It's odd how cultures who lack metal make weapons that mimic steel swords or spears.
Wooden swords have been edged with obsidian,flint chips and shark teeth. Many wooden clubs have a blade shaped profile, like the mai-tai -the drink is named for the war club-as soon as these people have access to metal, they make and use blades, but often, these mimic the wooden weapons.
Bamboo will cut, not often, but it will cut. Bamboo also makes the dreaded punji stake, a tradition in Southeast Asia. Not to mention blowgun darts.
I'm currently reading WWZ, where we meet a blind Japanese man who uses a narrow spade to destroy zombies. The author watched too many Zaito-Ichi movies, but it's a fun read, it's like eating a bag of Twizzlers.
I resent the author's depiction of the military as idiots-like the armor units taking explosive ammo against the zombies at Yonkers. Any brigade commander would load up on beehive(flechettes) and HEP, a ghastly munition that spatters the target with plastic explosive which then explodes. That would make zombies into mincemeat in batch lots. Also, cannister shells have been replaced by beehive long ago.
Enjoy the study of staff and pole weapons, indeed the poll axe was the favored knightly weapon for foot combat. These were commonly long hammers, but hammers were called axes then. Mounted warriors favored the hammer, battle paintings show many knights with war hammers, fewer with swords.
And the boar spear, mentioned above was often used in battle, it would be good for zombie hunting, since the crossbar would keep the zombie from running up the shaft.
But I digress, as I so frequently do.....
