Four Bees: US Pick-Mattock Pioneer Tool, Full Sized circa 1991, Woodings Verona Tool Works, Unissued US Military

Well, I've gone and done it again............ I couldn't resist another amazing deal on a vintage pioneer tool. This time it's a US Military Pick-Mattock that was never issued.

This pick-mattock is dated 1991, but it could easily have been issued at any time since WW1. These full sized pick-mattocks have been built to the same US specifications since WW1. The only thing that has changed are the stampings and colors.

This pick-mattock is a beast! The cast steel head is 19.5 inches long, and it weighs in at 5 pounds! The handle is a brute as well. It is solid hickory, and bigger than a baseball bat. It is 36 inches in length, and 3 inches wide at the head. Just like it's smaller belt carried sibling, the metal head is designed to slide off the handle for storage. These pick-mattocks were carried on virtually every heavy field vehicle that the US military has sent into combat since the WW1 era.
Here is a great website that describes how these pioneer tools were mounted and carried:

http://olive-drab.com/od_mvg_pioneer_tools.php

This particular pick-mattock is marked with the manufacturer's mark for Woodings Verona Tool Works Company.

This WTV stamp was used until the company was bought out in 1997, and production of all tools stopped.

It is date stamped with the number "91", for the production year of 1991. This puts it in the First Gulf War time frame (Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Shield).

It also has the official US stamp, and a modern "eye protection safety warning". The number "5" stamp indicates the head weight, 5 pounds.

This pick is in its "off the shelf", paint scheme. It also has as a heavy metal staple in the butt end of the handle. I assume that the staple was for hanging the handle in storage or for the attachment of some sort of tag. It would have been removed once it was issued. The head is painted in flat black, and the handle is standard olive drab.

As a comparison, I took a few photos, side-by-side, with my old WW1 vintage Entrenching Pick Mattock. You can really see how massive the full sized pioneer version is in these shots.

Here is the blog entry on the WW1 Pick-Mattock:
http://sharky-fourbees.blogspot.com/2016/09/us-m-1910-pick-mattock-with-us.html