what can the VTT take?

Joined
Aug 31, 2002
Messages
544
I'm interested in getting a VTT and am wondering what it is capable of doing, especially in a MOUT environment. I heard you can chop concrete with it???? Anyone ever try that?
 
The VTAC handle will certainly hold up to that abuse...we have a padlock here that a customer sent in that he chopped off a door. I'll try to find it and upload a pic!
 
How does the edge hold up to stuff like that? If it can really do that I'll have to take one into the Corps with me instead of a kukri. My job is going to mainly involve CQB in urban areas if I end up in a FAST company.
 
A couple weekends ago I finally took my VT hawk (which I’ve had since January) out and got rid its ‘new’ qualities.

After carrying it on a short hike, I did a lot of throwing with it. Much to my chagrin, I found that I suck at it! :grumpy: I’d get it to stick maybe once out of ten throws. The other times it would ricochet to the ground and more than once it would come into contact with a hidden (or not so hidden) rock. This caused some chipping on the blade edge. However, I changed the edge from what I received in order to make it a bit more aggressive. I don’t think the stock edge would have done this. Using the Sharpmaker stones I was able to profile out the nicks fairly easy though. That’s why I love high carbon steels. It is very easy steel to work with. (Which is good because I’m going to need a lot more practice throws.)

No problems with the handle after a lot of amateur throwing either. Still as tight as when I got it. This is why I chose the VT hawk. I wanted a hawk that a novice could abuse and not worry about ruining. I did end up cutting my paracord wrap off the handle after a few throws. I didn’t like how it felt for throwing. I much prefer the plain handle now.

I did a bunch of chopping of different wood with no ill effects. I did split a sawed segment of log, about six inches in diameter, using the VT hawk. It took a few more blows than an ax but I eventually got it spit. Used the spike to twist pry some of it open. Splitting the log did wear some of the black coating off the blade. Not entirely but it does show some thinning. No big deal.

I also used the spike to punch some holes in a fifty-five gallon drum. This scraped some portions of the black coating off but the spike itself is still in good shape. I don’t try and keep the spike very sharp anyway. A sturdy bevel seems to work just fine for punching holes, digging and climbing. I didn’t try digging through and cinder blocks and probably won’t any time soon.

Overall, I was pleased with the results I found. It has become my newest trail blade. I’m not military or anything so the extent of abuse my hawk will see is just wilderness stuff. I just love my hawk!

Thank you for your service to our great Country.
 
I'm still a kukri guy and have a lefty Tora kukri on the way that I plan on using unless I feel that the VTT has advantages. If it came down to one piece of equipment I would probably take a kukri over a hawk, but since I'll have to carry a bowie-style bayonet anyway there isn't much sense in carrying two big blades. The big thing is I think I may be afraid to use a nice shiny kukri to its full potential, unlike a simple black tomahawk. I know for sure I would never dare take a kukri to a padlock!
 
Hi mate! Believe me! if you want a good tool for urban military mission the VT is THE tool! You can use it for opening doors, diging out stuff,punching holes in walls, everything!
It's a great well made tomahawk and it's not for nothing many special units adopt it as standart equipment ;)
I have mine on all my trips and deploys! :D
 
Oliver - How do you go about opening a door with it? Do you chop around the door knob or something?
 
use the spike, and blast it precisely half part between the key hole and the door knob, it will free the pine lock of the mecanism ;)
 
The VTT is an excellent tomahawk. I'm not a rocket scientist but I am an infantryman in the U.S. Army that has been to the middle east. The VTT is a great weapon and more of all a great tool. It's tough as hell and AMERICAN made.

Btw, hey Andy. Just wanted to give ya a hello.
 
Blue Flint Hawk,

Good to hear from you. I was just asking Andy the other day if he knew where you were! Keep you head down and stay safe and keep in touch!

You too, Oliver!

Suzanne Settle
Customer Service
American Tomahawk Company
877-557-5200 (Toll-Free)
 
thanks Suzanne! by the way, I got a nice tomahawk picture from Rikke :D
I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! It just look great!!! Suzanne, thank you very much for helping Rikke trough ;)
 
I finally got the chance to do a bit of testing (playing, really!) with my VTAC. I had a board 3/4" thick, maybe 2'x3'. It is particleboard, but this thing is SOLID. Not like MDF and that, this sucker is heavy and tough. I used to shoot arrows at it in the yard as a kid. I broke most of my arrows shooting such a hard target!

2 things really impressed me. The first was the handle on chopping. I don't remember any vibration or soreness or anything. It was VERY comfortable while chopping. I think I'd like the milled flats to extend all the way down the handle though, as grip changes suck with the round handle. But man, what a comfy handle for choopping! The second thing was the ability of the spike. I was punchign right through the board completely with the spike. The hawk head would bite into the wood, and it chopped into the end of the board well, but that spike was king at penetrating. Totally amazing what lies beneath that humble spike! I did find that the head of the spike would hang up a bit in the board. After that fun, I stood back 8 feet or so and threw the hawk lightly at the board to see if I coudl get it to stick. It didn't, but I didn't expect it to do so. The board has a laminate on top of it, and I wasn't throwing hard since the biard was just propped against the fence, etc. But I did love how the hawk would hit bit first, spike first, and handle first! So the hawk took a beating, but is in AOK shape, ready for more. Fantastic tool for sure!

If anyone gets a VTAC, know that you are getting a tool that will really hack and poke and penetrate, and from my limited testing it appears that it can do such things for a long time before giving up the ghost.
 
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