first knives they made and it was never sold online. EVERYTHING I have from them outside of that knife is pretty much perfect. The grind lines are beautiful, the edges are sharp all the way across, they know what they are doing now.

I have all 3 blades you listed and I would take the Deuce 2 if I had to pick one. The Deuce 2 is perfectly balanced and just feels ready for anything. Unless you want something smaller, the Zakasushi is short enough to carry easily and you can use two hands on it.

I can maybe get pics for you tomorrow, just let me know.

Out of all of the larger blades, the Mack Daddy-O is my favorite, but I wouldn't carry it on a hiking trip and I am sure it would scare the crap out of the neighbors if trimmed my hedges with it.
 
I've decided that i want the Deuce 2. I would love to see comparison pics. The Deuce is the only blade which i have nothing to replace. I have Katanas and my Busse AK47 but i think the Deuce might just be better at some things than either of them
 
All humor aside some of that stuff actually looks pretty good, especially their take on the xiphos. Never heard of them until this thread but a few of those do look interesting.
 
I read, on some of their bigger stuff, that they measure at around 53 Rockwell. To me, that seems low, when 55-58 is probably the lowest I've seen for bigger knives/machetes/kukri's, but I'm just a beginner - is this normal for the bigger types of weapons, and if so, does their shorter stuff have a higher RC?
 
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jac_solar said:
I read, on some of their bigger stuff, that they measure at around 53 Rockwell. To me, that seems low, when 55-58 is probably the lowest I've seen for bigger knives/machetes/kukri's, but I'm just a beginner - is this normal for the bigger types of weapons, and if so, do their shorter stuff have a higher RC?
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53 seems to be in the right range for a through hardened sword.
 
jac_solar said:
I read, on some of their bigger stuff, that they measure at around 53 Rockwell. To me, that seems low, when 55-58 is probably the lowest I've seen for bigger knives/machetes/kukri's, but I'm just a beginner - is this normal for the bigger types of weapons, and if so, does their shorter stuff have a higher RC?
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For a large blade, you're probably better off with the hardness being lower than what you'd find on a knife. Swords are not just "big knives"; it's better for the blade to be tough rather than hard and a hard blade is more prone to chipping or even snapping. Much of a sword's cutting power comes from its geometry.
 
Wolf_1989 said:
For a large blade, you're probably better off with the hardness being lower than what you'd find on a knife. Swords are not just "big knives"; it's better for the blade to be tough rather than hard and a hard blade is more prone to chipping or even snapping. Much of a sword's cutting power comes from its geometry.
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Yeah, I was wondering if it was something like that, but wasn't sure. But, aren't Katanas supposed to be super sharp? How do those kinds of swords work in regards to Rockwell and geometry?
 
jac_solar said:
Yeah, I was wondering if it was something like that, but wasn't sure. But, aren't Katanas supposed to be super sharp? How do those kinds of swords work in regards to Rockwell and geometry?
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Katanas are differentially hardened with some having multiple "layers" of steel of varying hardness.

The trademark "hamon" shows where the hardest steel is, the edge. 60-62 is not uncommon here. By contrast, the spine or "mune" of the blade can be in the 40s.
 
falar said:
Katanas are differentially hardened with some having multiple "layers" of steel of varying hardness.

The trademark "hamon" shows where the hardest steel is, the edge. 60-62 is not uncommon here. By contrast, the spine or "mune" of the blade can be in the 40s.
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And the katana is a special sword, as is the European rapier. They are both highly evolved and purposely designed for their roles, and this role is not any sort of apocalypse.

The Zombie Tools swords are kind-of like beefed-up machetes. They certainly look stout enough to be used for the more common and mundane post-civilization tasks of chopping kindling and building shelter, and would also certainly ruin someone's weekend if you smited him with one. Another important part of a sword is how it handles and moves. Without actually experiencing one of their swords first hand, I can't comment on that.

I do like their Hellion falcata though.
 
falar said:
53 seems to be in the right range for a through hardened sword.
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IMHO 56-58 is optimal for a steel as high quality as 5160. You're not going to chip it without some SERIOUS abuse, and breaking a .25" thick 5160 sword is not something that happens on accident barring some freakishly unlikely scenario
 
That REALLY depends on the grind. I had some that I think was tempered around that range which rolled an edge while chopping some green wood. I'd definitely be inclined to temper 5160 softer. 3V, on the other hand, you can temper hard (up to 60, in fact), without sacrificing toughness.
 
Depends on the speed of the zombies. I think most of the time a machete would be best for just lopping off the head of a decomposing shambler. Cold Steel makes a really nice front weighted double edged machete that I keep just in case the dead arise. It can lop off a 3" thick wild cherry branch so I figure a zed head will be nothing. Best of all it cost me less than $30 and I don't care if it rusts in the trunk.
 
I own the D' Capitan 2012 myself, in satin finish. It came from their factory sharp enough for use and it will "cut paper" out of box, but after observing it's edge, I noticed that it has been ground for extended use. What I mean is, it is sharp enough to allow much use without lose the edge too quickly. I have read on their site about their blades being RC 53. Ontario's SP Line of tactical/military use 5160 knives that are in this hardness range and no one gives them crap for it. In any case, I would rather have a blade roll on me (even if it were TH at 53) so that I can bend it back with some pliers and a vice when I get to safety, rather than have it chip on me and lose steel. I have never had my D' Cap bend on me though. All of the shapes they sell are best suited for what they do because of their (overall) shape. Obviously, you should not realistically expect to take one of their smaller knives and baton through a fallen oak the size of your car and maintain your edge afterward. In any case, they make a good product, just examine what you need first and pick a shape based on dimensions and geometry. Also, if you notice, the blade shape of the Deuce 2 looks uncannily similar to the Omnivore Bladeworks Kodiak (great utilitarian/survivalist shape), but the Deuce 2 is much larger is 5160 and not 1095 (which if too hard will chip against mobile or hard targets). This realization is what makes me want a Deuce 2 next, after seeing cutting tests with the profile on the Kodiak.
 
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T. Erdelyi said:
How do you legitimately test a zombie knife? It's not like you can really test em and if you do is it a legitimate test?

I mean zombies come in all kinds of consistencies, everything from juicy freshly dead to ancient, brittle and desiccated.

One would benefit from a slicer the other a chopper, the more I think about the mechanics of zombies the more questions I have....
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Flamethrower is the only answer (re)Kill it with fire!

I am not into this zombie trend at all, but I wonder why on earth would people like to chop down zombies, given the fact that they are full of biological goo and are probably infectious. I do not understand.
 
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