Cold Steel GI Tanto Test completed.
Cutting: I started with an orange. It made thin slices with it's fairly thin edgeI peeled an apple with no problems for a knife of this design this was very easy to do.I cut some cardboard with ease. The thin blade did not wedge in like a thicker knife would.
Batoning. I had a little trouble with the first 4x4 then I increased the hitting force and quickly split
2 more into 4 pieces each.
Chopping: not a fantastic chopper for size but better then the Buck Nighthawk and the Strider BT not as good as the A1it took some heavy swings and some energy to get through one 2x4
Tip: I stabbed and tore a hole through a 2x4 easy I did a second 2x4 with the same results. After inspection. Thetip had Broken off. The tip on the GI Tanto is very thin. Since the tip broke I did not proceed with the sheet metaltest.
Concrete: The sparks fly, I dented the edge but no chipping occurred. The concrete I was using has very large rock in it.and make it difficult to chop very deep. I used the 3 lb Steel Mallet on the spin finally split the Slab about 14 inches wide.There is only denting and no chipping at this point. Not bad so far.
Concrete: I hammered the tip into the concrete breaking it into small pieces. Many, many pieces no further damage occurred to the knife. Very cool.
Hammering Spine: I hammered the back of the spine throwing sparks cutting into a 2x4. The GI Tanto has no fear of hammer impacts.
Flex: I first hammered the tip into a 2x4 1.5" deep placed in the vive. I begin to flex the blade. I gave it all my weightand power. The GI Tanto flexed to a very sharp angle many times and went back to true almost. I removed it from the 2x4and clamped it in the vice about the same depth. Again I put all my weight and strength into it. The GI Tanto took somemajor angles and did not break. I moved the blade up in the vice and still after some good angles broke a section of the tip.I continued again and broke another section. Still no total blade failure. The GI Tanto took some major angles. I didn't have a scale set up but you will see it very clearly in the video.
Metal on metal: I hammered the edge into to a 1/8" thick piece of angle iron cutting a notch and bending the angle iron.Still no chipped edge. I hammered the edge into a 1/8"x2" piece of steel flat stock, cutting all the way through it.Still no blade failure and no chipping. Very impressive. I moved up to a 1/4" thick piece of angle iron hammering the hellout of the spin. Finally I tore out a piece of the edge. Still no blade breakage.
I hit the back of the spine many times hard on the vice and the blade finally gave in.
I hammered on the side of the tang very hard breaking a little each time. Before I Called the test complete.
Overall: The GI Tanto took some major punishment more than any knife so far and it only cost me $15.65 The cordhandle almost completely came off but it can be re-wrapped if needed. One hell of a knife for the price and certainly worth much more then the asking price.
