Equip your knife, hatchet or crowbar as a weapon in hand.

[RaZ0R]

You can already equip a rifle or bow, I'm not sure if a feature where the axe, knife or crowbar (prybar) being equip-able as weapons is already being added in future,

(I have checked the road map its not specific on this)

I believe it is essential to be capable of equipping your knife, axe or crowbar as a weapon, it is stupid to think you would always wait to be mauled before fighting back with your sharp or blunt object.

In my opinion its is essential this is implemented and done right for future success of the game. 

Being able to swing them freely in game is another thing completely though, degradation etc. perhaps only the option to attack with left click/right trigger with a timing cue for the first attack?

This could also be accompanied by equipping these weapons and tools for any generic actions (chop wood, break ice etc.) This I believe, would give the game more of a 'hand's on' feel and experience.

 

[ArcherAC3]

I don't think a slash mechanic would be nice. If you do have a knife and a wolf jumps on you, you can already fight back. Maybe, the only thing you could do would be equipping the weapon and right when the wolf is about to jump on you (or is very close to you) you could press the action button, dealing it a blow with a chance of cancelling it's attack or minimizing the damage given to you depending on your stamina.

But again, I am totally against a slash attack mechanic like in every other game.

About the wooding chopping animations and such. It can take more than 30 minutes in game to get wood. I don't think one would stay hitting the tree/limb for so long. If they decreased this time so it wouldn't get boring, we would get a huge advantage, not having to waste so much time in this activity. I'd rather have a improved mechanics based on the current one, maybe giving you time to react to the weather change and continue chopping wood later on, without having to cancel the activity as a whole and starting again from scratch the next time. I also think that the world should be more alive while you're doing activities like this. It seems like other animals simply freeze in time while it happens, unlike when you're starting a fire.

[CalNieDaGtarGuy]

+1 to avoiding the slash mechanic. I have wanted to be able to attack a wolf, but I don't think you should be able to go around slashing everything up. I think that you could brandish your knife like a flare with the chance of hitting the wolf.

[mic]

But it is not a bad idea, I'm thinking when a deer come to you and pass just a few inches close to you and we can't do anything to stop him.. think about it..

[CalNieDaGtarGuy]

It is just too easy then...

[Docterrok]

Love the pick. But damn he's got to be cold!