Cold Steel Special Forces Spetsnaz Shovel 20" Carbon Steel Blade, Wood Handle w/ Core-Ex Sheath – 92SFS

I was worried after some reviews but I’m happy I bought it. You can tell it’s gonna be one of those tools that will outlive you if taken care of. The sheath on the other hand maybe not so much. I’m going to make a leather one when I get time to replace original. It would work fine but I’ll go for leather over one made from webbing just from past experiences. It came fairly sharp but I touched it up a bit. You don’t want an overly sharp shovel or the edge is more likely to roll when you hit a rock or something while digging. The only complaint about the shovel itself was the way it was packed. It has about a roll of like cling wrap plastic wrapped around the handle so many times it was almost comical till I got it off and found huge stickers on the wood that wouldn’t easily peel so it left the sticky residue that took a while to remove so I could treat the wood to my liking. Overall if you have been wanting a small backpack or camp shovel you won’t be disappointed with this one. I love my e-tool but I take this one over the e almost every time. The few times is when I’m trying to reduce weight for a long hike or I need to save space in/on my pack.

I ordered this for an upcoming camping trip this fall so I haven't tested it fully yet, but I've no doubts on it's ability to cover a few bases for me, such as chopping small/medium branches, digging a hole for the call of nature, clearing small brush and scrub, digging a fire pit, etc. I enclosed pics to give an idea of the overall product's appearance since these seem to be a little lacking. The sheath is very well made so I'm happy about that. I really like the belt loop as I can essentially "wear" the shovel if need be and that's what I plan to do so my hands stay free. Also, in some scenario where you have to unsheathe the shovel in a hurry due to a surprise or some threat, I found the two button clips are right at hands reach and can be unfastened quickly if you loop the sheath with the fasteners facing outward away from you. Otherwise I could attach the shovel to my belt and run if I had to knowing the button fasteners are strong and will not open up and the shovel fall out. The shovel's edge is pretty sharp - not enough to cut your hand if you happen to grab it or feel the edge - but it you swung this at someone or something it will give them a very bad day. No doubt there. The size, weight dimensions seem accurate from the product description. Maybe I'm an easily impressed guy but the wood and metal isn't going to separate. The metal shovel is wrapped around the shaft and where the flanges meet it is welded closed. In addition there are two large screws drilled into the metal and into the wood giving extra strength. There is absolutely no play or looseness. I agree with what other reviewers have said about smoothness of the wood. It's finish is very smooth. For casual use it may not be a big deal but I can see why some would want a surer grip. Overall great buy and I am looking forwards to giving this shovel a true test in the near future!

I bought my first one about 1989 to use as a weapon since Texas did not have concealed carry, yet. Well, balanced. Feels good in the hand. Oh, it can shovel dirt and snow if need be. I recently bought more and gave them away. I taught my friends how to handle these as weapons.

This is my first go to small shovel from now on. It is sturdy and tough with a good heft without being a lead weight like some all metal survival/camping shovels. The sharpened edge easily slices roots and even when I hit a rock, the edge remained near perfect. You could use it to fend off an animal, if you had to. It chops, slices, hacks, digs, and strikes a ferro rod. What more can you ask for except the Cold Steel name on it. I know the price was higher than others but this way it assured me of getting the sheath. The sheaths can be the hardest things to get sometimes. I love this thing.

Seems solid enough, and looks like it'll handle small basic digging tasks and chopping small limbs. Perfect for my intended use, HOWEVER, the sheath has a belt loop rather than MOLLE straps. I'm not sure who would wear this thing on their belt. Seems pointless to put belt loops instead of MOLLE compatible straps. So kind of annoyed I have to tie it to my bag rather than using built in straps. Anyway, something to keep in mind if you're planning on strapping it to something other than a belt. Still doable, but loses a star due to that fact. I would have paid an extra few bucks for a button on the strap.

This shovel is hard-core! I purchased it with the sheath (U can also purchase it without said sheath but this would be ill-advised! Seriously!) and it arrived three days after I ordered it. When I opened the box, much to my chagrin, I realized that I had only been sent the shovel...minus the sheath. I immediately contacted the seller (Cold Steel) via Amazon. Mr Shane Austin (Owner I think) promptly replied to me and informed me that he rectified the error by sending me a sheath ASAP. No more that 24 hours after initially contacting Mr Shane Austin of Cold Steel about the issue, I received a package containing both a brand new shovel and sheath. Did I mention that this shovel is sturdy, well built and the business end has edges sharper than my Ka-Bar or mach 3 razor. The sheath is made out of some of the thickest and most durable nylon I've ever seen. Botton line...when there was a problem with my order, Mr. Shane Austin of Cold Steel not only dealt with it in a timely and professional manner, but he also WAY over delivered in righting the situation. I had such a great experience with this shovel purchase from Cold Steel that I fully intend on buying more products from them.

Very good shovel. It is a copy of the Russian МПЛ-50 (Малая Пехотная Лопатка - 50 см) Small infantry Shovel - 50 centimeters. It is much better than any other foldable shovels I have used. You will see the difference once you try it. The quality of the ColdSteel version is outstanding, YES, outstanding. Well finished and polished, good solid metal for the blade, and it comes sharp from the factory. I tested my shovel by throwing it from about 12-15 yards to tree trunks, made more than 100 throws. It sticks very well, I would say perfect. I also chopped some 10-12 centimeters (3 - 5 inches ) of wood pieces, no complains, it does it very well. After all of it not a dent on a shovel. This shovel is of excellent quality. One thing to keep in mind, even if I got a dent, I would not worry. I would mold it back to its original shape by using a standard rubber mallet or similar tool. GET IT, you will LOVE IT.

From gardening, chopping up tree stumps, or killing a bear attacking you on a hike 30 miles in the woods. This a great shovel, it comes with a sheath and is extremely sharp in a pinch it could be used as a knife but is durable enough to hold up against several rocks hitting it. I do use this alot for camping and is my general purpose shovel now i dont need a big one for most stuff and you can fit this in a backpack for backpacking. If you need a full size shovel just go buy one from lowes if you want a multi purpose one this is good for light work. Its easiest to use this one single handed its not really meant to use with two hands. The other trench shovel is a bit bigger, but i dont really see the purpose that one is alittle too big. Other military folding shovels eh are not that durable this thing i chuck instead of axe throwing and could survive that all day.

Fait courageusement le job dans un sol argileux et très caillouteux. Aussi bien que la vrais des Spetsnaz elle peut tout faire

لوحظ بعد استلام الشحنة القادمة من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، عدم وجود شعار شركة جولد ستيل أو بلد الصنع أو رقم موديل أو بطاقة من الشركة هذا للعلم فقط.

Perfect for burying stools or making shelter when camping. Can also be used around the garden.

This thing can do a lot! Probably more than yourself. This shovel will never fail you.

J'ai commandé cette pelle sur une impulsion marketing, mais je suis ok avec ça. - Elle a l'air très solide, mais je ne pourrai vraiment la tester que plus tard en camping ou randonnée, - Le prix est assez cher mais si sa réputation n'est pas usurpée, elle pourra me durer plusieurs année, - Pour ceux qui veulent savoir si elle se plante bien dans les arbres : LOL, quel être humain normalement constitué a vraiment besoin de lancer sa pelle contre une cible (il y a 'autres objets faits pour ça), Je ne mets que 4 étoiles car je ne l'ai pas encore testée dans des conditions difficiles.