need some help, guys...

R

rooikat

Joined
Jun 17, 2004
Messages
1,477
Howdy, all!
I am in the process of picking my first ATC. I was all set to get the VTAC, until I read the bad reviews of it.
The quality control comments gave me pause, but that was not what troubled me.
My main concern is with the handle. My current hawks, a cold steel vietnam, a rifleman, and a custom forged hawk, are all wooden handled. I was dismayed to read that, apparently, the VTAC handle is flexible enough to bend by hand. How safe is it? I am worried that it could flex during use, impaling the user with the spike end. Is one better off with the wooden handled models? I had thought that synthetic handles would be superior to wood.
I have seen what I guess is the old pattern nam hawk on various websites for sale, with the old handle. Is that a better choice for using?
I appreciate any help I can get. I plan on getting one hawk, so I want to do it right the first time. I am new to ATC, but have been reading these posts for awhile now, trying to educate myself.
 
Rooikat...

Thank you for your post and those who check in here will gladly share their thoughts.

I intend to reply in detail to your remarks, but want our customers to reply first.

However, I do want to quickly point out that I don't believe there are any "bad reviews" of our product anywhere!

SGTC's remarks about the cosmetic appearance of his Tomahawk seem to be a reasonably isolated occurrence within our first production run of the new LaGana Tactical...he certainly did not use it or claimed it failed at all.

The LaGana VTAC should not be purchased if folks are expecting visually attractive grind lines and something nice to look. There are other Tomahawks and Axes by custom makers that better suit those needs. At $129.95, there is no other Axe (of the same weight) that comes close to the head/handle strength, comfort, and performance at twice or even three times the price.

I would only add that his Hawk has not arrived for inspection or replacement as yet, so we have been unable to see exactly what he reported.

Also, rest assured that our handle does not flex by hand and requires that the head is lodged in something with a vice-like grip before any deflection would occur with ordinary hand pressure...the flex occurs under extreme torque, such as a hard chop and even then, it's only one to two degrees of deflection. That is an intentional part of the design. There is no axe in the same weight category that touches the new LaGana Tactical in terms of performance...none.

I will provide further details after a few customers chime in....

Welcome to the ATC forum and stick around.
 
rooikat,

If you're thinking that the synthetic handle of the new VTAC is like holding on to a cooked noodle, forget about it...It's a solid handle that can take it. As far as the grind-lines go, sometimes they might not be perfect, but that doesn't effect their utility. As Andy mentioned, these are working Tomahawks, and not just made for show or as wall-hangers. The one that I have didn't have perfect grind-lines either, but just a few minutes with a couple of files made it right.

Another thing I will mention is that these (as well as the Cold Steel Vietnam Tomahawks) are pretty small, so if you are looking for a Tomahawk that you can clear a forrest with, you might want to take a look at one slightly bigger and heavier (such as the ATC Roger's Rangers Spike 'Hawk.).
 
Andy and Dann:
Thanks for the quick responses! Having never ever personally handled or seen a ATC hawk, I want to be sure I know what I am getting into, before taking the plunge. I also want to be sure I pick the right hawk. I want a tough hawk, that I would never have break on me, if I ever had to use it. An example of what I mean is my cold steel recon scout. I know a lot of people hate their products, but, I know that is one knife that will not break, snap, or fail me under any reasonable use I would ever put it through. If I have one knife to take, dollar for dollar, that would be my choice. Of course, my hand forged 9'' bowie is a hell of a lot prettier and stronger, but it cost 4 times as much. That is my frame of mind, going into this.
I have a cold steel Viet Nam hawk, as well as a rifleman. They are good for camping and as a backup, but I would not bet my life on them. From the majority of the posts I have seen here, you guys would. Plus, I have seen pics of and read stories of guys using your hawks in the sandbox. That is the kind of toughness I want. I am not especially interested in asthetics, thiough I must say I love how my cold steel hawk looks after I sanded all the green paint off of it and polished it. My wife thinks it is gorgeous, now.
I had originally wanted the rogers ranger hawk, but changed my mind to the new hawk for the above reasons. Do you think I am making the right choice?
 
rooikat,

All of the ATC 'Hawks are plenty tough...They'll hold up to ALOT more use than the Cold Steel 'Hawks. I also have a Cold Steel Vietnam Tomahawk, and there is NO-WAY that it will hold up to the same level of use or abuse that my ATC VTAC will. No way. The skinny wood handle will break, and/or the head will come off.

As far as which one to buy? As I mentioned before, if you plan on clearing a forrest with it, get the larger and heavier Roger's Rangers Spike 'Hawk. If you are looking for a 'Hawk to take where "angels fear to tread", get the VTAC, since due to it's smaller size and lighter weight, it can swing, stop, and change direction quicker.
 
Glockman,
You hit the nail on the head with that reply!
I have a novak .45 for play, a glock 21 for business.
I have a custom hawk for play, and... soon a ATC VTAC for business.
I agree the CS Nam hawk is a bit flimsy looking, at least to my eyes. I think it would do, but I would always be worried that it would fail.
Thanks, again for your help. I know quite a bit about knives, but I am still geting up to speed with hawks. That's why i came to ATC in the first place, I figure it wise to start at what I see as the top.
 
rooikat,

After you receive your VTAC, you also have to look into getting an ATC Roger's Rangers Spike Tomahawk to compliment your VTAC, as they make an excellent pair...(I'll have one on the way [a RR Spike 'Hawk] in a day or so, so watch this forum for my report on it.).

I had one of the (recently DC'd) ATC Roger's Rangers Light Infantry models awhile back, and it was an excellent 'Hawk but as I didn't care for its' hammer pole, and basic shape of the chopping head, I traded it off...Now I'm really stoked to be getting the Spike model, as that's one that I've been wanting for a long time.

And as far as I'm concerned, ATC (and Andy) IS the top.
 
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