List of mêlée weapons

This is a list of mêlée weapons. It includes modern and historical but not fictional weapons from fantasy or role-playing games. Mêlée weapons (from French, "mixed", referring to groups of fighters interlocked in close combat) are any weapon that does not involve a projectile — that is, both the user and target of the weapon are in contact with it simultaneously in normal use. As such these do not include statically emplaced weapons, like a boobytrap or a cauldron of boiling oil, but are carried by the troops. A mêlée weapon is a type of "cold weapon".

Bashing weapons

  • Some varieties of Boomerang (not all are ranged)
  • Chúi
  • Club
  • Eku
  • Gun (staff) (not the projectile weapon)
  • Hanbō
  • Jō
  • Jitte
  • Kubotan
  • La canne
  • Lathi
  • Mace
    • Flanged mace
    • Roundhead
  • Morning star
  • Otta
  • Shareeravadi
  • Staff
    • Quarterstaff
  • Shillelagh
  • Taiaha
  • Tambo
  • Tewhatewha
  • Tonfa
  • Waddy
  • War hammer
    • Bec de Corbin (also slashing)
    • Horseman's pick (also slashing)
    • Maul
  • Whip (technically)
    • Bullwhip
    • Knout
    • Nagyka
    • Sjambok
  • Yawara

Chain weapons

  • Chain whip (could also be under whips)
  • Chigiriki
  • Flail
  • Kusari-fundo
  • Kusari-gama
  • Manriki-Kusari
  • Meteor Hammer
  • Morning star
  • Nunchaku
    • Tabak-Toyok
    • Three section staff
  • Shoge
  • Slungshot (not to be confused with a slingshot, which is ranged)
  • Surujin

Spears

  • Lance
  • Pike
  • Javelin
  • Sarissa
  • Doru
  • Hasta
  • Pilum
  • Trident
  • Yari

Pole weapons

  • Bill
  • Bisento
  • Bō
    • Yubi-bo
  • Brandistock
  • Chacing staff
  • Chicken Sickles (a class of weapon; also includes one type of sword)
  • Falx
  • Fauchard
  • Gandasa
  • Glaive
  • Guisarme
  • Guan dao
  • Halberd
  • Kama
  • Lucerne hammer
  • Man catcher
  • Monk's Spade
  • Naginata
  • Ngaw
  • Poleaxe
  • Scythe
  • Sickle
  • Voulge
  • War hammer

Knives

  • Bayonet
  • Balisong (butterfly knife)
  • Bowie knife
  • Cinquedea
  • Combat knife
  • Dagger
  • Dirk
  • Kard
  • Kerambit
  • Kris
  • Kodachi (arguably a very short sword)
  • Kukri
  • Kunai (arguably an improvised weapon)
  • Machete
  • Phurba
  • Rondel
  • Scramasax
  • Stiletto
  • Switchblade
  • Sword breaker
  • Tantō
  • Trench knife

Swords and fencing

  • Broadsword
  • Longsword
  • Claymore
  • Cutlass
  • Falchion
  • Flame-bladed sword
  • Xiphos
  • Gladius
  • Spatha
  • Katana
  • Wakizashi
  • Jian
  • Dao
  • Shamshir
  • Kilij
  • Pata
  • Rapier
  • Smallsword

Axes

  • Battle axe
  • Dagger-axe (AKA ko) (hard to classify)
  • Danish axe
  • Doloire
  • Francisca
  • Labrys (AKA double axe)
  • Lochaber axe
  • Long-bearded axe
  • Masakari
  • Nzappa zap
  • Ono
  • Sagaris
  • Tabar Zin
  • Tomahawk
  • Valaška

Glove Weapons

  • Bagh nakh
  • Brass knuckles
  • Cestus
  • Neko-te
  • Pata
  • Tekko

Improvised weapons

  • Aruval (a sword-like implement for slicing coconuts)
  • Baseball Bat
  • Chainsaw
  • Crowbar
  • Hammer
  • Mattock
  • Millwall brick
  • Pitchfork
  • Shiv (weapon)
  • Tire iron

Miscellaneous weapons

  • Deer Horn Knives
  • Macana (a catch-all for several weapons)
    • Macuahuitl
  • Mere
  • Shobo
  • Tessen
  • Wind and fire wheels