I didn't see another post like this so here's my idea.

I've always been adept at coming up with "strange" weapon ideas just by looking at a pile of junk. so I thought I'd share a few ideas I've tried over the years, and invite you to do the same.

I'll try to explain this the best i can, you might need to use your imagination a lot

Items needed:

Bicycle break assembly
2-3 foot length of hard 2in PVC pipe
misc nuts and bolts
8 foot of thin rope or cord
roll of duct tape
power grinder or a file

Step 1: take the break assembly completely apart

Step 2: bolt the brakes back together so that it looks kinda like a really crappy grappling hook

Step 3: cut the cord in half and tie one end of a 4 foot cord to the "handle" of the "grappling hook" you just built and tie a bolt to the other end.

step 4: Drop the bolt end of the cord down the pvc pipe followed by the rest of the cord and brake grappling hook.

Step 5: pull the cord tight and hold it tight with your foot or a vice. pull the pipe up the cord to the grappling hook until tight.

Step 6: once the "hook" is snuggly in one end of the pipe drill a long bolt or screw through the pipe below the "hook". don't worry if the cord inside gets cut as long as you made sure the "hook" was tight in the pipe

Step 7: use the other 4ft section to tie the the hook to the bolt you put through the pipe below the "hook" using a zig-zag pattern.

Step 8: once the hook is tied in place use duct tape to make double sure the brake grappling hook will not come loose when used.

Step 9: use the power grinder or file to sharpen the ends of the "hook"

Step 10: (Optional) use some of the duct tape to fashion a handle grip for the weapon

Interesting! My husband swears I could get spies to crack just by using my tweezers...

I can make a spy crack just using an extension cord.....

My favorite homemade weapon, was (basically) a modified flail. It used a dog's choker chain, threaded through a short length of pipe as a handle. At the other end, I souldered a triangular lead fishing sinker. The bonus was that with chain weapons, the best defense is to get in close so as to decrease the amount of energy in the blow, with this version, the chain was short enough that you could get the required amount of torque with a flick of the wrist (also had no danger of accidently hitting yourself in close combat).

you do know that a pad lock on a chain does just as well with less effort building the thing. any chain or rope type weapon is going to require skill and familiarization. in simple terms lots of practice. there is a reason the plain old club has been around so long in various forms-cause it requires little skill and it works. sure it isn't fancy but it works. if you really want a mornig star/flail type club then set some nails or screws on a wooden base ball bat, a good leather belt with a nice heavy buckle works great too.
as far a s using bicycle parts take a nice heavy pipe or stick ( 2x4 ect) drill a hole through the stick and take the gears/sprocket off the back wheel and bolt them on the stick/pipe just thinking of that makes me say ouch. otherwise stick to a nice knife or gun.

that's what I'd do now Pixie, but when your young and enthusiastic....

Find this silly, got a long staff the size of me, thus easy to manage and could clearly disable someone from a distance with that weapon.

And then someone with a spear? then someone kills the spear with a cross bow? then some kills the guy with the crossbow with a gun? then some kills the guy with the gun with a missile?


Humanity has been down this route b4 and look where its gotten us, i wonder if we will ever learn.

Thank you for the lecture on history, yet meant my walking stick that always walk around the woods with. Just meant if met some lunatic wielding a weapon like that, a peaceful sage could disable them.

Ahmen- my homemade weapon is going to be my Brain, and reason. The big thing I see is many assume that things will basically fallout3. Cool game but not reality- reality will be yes some folks will be out to harm you- the vast magoority will be doing exactly what you are doing... trying to survive with as little eposure to danger as possible. Many of the people you would encounter will just want information. Where did you come from, hows things farther up the road, any food available, any news on recovery efforts, and the like.

The plain truth is if you walk around appearing as though you're looking for a fight-is a sure fire way to find one. In most cases even if you win said fight-you'll be injured. An eye swollen shut, and a cracked rib will sure make it hard to carry your survival gear...

use whatever you want, be it a gun, a staff, or a weapon like mine. but, crap happens and you might need to know how to make an effective melee weapon when your basic club just doesn't cut it. I'm sorry some of you seemed to miss that point.

Sorry brother it was not a history lesson it was from my heart and based on truth.

Its based on A truth....?

Also watched that film and see what its saying, yet....

A tribe gets robbed and they steal the horses, the chief after says "we should get them for the horses", the tribe replies "don't worry they won't come back".
So a week later, they ride back and steal the houses and the crops, the chief still says "we should get them for the horses", they say "don't worry, they have everything we own now".
A week later they come back and steal the women and children and kill everyone and leave a few alive, the chief says "we should have got them for the horses". The few remaining say "why just the horses, when they have now taken everything", the chief answers "if we had stopped them with the horses, they wouldn't have come back".

"If they slap you on one side, let them slap you on the other", and then they just keep doing it, that is why the world is full of bullies, who never got shown why not to be.

Yet...

"He who lives by the sword, often dies by his own sword!"

or they learn to live without the sword.

no i did not but here is something for you when you think about making something out of junk or spare parts---KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID(not saying your stupid but make it so easy that it is stupid) or what is know as K.I.S.S.

you know i a staff is an excellent weapon and a handy tool and can be made or found everywere even out in the boonies, there are more leathal weapons that is for sure, the staff works fine.

I would like to put in that there is no reason to "ghetto-rig" improvised weapons when the tech to forge weapons and tools is quite simple and requires only simple, widely available tools (hand sledge or cross peen hammer, hard flat surface, and a heat source).

While it might look cool to rock some "Road Warrior" style weapons, with a little knowledge and some trial and error you could have some higher quality tools. Remeber an axe is fairly easy to make (at least easier than a sword).