Weapons, part 3.

Finally, the really good stuff.  And on time, too.

Hatchets:  Awesome.  Hatchets have sharp, heavy blades, durable wood or steel handles, and good grips.  An overhead swing can cleave right through a skull and into a head, instantly killing any zombie stupid enough to charge you (and, well, they all are).  Axes, the big brothers of hatchets, have the bonus of leverage, adding cutting power unheard of in most other weapons.  You can cut down a tree or break down a door with one of these, and still have enough edge on the thing to cut down any zombie attracted by the noise.  This is an absolutely vicious weapon.  It's the thing your multi-tool wishes it could be, both deadly and utilitarian.  However, even the axe has its drawbacks: weight, though not a huge problem, is still an issue.  Axes are nothing if not weighty, a necessity for the axe to do its job.  And an exceptionally powerful cut will sometimes lodge the axe in its victim, which you will have to kick near the axe head to free your weapon.  Still, the axe and hatchet are excellent weapons and tools, among the first made and improved on in our known history.  They have proven their value billions of times over hundreds of generations.  Overall impression:  on a scale of one to ten, OVER 9000!!!

Hammers: good, but a little more limited than a hatchet.  What you can do with it depends on the type of hammer you pick, but most will have a hefty head and a solid grip.  The best hammers for zombies are long-handled and have a reasonably large head, but should be light enough to carry on your shoulder when not in use.  The hammer may not have a hatchet's edge, but it can still do plenty of damage.  Plus, you never have to sharpen it!  When you need to make a barricade, a hammer can drive in nails (or screws, with a bit more effort) to hold wooden planks in place and reinforce doors and windows.  As with the axe, weight is an issue, but exercise and practice will help you overcome that problem with both weapons.  Overall impression: very, very good.  Competes well with the axe.