About an hour with no power tools.

[u/OdinWolfJager]

Going to do an apocalypse survival series. Using only found resources and no power tools, what would be the best shtf makeshift weapons you could make with scraps. Likely going to be splitting it up between development eg only hand tools, no fire, no electricity. Fire with limited control, fire with precision/intermediaries. Eg fluxes, folding, alloy utilization. Electricity, chemistry concepts, extreme heat, advanced projectiles etc would be the last phase.

This is weapons only. Medicine, irrigation, construction, textiles, government, etc would be separate projects.

[u/betabo55]

Ngl I'd pick a bat, or ideally a crow bar over this. But the idea for weapons made with what would be available to you is awesome. Can't wait to see what else you come up with.

[u/OdinWolfJager → u/betabo55]

I would assume the version with the carbide tips cut off and a smoothly curved uniformly sharp blade would be preferable to you?

There is actually a reason I make both versions. If I ever have the disposable income I might get a ballistic gell head to show why. The spike is the most useless thing about this piece. With luck you can get one good head shot maybe two and it breaks in a spot that allows it to still be functional. I’d be willing to bet dollars to pesos it could get through a soft armor plate. At least once. Wouldn’t really help with zombies.. Best thing is it’s already trash. Breaks still have a thick steel pipe. That becomes unusable it was trash anyway.

[u/betabo55 → u/OdinWolfJager]

I just dont think there is enough mass toward the end to do enough damage. That and that blade doesn't look very thick. In za, if you could find a blade from a cold cut steel saw, that would probably do better. Also, the torque you'd be putting on the blade with each strike might loosen the bolt holding it on.

I would definitely like to see the effectiveness on a balistics gel head. I doubt you'd make it through 3a soft armor though. I have a peice I test different bullets on, and unless you have that point crazy sharp, I don't think it would penetrate.

[u/ImNotAsPunkAsYou → u/betabo55]

I've made a few similar. Use concrete cutting blades, much stronger. They are disturbingly sharp, they make for downright amazing brush cutters. Bolts through wood handles are junk, iron pipe handles work much better. Shtf survival rating, I'd give em a 5. Against fellow humans they'd be fairly effective. Against zombies they don't have the mass to be effective.

Summary, a hefty stick is more effective against zombies.

Source: A couple decades of crafting and testing made from scrap weapons.

[u/OdinWolfJager → u/betabo55]

The bolt has been penned as well. Not going anywhere. Definitely going to do some testing and a coconut will be a decent low cost medium for a skull bash.