CS Shovel review - with thx owed to Freestyle Assassin

[solocanoe]

Several months ago, Freestyle Assassin posted a picture of his well used Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel....and given how much I like simple tools that work hard and take abuse....I was intrigued. I like ESEE knives, simple revolvers, and Glocks...so that tells you I like simple stuff...and I like them best when they have wear marks and signs of good use.

I'm ex- army and the horrible tri-fold shovel we were issued was so bad I never gave a shovel another thought. In the service, I used my fixed blade knife to dig holes, cut stuff, hammer tent pegs...anything not to have to deal with that shovel. BUT....the cold steel shovel is one piece and pretty efficient.

I started a search and found some neat videos in Russian. This shovel is modeled after the Russian version....and this self defense video is pretty impressive - you don't even need a translater - its good stuff:

http://www.survivaltopics.com/forums...78-shovel.html

So I found one, with the Molle sheath for $25 and bought it. Here's what they look like new:

http://www.coldsteel.com/spshovel.html

I've had it around for a couple months, using it on light tasks around the house - and being really impressed with it. I've even taken to sliding it under the front seat of the jeep - I mean, it's a shovel right? who's gonna think anything? but it's 1000 times better than a knife if I choose not to pull out my gun (again, that video is cool huh? :) )

BUT...I didn't want to post anything until I could REALLY test it. I've stripped off the shiny with sandpaper and rubbed it with linseed oil. I need to either paint the handle black or use some deep mahogony stain...so it blends better with my packs and so it disappears in a more camo'd way in the woods. But I will do that soon. I've also determined that I need to drill one hole in the steel and one in the handle tip...to give me lashing points when using as a paddle. More on that soon.

I took a week long (5 night) trip last week and FINALLY got enough time to really give the shovel a work out. I gotta say, this is one of the best ideas I ever stole from the internet. I WILL NOT travel with an axe as I travel solo and I've just read too much and seen too much...and even helped out rescueing a guy on a trip who made a simple 1 second mistake with an axe. If you are camping...ok...but if you are on a multi-day trip....and you have to battle winds, current, or even a long portage....and then you are tired, cold, maybe wet..building a fire...1 second mistakes can be a trip ender if you have a companion...and possible death if you don't and travel alone like I do.

FWIW, I have for years used a hand chainsaw in a can for cutting the big stuff...it's stupid easy as it uses the large muscles in your back and not your arms - and then I carry a fixed blade knife for baton-ing the wood, limbing, cooking, fish cleaning, etc... I'm pretty happy with my ESEE knives.
Here's the hand chain saw, if interested:

http://www.campingsurvival.com/pochsawofacu.html

this is a lot of typing and i'm gonna stop here and post this...then some of my own pics next...

[solocanoe]

ok...so I took it out on a week long trip. How did it do? what did it do?
I took on this trip the shovel, a RAT-5 knife, and an IZULA. Again, I just love Mike and Jeff's knives.

The shovel -

I used it for a shovel - big surprise, but it's a great shovel. It really does dig very well and becuase it has no moving parts, it's simple to work and apply leverage.
It's really sharp and easy to sharpen with a rock if you need to...just like the ESEE knives. Cat holes were easy, and once I did a recessed fire...on a windy day. Not a dakota pit, but it was recessed. This made my fire that day much easier to start, build, and maintain using less fuel.

I used it to limb. This was really cool. The extra length gave me a lot of power and it just FLEW thru branches when I was limbing. I mostly used down trees (my preference) so a lot were dead....or dying...but I did do some live stuff too. The shovel is very efficient.

I used it to split some small stuff...it works, in a pinch you could even baton it with a rock on the foot step area. The slight curve works as a wedge opening the material of your log as you go down. I only did this once though...but it did work fine on a piece about 18" long.

I used it as an anchor. I was tired after a long lake crossing. It was an open point....and I wanted lunch. I took the shovel in my hand getting out and just threw it into the ground. It stuck really well...so I said why not? I tied the painter line of the canoe to the shovel, and it was a great anchor, holding against the winds and waves while I rested and had lunch.

I used it as a small griddle. Some bluegill, just to try it...it worked really well. The slight curve held the fish in place well...almost like a little pan with sides. cool. I didnt' put in over direct flame, just laid in on some coals to the side and it cooked the fish very well. I also put my canteen cup on there and kept my coffee piping hot one time for over an hour while I did other stuff in camp.

I used it to move coals around the fire. Very nice. I normally just use a stick, but hey, it worked and since I had it with me....

I used it as a hammer - to pound in stakes for my hammock tarp. It's a great little hammer. The coating took some dents, but didn't flake or anything...you can make out some of those dents in my pics below.

I used it as a hand paddle. It really works well here. I can see that I can eliminate a back up paddle...IF I drill a hole in the shovel head and a hole in the end of the handle...as paracord lashing points.....It would work well and it's concave face makes a great emergency paddle.

So I can eliminate a back up paddle, the axe I wouldn't carry anyway, it'a a fixed blade knife of sorts in a pinch, it's a pan, a griddle, and a land anchor...I think my kit can use this multi use tool.

I used it as much as I could think of over this trip. I probably (most likely AM) forgetting stuff...but I did want to brag on it before I forgot stuff.

Here's the pics:
front

and back


overall, I'm really happy. It's gonna be a part of my kit for the woods, a self defense tool to keep in the jeep, and I doubt anyone would think much if they saw me carrying it down main street, usa...after all, it's a shovel! lol!

so...if you like it, I'd say get it. Again, I thank Freestyle Assassin for his post, pics, and getting me interested in it.

[oronocova]

Thanks for the review. I've been eying these for quite some time and never picked one up. Maybe I'll end up with one after all. I think it would make a great alternative to carrying an axe. At least for me, where the use of an axe would be pretty limited but it would be handy to have a bigger shovel.

[50ft-trad]

Thanks for the review solo, pity you didn't get any pics of it in action - maybe next time eh? ;-P (subtle hint deployed)

Out of interest, there is something confusing me ... if you are against taking an axe/hatchet for safety reasons, how come you are happy using this?
What are the differences in use that make you feel safer with it?

I for one would be very happy to see/hear more on this. I am a big fan of multifunction items, and would always be prepare to carry that bit more weight if the durability and versatility justifies it

[attorneyadrian]

Thanks, I've been meaning to pick one of these up forever, but haven't gotten around to it.
Did you put that edge on there or did it come that way from the factory?

[Skipperbrown]

Shovels are always handy items to have around. My mom was a wildflower nut and carried a ww2 folding trenching shovel with her everywhere to dig up flowers. It had a pick and shovel on the end. You picked the tool you wanted and it folded up to fit in a grocery bag. She looked like a real GI Joe with that thing. I wish I knew what happened to it. I think I will buy one of these since her shovel is gone.

Just be careful and don't bring a gun to a shovel fight. Wait, did I get that right? Anyway, confronted w/ hoodlums, I won't be looking for my trusty shovel.

[solocanoe]

attny adrian - I have NOT touched that edge - yet. That's AFTER all I've done to it. It's held up really well!
I did buy a lansky lawn mower blade sharpener - this is a rough stone about 7-8 inches long and about as wide as a finger. It packs in my bag well, weighs about nothing, and since I carry the ESEE high carbon knives, it would sharpen them very well for field use as well. thank you for asking!

50ft - it IS a concern for me to carry this - I gotta admit. I caugh myself 2 times standing over a trunk of a downed tree, STRADDLING it, and about to swing to limb it. A bounce off, a partial swipe that goes thru and changes the arc of the swing...and I'm looking at a hit on my shin, ankle, or knee....that's the danger for me in an axe.

For years I didn't carry an axe or anything like this and it forced me to choose my fuel souces carefully, use my body weight to stomp on and break longer deadwood, and limbing was more of using my arm strength or just being very careful and batoning my fixed blade thru the material. I actually thought I'd miss the axe, but really I became more efficient and used less energy preparing my fuel. Over time, it just became second nature.

Having said that...there I was - knowing better - and twice about to swing while straddling to limb some material. It's probably natural to assume these positions and trust the axe to cut....but again, if I am tired, wet, cold, hungry, on a multi day trip....my chances of doing something dumb go way up. At least I DIDN'T swing....instead I moved over to my weak side and kept the material away from me....AND I swung only on the limbs on the FAR side of the branch, so if it did bounce it would hopefully do so up and away from me.

I still think the hand chainsaw is best for limbing when the material is over an inch in size...chopping sucks energy right out of you (does me!) and I didn't "chop" with this shovel, but I see those that do in videos. You could...heck you could build a cabin with it it you had the time and energy...but I only used it on smaller limbs where at most 2 swings would do the work. - again, that's more me and being overly safe than anything.

Overall, I think the multi use "thing" and being able to leave an entire back-up paddle at home...well if I am safe and careful....I think this axe/knife/paddle/grill/pan/anchor/hammer thing will be a plus to carry and use! and thanks for you asking!

[solocanoe]

I got ya, skipper brown. I carry concealed....but the shovel either carried alone in it's sheath or having that sheath "molle-d" to my black pack....it shouldn't raise many eyebrows with way.

again I gotta darken that handle - no idea why CS makes it slicker than a wet noodle and so glossy from the factory. The gloss is easy to sand - did that - now I gotta get it darker to blend in more.

[FreestyleAssassin]

Several months ago, Freestyle Assassin posted a picture of his well used Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel....and given how much I like simple tools that work hard and take abuse....I was intrigued. I like ESEE knives, simple revolvers, and Glocks...so that tells you I like simple stuff...and I like them best when they have wear marks and signs of good use.

I'm ex- army and the horrible tri-fold shovel we were issued was so bad I never gave a shovel another thought. In the service, I used my fixed blade knife to dig holes, cut stuff, hammer tent pegs...anything not to have to deal with that shovel. BUT....the cold steel shovel is one piece and pretty efficient.

I started a search and found some neat videos in Russian. This shovel is modeled after the Russian version....and this self defense video is pretty impressive - you don't even need a translater - its good stuff:

http://www.survivaltopics.com/forums...78-shovel.html

Awesome review!

Firstly - So glad that you liked it! After my post I had considered doing some sort of write up about it but wasn't certain what direction I would take with what I would write so I first put off and than put it out of my mind.

Secondly - Awesome find on the Spetsnaz shovel vids. The last time I saw that was on VHS and I am super pleased to now have a link to a digital version.

Your review really covered the bases quite well, using it in a number of ways that I had not considered! No need for a pack axe or medium sized machete, it would simply be redundant.

This shovel is certainly one of the most versatile "multi-tools" (no moving parts!) that I have ever owned.

As you had mentioned caring it under the seat of your jeep, I carry mine in the truck as opposed to a collapsible baton. It is after all a "only a shovel". However it can be wielded at high speed on short notice!

Darkening the handle is a Great idea also!

[solocanoe]

thanks, FA for the kind words. It was your pic that got it all started! :)

That's the greatest thing about EDCF (to me) is the high ratio of "Pics to Posts".

I think we are so much more visual than anything....ino matter if it's a pen, knife, gun, whistle or bag....whatever....I tend to "get it" more with pics!

It's great that EDCF really encourages LOTS of pics. I hope that never changes.
This thread proves that your simple pic changed something for the better for me after more than 20 years of habit!