In an apocalyptic, grid-down situation, survival should be your top priority. Criminals will take advantage of the lack of law enforcement, meaning you can expect looters to ransack stores and neighborhoods. Unprepared Average Joes who don’t have weapons will be vulnerable to civil unrest and riots.
Modern-day self-defense weapons like firearms, pepper sprays, and machetes come to mind for potential doomsday scenarios. However, swords are one of the most ancient weapons that still bear a lot of use in the modern world. These are often sharp enough to cut through anything in the wilderness and are perfect for self-defense purposes.
What is a “tactical” sword?
Tactical swords are primarily designed to provide a fighting advantage in today’s world. These swords typically feature a sleek, clean appearance. Certain blades are better suited for cutting rope, while others are ideal for self-defense. Whether it’s martial arts, hunting, or preparing for doomsday, tactical swords are useful weapons to have. It could also be said that they were designed after WWI and do not otherwise qualify as a machete. It also doesn’t include anything that may be classified as a knife. Even if a few elements in ornamentation or markings differ, virtually all swords in ceremonial usage in any army today, and that’s about all they’re employed for, predate WWI in design.
What are the best swords?
With so many types of swords out there, it can be difficult to know which ones are right for your needs. Start by learning about the different types of tactical swords and the purposes they serve.
Katana
A katana is a Japanese sword that’s been artfully crafted with a curved blade, a squared or circular guard, and a long grip. Contrary to popular belief, katanas aren’t just meant to sit in display cases as collectibles. They are practical swords that can serve many disciplines and real-world situations.
Katanas are effective for close-quarter combat, particularly fights between small units with hand-held weapons. This was actually common during feudal Japan when katanas were in their prime. One of the major advantages of a katana in close-combat fighting is its ultra-effective slashing ability. This slashing movement allows users to strike quickly, even underdraw.
Katanas are used in various forms of martial arts, including Iaijutsu, Iaidō, battōjutsu, kendo, and kenjutsu. The blade’s unique curved shape means you can draw your weapon smoothly and quickly, as it effortlessly glides out of the sheath. It’s sharp enough to slice through bamboo, iron splints, and light leather plates.
Odachi/Nodachi
Odachi, also called nodachi, is a long Japanese sword, typically at least 60 inches in length. Nodachi katanas are legendary weapons with gigantic blades that are best used in battle to attack long distances. Rather than being worn on the waist like most swords, they are typically carried on the back or in the hands.
Although such a large weapon seems impractical in modern society, it has many functional benefits. First, it’s excellent for building a combat-ready physique. The use of heavyweight swings and maneuvers improves your physical endurance over time.
Second, swordsmanship is a critical element in learning self-defense. Consider this: someone tries to mug you with armed weapons. Even a blackbelt fighter can’t win the fight. Long swords, like the odachi, can teach you how to use lengthy makeshift weapons like long sticks, baseball bats, and even metal pipes. Not to mention, they work great for hunting animals in the wilderness.
Dao
Dao are Chinese long swords with a single edge and a moderate curve. They’re mainly used for chopping and slashing, but they’re also effective for thrust attacks.
Dao blades typically range between one to four feet in length, while the handle measures between half a foot to two feet. These swords can be used with a shield or a second smaller weapon. These can also be used as tactical weapons for cutting rope, finishing off a wounded animal, working with wood, or cutting fish.
Short sword
A short sword is a light piercing weapon that is a smaller version of the long sword but longer than a dagger. It possesses similar parts, such as a double-edged blade, tactile grip, cross-guard, and pommel. Typically, these blades measure between 12 to 20 inches long with very sharp points. They’re compact weapons that can easily be carried around.
This sword works as an all-encompassing tool for camping or outdoor conditions and self-defense. It’s well-suited for close combat in tight spaces. The blade can chip, cut, and hack a target with precision, and the rigidity of the blade makes for a capable piercing weapon.
Knowing how to use a sword can increase your confidence in your ability to defend yourself.
Tactical swords are a fun addition to any person’s survival weaponry arsenal. Swordsmanship provides people with the ability to protect themselves and overcome an attack. This, in turn, breeds self-confidence, knowing that they can defend themselves no matter where they are in the world.
While a sword is a nice addition to your self-defense toolkit, please don’t forget the importance of firearms. You don’t want to end up bringing a knife to a gun fight, and, just like with a sword, knowing how to use your weapons matters. Personally, I recommend the Glock 19 as a great handgun.
What are your thoughts, though? Are swords worthwhile as an additional self-defense tool? Have you trained with one in the past? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.
Personally I would consider a modern manchette.
They usually have the strength of a manchette for utility as a work tool and some times a saw blade on the back of the blade. They are usually thick enough to hack through a door.
This gives them more usefulness than a traditional manchette. Some are also designed more like a short sword. To me this is the best of all types.
A long type of sword is to hard to conceal, burdensome and other than just for waging war… useless.
Most traditional short swords fit in that category also.
Swords and machetes’ leave you at the mercy of longer range weapons, like Bows and Arrows. cross bows, etc.
And bringing a sword to a gun fight would be a terrible idea. No matter how ” cool” or good they look in the movies.
Reality is: that you won’t get close enough to use that sword before someone will shoot you with a gun or an arrow or cross bow bolt.
For self defense, the Wakizashi, the shorter sword of the daisho (katana and wakazashi), might be the better choice between the two for a prepper. Typically with a blade between 12 to 24 inches, it requires less space to draw and wield, especially in a confined area. The Wakizashi was worn as a backup, buy when societal changes forced the samurai to set aside the katana when indoors, the Wakizashi allowed them to stay armed and ready. Being shorter, it is also easier to conceal than a typical katana.
I agree that some kind of edged weapon could have invaluable use to a prepper, but long swords stand out, and are harder to wield in confined spaces, especially inside, where side to side and overhead clearance.
“Are Swords Viable Self-Defense Weapons?”
sure. after all the ammo is gone.
might want a rapier. light, nice reach.
Rapiers were usually about the same weight as a more stereotypical sword, just balanced differently
I fenced in college, but they are really for the pre-gunpowder era. If you are good enough with a sword to use it to deflect bullets, you are a superb exception; otherwise, a short one could be a great supplement to your trusty firearm.
a brace of pistols and a cutlass.
Swords are not for me, but some may put them to good use. Still, I just think of Indiana Jones shooting a skilled swordsman.
That was a funny scene! Accurate assessment of outcome too unless a sword is used in ambush.
I guess if one were passive enough to live somewhere guns are restricted a sword small enough to conceal could be useful. But why not just move somewhere you could be free?
I’ve read that the script called for indiana to miss or his gun fail, with he and the swordsman then having a nice long involved sword/whip fight. but the scene failed several times and ford was exhausted, and when the scene was being shot again he simply drew and fired out of frustration, and the swordsman went along with it and dropped, and the crowd reacted perfectly, so they kept the scene.
Is a sword viable for self-defense? In nearly all cases, no.
It cannot be concealed. Whether sheathed or carried in the hand, it is visible. That may be a deterrent to some, but could be a challenge for others. “Nice sword buddy, hand it over” says the guy pointing a gun at you.
I have a hard time envisioning a scenario where (1) the encounter distance is far enough to allow drawing and using a sword, yet too close for evasion, and (2) the number of attackers (not armed with guns) is small enough that the sword user would have a reasonable chance of winning, yet large enough that the attackers think THEY could win.
That is an extremely narrow situation. If you can avoid conflict, do so. If you can’t avoid, you probably need more than a sword. If the attackers know you have it, but decided they can win anyway, they are probably right.
A sword is effective only at very close distance. Any number of opponents greater than one will get complicated very quickly when trying to fight at arms length.
The cost, weight, inconvenience of carrying, lack of concealability, lack of range, and a host of other factors (definitely not a multi-purpose item) put the sword pretty low on the list.
Hahaha! *SHWING!*
Sorry. If prepping and survival skills devolves to dungeons and dragons I’m screwed. I’d tangle my legs, trip over it, and drown in a mud puddle before I ever got to do battle with the dark knight and save the princess.
I’ll stick with things that go bang and focus on ways that don’t force me to engage in CQB with blades… Until they make lightsabers! Then watch out!
“God created man. Sam Colt made ‘em equal”- Quigley Down Under
~Jim,
I think we would go back to pre-smokeless powder era first, before we get to the, “Have fun stormin’ da castle!” (Miracle Max) phase.
Lol! Billy Crystal. Classic.
Regarding pre smokeless..I have a Thompson .50 flintlock. I push hornady sst sabots through it by way of four drams of 777. I’d love to know the mv.
In all seriousness, before I’d go to a sword I’d use a bayonet. Only because of past training. After everything goes to hell im already carrying it, so, yea..but that’s me. If a sword works for another, bully for him! I’m just too old to train for a new weapon.
~Jim,
Yeah, I am looking for a few more BP additions.
Got the casting equipment too.
I personally have a modernized roman poniard. in the vein of the berserker comment. I also have a two handed machete where the medium blade is only 2 or so inches longer than the handle. So in the pair I have some reach and some nasty infighting capability.
Swords are always a valued asset.
I would, but only with some serious training and physical conditioning for prolong combat. Just like dang near anything, it is not something you just pick up one day and are an immediate expert.
Sir:
If you are also writing on Daily Kos, when do you sleep?
Althea Jones,
Ah, no. I do not post on Daily Kos. Or even frequent Daily Kos.
Do I have a doppelganger?
As I have written for TOP in the past, as Daisy can attest, I am unique to TOP.
I think having a sword as a backup would not be a terrible idea. I do think it is interesting that the author focused so heavily on Asian swords and left out the rest of the world other than a super vague “short sword” to include the rest. Depending on what you wanted to do with it, there is a wide range of swords that would be super effective in a SHTF situation. A falchion style would be pretty comparable to a machete and I’ve heard is the kind of sword that makes the most sense for a “ranger” to use because of the variety of utility it can be used for. I just watched a video the other day that was discussing this topic, but as a general best type of sword for the modern day. He ruled out the katana style swords and single edged swords like the kopis, falchion, etc because they limit your options for cutting blows. They do open up some other options on how to use them, but he said it wouldn’t be as effective. He also ruled out long swords, two handed swords, and other longer blades because of the difficulty to carry while going into and out of cars and the impossibility to conceal. It would be comparable to trying to carry a hunting rifle when you travel. Many European swords also have large cross guards that would be more detrimental than helpful with carrying in the modern world since the whole point to having them was to help deflect sword blows away from your hands. Since we aren’t really likely to have to fight another person armed with a sword today and would probably be dealing with more knives and the like, it would be less helpful. At the end of the video, he concluded that a double edged short sword like the gladius, spatha, etc would be the most effective because of ease of carry, descent range, options in how to use them, and a variety of other factors. I have a gladius style sword next to my bed (right next to my glock and AR) for this reason. I will hopefully also have a xiphos (sting from Lord of the Rings) to go with it in the near future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qaPqfQXybU&ab_channel=Shadiversity
check out buying a sword doot com backslash rapiers
Why not? Works great for Michone
Yeah it does! And it doesn’t require being kept in ammo or other parts. Just a sharpening stone. I can see swords being quite useful, if you’re fit and strong enough to make proper use of them. They might not be easy to conceal but they do have the intimidation factor!
As a medievalist and quasi-prepper, I have mixed feelings. The Romans took on the world with a short sword and shields, against archers and spears. If we assume that modern ammo will disappear at some point, a short sword could be an excellent backup weapon. The Bowie knife after all is a great grandson of the Saxon scram seax. A sword neither jams nor runs out of ammo. And a fun way of getting training is to join the Society for Creative Anachronism where you can play with any weapon from 600 CE to 1600 (longbow, recurve, crossbow…after all the English kicked butt with longbows against the French crossbowmen at Agincourt…pikestaff and quarterstaff).
A lot of people seem to think we could be knocked back to 18th or 19th century levels. Nahhh, at worst case it’ll be dark ages or earlier.
Pat D,
I agree with you on all counts.
However, while in Afghanistan, goat herders had the knowledge to make the base elements to organically produce the components for an IED.
5bls of explosives, no matter if it was produced by a US DoD contractor or a goat farmer in a third world county, will still kill you.
1stMarineJarHead, I totally agree regarding the IED possibilities. I just wanted to point out that there are a myriad of possible weapons that have been used, and may still be used, successfully. It all depends on circumstances, but having a sharp edge backup is useful, no?
I have a pitch fork.
That count?
There is one serious drawback to swords, knives, and any other self-defense weapon. It can be taken away from you in hand to hand combat and used against you.
On a true crime show, they showed a man who was cruelly murdered with his own sword. He kept it on his wall as a display. Unfortunately for him, it worked all too well as a murder weapon.
Sometimes even kitchen knives can be turned against their owners. Therefore, you need to secure them and plan ahead. Ask yourself “What will I do if my home is invaded? What if I can’t get to the phone to call the police?”
I’ve practiced Japanese and European sword arts for almost forty years and think I’m reasonably well versed in their potential effectiveness and limitations. First let me say that there is a severe learning curve involved in learning to fight with a sword of any type or any edged weapon for that matter. A novice attempting to cut with a katana (one of the finest instruments made by human hand) they will find that they cannot cut anything. They also will die very quickly if their opponent is trained and competent. Learning to use one of these edged weapons takes years. Yes, I said and meant years. In the hands of an untrained person the weapon is nothing more than a steel club swung with the power of brute force and ignorance. Unless one is willing to put in the time and effort and can find a real teacher it is better that they pick up a machete and learn to swing it with gusto. They’ll still die quickly but will go to their maker without shame. Using a sword of any type without training and long practice is similar to buying a very expensive 1911 and expecting to draw it, wave it about and watch your enemies fall to the ground in fear and trembling. Find a real teacher not one who has read a lot of books and watched a load of videos.
Well said sir!
thank you for this truth, I did some kenjitsu so I know where you are talking about, greetings Robert
One word: machete.
The actor??? 😉
Maybe if you don’t have anything else, a sword or long knife of some kind could come in handy – like if someone is breaking into your house and you want to surprise them and get blood all over your house.
swords, machete, a sling shot, and a bow and arrows, I think these are all good alternatives after the ammo s gone. Back ups, because the ammo will run out eventually.
“the ammo will run out eventually”
no, it won’t. run out of people first, by a large margin.
Are you kidding? You don’t know how inaccurate I am.
If you have the practice with them, and some “dangerous animal” training^, then swords can be very useful. Otherwise, spears and flanged maces will be more useful. Neither needs much skill, and neither needs specific hand positioning to ensure effectiveness.
(I almost wrote “and axes” with “and maces”, but axes are like swords. With axes, you need to be able to keep the head aimed toward the foe. With swords, you need to keep the edge aimed toward the foe. A mistake with aiming that edge makes swords and axes crappy maces. Also, stabbing with a sword will require a strengthened wrist^^, unless your sword has a long handle, like the Claymore, Katana, Nodachi, and Zweihander, or a secondary grip, like the Zeihander.)
So… if you have had practice with both the use of the sword and with surprise combat, then swords can be great. Otherwise, I suggest maces and spears.
^ – One way would be to get a friend to pull an empty, leather-covered (or folded-tarp-covered) barrel toward you to act like a wild hog or bear charging you. I specified empty, because a towed barrel of water or dirt may break your limbs if you screw up. And the leather/folded-tarp is kind of like really tough hide.
^^ I’ve almost sprained or broken a wrist trying to stab with a sword-shaped padded weapon. And I think my wrists are about average.
In extreme close quarters and under 20 feet knife is faster than most gun draws and shoot.
Sword is ok… for unskilled get an axe or a mace/maul.. less skill and will make people scared and back off.
Second is a decent shield look up viking lindenwood shields with single hold point. Or you can buy a ballistic shield… remember shield.is weapon too edges crush feet and limbs.
I prefer spear have a 4 sectioned one can change point (prefer a blade type like in movie hero) two sections of threaded shaft made of metal and a pommel end that is changeable.
Extra reach if fighting in pairs or in small spaces ie building means it’s two against one.
Right hand: tomahawk. Left hand Bowie knife. If you haven’t ever seen someone skilled with both it’s pretty impressive. Dwight McLemore’s book “The Fighting Tomahawk” can give you a firm grounding. Combining it with a practice partner one can become proficient enough to handle most any amateur. My friends and I practice with carbon fiber weapons wearing our BMX armor. Still take some minor cuts and bruising, but the lessons tend to stick.
It’s hard to argue one way or another because we don’t know the situation will be.
I think it’s like any other weapon or tool in that if you have it be proficient with it.
Occasionally we will purchase a sacrificial punching bag and have a group training in which we slash and stab with our favorites.
I’ve also built Morning Stars as an alternative
“we don’t know the situation will be”
there will be guns and there will be ammo. (at least in the u.s. ….)
As others have mentioned, swords, axes, etc take quite a bit of skill to use effectively.
Does an edged weapon longer than a knife have a place as a possible hand to hand weapon?
Yes. Tomahawks have made a comeback since Vietnam and some US soldiers carry then for hand to hand as well as other uses. Entrenching tools were often sharpened on one or more edges to mske them better weapons in hand to hand combat.
Why are modern soldiers still carrying tomahawks and sharpened entrenching tools? Why do militaries all over the world issue knives meant to e used in combat? Why are their bayonets?
All of these are meant to give you an advantage when you’re out of ammo or need to be quieter than a gun shot.
I did the medieval recreation thing for a while, and while you develop a decent level of skill with SCA fighting their rules do restrict what you can do. That may have changed somewhat in the years since I was active, but those rules were in place for safety reasons.
Katanas and single edged swords require more skill to be used effectively. For your average person who hasn’t put in the years of training required to use a sword with skill it’s about the extra reach and psychological advantage.
I’d pick something with a blade length of 18 to 24 inches. Long enough to give you more reach than your opponent, much easier to move around with and gives you a bit of a psychological edge. I’d pick something with a sharp point and double edged. The typical Roman gladius short sword or Celtic anthropological sword would fit that bill. It will perform the basic hack / slash / stab blows just fine.
You’re probably not going to encounter someone with much skill in the use of swords or other melee weapons. It will give you an advantage over the other person
Coldsteel makes the Gladius machete based on the Roman short sword for a reasonable price. It fits within the 18 to 24 inch of blade that would be best in my opinion, has a sharp point and is double edged. A regular machete will work too but won’t have the same sharp point or double edge.
A good quality short sword isn’t cheap, you’re looking at $200 or more for something with some quality. A Coldsteel gladius or another machete is relatively inexpensive and has multiple uses other than just hand to hand combat.
A 24 inch Ontario brand machete with a D handle will serve you just fine.
If we get to the point where we’re using medieval weapons as our primary weapons it means we have much bigger issues.
I have quite a few machetes and some bayonets in the 17 to 18 inch blade range. I have a few tomahawks and a couple of spears. I have a decorative Celtic anthropological hilt sword someone gave me. I have one real, good quality sword – a Scottish Claymore. I haven’t found a Roman gladius I like, and quite frankly spending the money on one has always been an issue when there are other preps that are higher on the list.
It would be my hope, that should the SHTF ,those thugs, gang members, and desperadoes who try to assault my homestead are armed only with “tactical” swords.
Has the sword you’ve chosen ever been used to kill, in an historic combat situation? If the answer is yes, then it’s viable.
Although not technically a sword, for close combat a Gurkha Kukri can be a rather effective weapon.