Preparing for a zombie apocalypse

A large "ZT" hung above the garage door, and PBR cans were strewn across soaking wet couches.

Inside the Zombie Tools warehouse, the mayhem continued.

Four men meticulously worked on metal blades in various stages of completion. They were surrounded by walls covered in ripped wallpaper, gory-painted canvases and photographs of zombies.

Founder and co-owner Joey Arbour moved aside stacks of swords on misplaced car seats to make a place to sit.

They're in a rush to complete 50 weapons by Thursday when the crew leaves for zomBcon in Seattle, Wash.

"They're fully functional," he said. "With a zombie theme, we can do whatever we want and our creativity is free."

Traditional sword making had already been set in stone by medieval times. So in 2008, Arbour and his co-sword enthusiast confidant Max McCarter figured out how to make their creative designs work: establishing a new breed of swords specifically for the future zombie apocalypse.

"Initially, we were really stuck on the zombie apocalypse," he said. "We wanted to make sure that we could cleave through a human skull and all that. Then we came to the realization that zombies aren't real."

But this hasn't stopped Zombie Tools' expansion. According to Arbour, the only thing typical about their customers is that they're male.

Doctors to lawyers to science fiction geeks are buying up the 13 designs currently produced by Zombie Tools. Arbour said they'd reveal their 14th design, a double-edged Nordic Viking sword, during their weekend away.

The business also developed the beginnings of a cable network surreality show about surviving a zombie apocalypse. Arbour said the premise will follow the ZT group to prepare a bunker in the woods, learning to survive based on science and professional advice ("Orange County Choppers" with "Mythbusters"). Zombie Tools has already shot the initial filler shots with 40 "zombies" in downtown Missoula and Frenchtown. After zomBcon, there will be two more weeks of shooting for the first two episodes of the series.

Of course, this doesn't give any hope if the apocalypse was to happen tomorrow, because the average Missoulian doesn't have a sword. What is there to know?

"If you look at an apocalypse situation, Missoula's in a really good spot," he said. "We're far away from major urban areas. Our general environment and terrain is conducive to our survival and providing we don't go out and shoot all the deer, we can feed ourselves."

Aside from that, he felt the best advice is knowing their address — 1909 Wyoming St. #8.

elizabeth.duffy@umontana.edu