Dig yourself out of a trench, or storm one. I like it.

I wound up making a leather sheath for my big boy. Added a few feet of 550 and a firestarter.

Bought mine in the 90s and have used it ever since. I have targets out back for throwing it and a Cold Steel Bad-Ax and tomahawks and throwing Cold Steel throwing knives and shuriken. Bought my first Cold Steel in the 80s, a Mini Terrain Chopper in Carbon V. Still have that too. Own alot of what they have made. Carried a SRK in Carbon V during my service throughout the 90s. Still use it. Yeah, love their stuff.

The Special Forces shovel is an awesome addition to any car camping kit! I mainly use it for fire pit maintenance when camping, but keep it in the car as well for an emergency tool. Thanks for the video comparison!!

Got the original,just ordered the trench,cant freaking wait. Definitely a underrated piece of kit.

Finally, a video review of the Trench shovel! Thank you!

I have the originals for both vehicles and the larger one. I got my nephews some and they love 'em! I haven't messed around with mine yet but I'll handle them on occasion and am satisfied with their build quality and heft. Awesome video and very informative!

I too have a gliding shovel story on that stretch of road! I was driving across it in late July towing my trusty pop up camping trailer when I hear a loud pop from my trailer followed another followed by a loss of control that put me in the sand followed by a dig out. Turns out that tiny trailer tires on 200 degree plus highway builds up a ton of friction and thus heat that can obliterate such things. Glad I had a shovel in my tool bag that day.

Nice little shovels. Always need one, thx for sharing🤙

I was just looking at picking one of these up yesterday.

@hoplophile9846

3 жыл бұрын

just ordered one exited!

The Marbles brand shovel sheath fits it nicely and has a spot for a small sharpening stone to be stored

@shoniquasheboon1247

Жыл бұрын

Which model sheath do I order ?

I was actually just looking at the Cold Steel site this week at their shovel offerings. Looking to get one for my patrol car (NC LEO). A good small shovel has so many options and uses.

I’ve owned one for years and love it. I may have to get the bigger one too.

@yannikoloff7659

Жыл бұрын

So, did you?

I have gardened with the shorter Spetznaz shovel for many years and say with conviction, when you're kneeling down, digging through some roots, being able to have your hands further apart is going to save your back. I'm getting that trench shovel for my yard and keeping the feldspaten in my vehicle.

Great review scout, I’ve had the spetznaz shovel by cold steel in my Jeep for digging me out while off roading. Its been great for that purpose👍🏻

I went ahead and put an oak handle on it. Full length grain to with zero run off. Similar shape but flat on one side to index it unseen. At the same time I made a shorter handle and a longer handle also. I removed the screws and through drilled it and installed flush fit 3/16 carriage bolts with metal washers and 1/2 way countersunk knurled nuts for tool/less removal/replacement. Next... Kydex-lined full grain leather sheath with fasteners for pack or sling

Finally a review on one of these I’ve used the normal version before several times until I upgraded to the Russian titanium model. (Much lighter same performance I’ve found) but the trench model has me interested for things like kayaking, atv, trips, vehicle camping were extra weight isn’t a issue

@chasingthetrail9375

4 жыл бұрын

After seeing the side by side I think it’s definitely worth the investment to try for myself

Great review! I have the smaller one. Also I’ve been to Windover a couple of times. Interesting town with interesting WWII history.

Solid content. Thank you for the comparison.

Just stumbled across the trench shovel recently, and was intrigued. I have been a fan of the original Spetsnaz shovel since seeing military personnel kitted out with it, and then reading a magazine article about it's useful as a tool, & weapon on a AT trail thru hike. I have carried one for years, and have only used it for shovel stuff. It is very handy car camping, or short pack trips for cat holes, fire pit prep, and maintenance (moving coals, & packets of tin foil full of meat & veg), digging roots, and even as a machete for clearing some tall vegetaion, or light chopping, & splitting. Around the home it has been useful in my garden, or when cleaning/maintaining my rabbit warren. I definitely think the slightly larger head, & longer handle would allow more work to be done, or quicker, but while the added length is always nice as a weapon I could see it being a bit trickier to use as recovering from a strike could be slower. I can't see Cold Steel not supporting this with a sheath, but in the meantime a simple cardboard, & duct tape would work well, and a simple 3 piece stitched, rivetted, or even duct taped leather sheath with a leather welt would be a much better option.

@Cz82

3 жыл бұрын

as a weapon you could choke up on it but you'd lose the added force from the increased leverage of the longer handle, I think the added length could also lend itself to two handed chopping for wood or plants

Great review 👍

Those shovels are great for landscaping. Real sharp for hard dirt.

Thanks great review

found this really useful, so thank you. decided to go with the larger shovel off the back of this review. I agree tho, need to find a good cover for it.

have spec forces shovel) for years now, absolutely LOVE it. did fit longer handle on it, now i can use it as emergency paddle for my packraft too.imho one of better e-tools on market.

Just ordered the short version, since I do a lot of back packing and mountain bike riding. I think I will put a longer handle on it. I also have a German Entrenching tool dated 1966, has the shovel blade and pick, but its heavy. That would be my car shovel, if I could drive. The blade can of course be locked into the 90 degree position, on the German E-tool. Any ways good review.

My Special Forces Shovel has just been delivered and its a very impressive piece of kit! Over engineered is the phrase that springs to mind, its very good quality and well worth buying. Neat touches like the handle tube being welded and a wider handle diameter than the handle tube to give greater digging force and to relieve stress on the screws are nice. I'm so impressed with this one that I think the larger version will definitely be worth a look. Edited to say that I've now ordered the Spetznaz Trench Shovel to complete the Cold Steel duo. It will be interesting to see how they compare to the Fisksrs/Gerber NATO Shovel which I also have. Its a funny thing, but as soon as I held the Special Forces Shovel I could feel what the fuss was all about, it just immediately felt 'right'.

Excellent video! I’ve had two of the spec ops shovels for a long time. And I absolutely love them. But I really want to get one of those trench shovels! By the way there’s a few people making Kydex scabbards for it now.

I have both CS shovels; I've carried an original model on my pack for more than 20 years. I bought the Trench model a few months ago and have it in my "pioneer" ('engineering' tools for building shelters, etc.) kit. They're simple (no moving parts), rugged, multipurpose, practical tools. Oh, and I made a sheath for the Trench model from a plastic document folder spine and duct tape.

@felixcat9318

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the idea of using a plastic document folder to make a sheath, I'll look out for one. I couldn't agree more with what you said about adding it to your Pioneer Kit, its immensely more capable than its compact companion.

@jfilm7466

3 ай бұрын

Good idea

Nice review! I like how either shovel doubles as a deadly weapon. I’d hate to be struck by one of those!

Thanks for the Vid. I need a shovel in my car/ camping with my honey kit.

The best option would be a combination/ hybrid of those 2.

I have 3 short cold steel shovels, they are okay. Broke one handle digging out of the snow when my vehicle got stuck. Ordered another handle online, easy to replace. Weak point is where wood connects to handle. Of course not as good as a full size construction shovel but better than nothing.

I keep an old Army folding shovel in my vehicle. So useful for digging catholes, putting out your campfire...but you will wear yourself OUT digging your car out of sand or snow with one of those little shovels. Still, way better than nothing.

I think i might get myself one for in my blazer. Good vehicle shovel size, and can do some light chopping work. Do carry a boys axe as well.

They're great for yard work too.

I just cut the handle down on a standard shovel for a car/truck tool. I do like the lg Cold Steel for a pack.

Does the handle from the Special Forces shovel fit the bigger one? Been looking around and it seems the little one is being discontinued. Like the idea of the shorter handle but the larger shovel head would be a plus.

I paid $2 for a cosmetically-challenged Cold Steel shovel at a yard sale. Cleaned and sharpened it and put it in my pickup. For hard, stony soil, the WWII U.S. pick/mattock entrenching tool is superior. As for throwing it, sure, it's easy to do, but why would you throw away your weapon? You're not likely to hit with it.

Coming up next: The Cold Steel special foces rake.

@ApocGuy

2 жыл бұрын

nah, that would be fiskars motto :P

@Soli_Deo_Gloria_.

9 ай бұрын

😆

Does anyone know if the trench shovel handle will fit on the smaller shove?

I dig it.

Omg I wanted the shorter one I didn’t realise there were 2 I thought it just looked way smaller

I'd been looking at these for a while. Checking Amazon this afternoon the were on sale the Big one was half off. It's going to replace the cheap shovel my daughter lost somehow ••• It's going to live on my roof rack in the 4x4.

Love my SF shovel. Would like to try out that trench one. I upgraded the handle, video is on my channel

Greetings, I see that you have a great soccer player and ax thrower!

The world is pretty weird right now. Exactly!! Nice review. I think I will get both.👍

Whats that optics planet mat called?

I have a cold steel SF shovel. I also have the Swedish shovel. If I am hard pressed for space weight I carry the cold steel. If weight is not a big deal I will take the Swedish shovel all day long. It has a larger head on the Swedish shovel. It heavier, yes! But this weight works for the task not against you. You throw down this shovel in soil it digs down deep and you can really haul dirt in a hurry.

Why not just make different handles for one? Is there a difference in the concave to either shovel?

Yah. I love that Trench. But the Spetz is for my backpack. Spetz is my first purchase.

its been 4 years since this video. has cold steel made a sheath for the speznaz yet?

Is the smaller E tool made in the USA?

People arent looking for shovels? this tiny shovel is an axe, a weapon, something to eat on, something to cook on, what else do you want from a tool?

Love cold steel products including their shovels. My only complaint is why did they roll the step backwards? If rolled to the front it helps hold material and doesn’t grab the ground when digging. Makes no sense.

I don’t need another shovel. I own the spetznaz shovel. Ok I’ll just look up the price…for research purposes.

Nice to know I shouldn’t waste the extra money on the longer one since I’m about his height aswell

Hey, Cold Steel your bigger shovel needs a sheath. I like the small one,I have two, hope you are still making the small one.

Спасибо за обзор - но я правда ни слова не понял))) Просто хотел увидеть лопату побольше в сравнении с малой. Ну хоть так))

Got one coming from Amazon, Cold Steel is out of stock. Still waiting for them to offer a sheath. I think they made a mistake not having the blades the same with just one sheath for both IMHO. They could've made the name a little different too because it adds to the confusion about the sheath. Again, just my opinion, nothing more. I am going to do the cardboard/ductape trick somebody mentioned here.

Interesting to think that as a “defensive device” several WWI American Soldiers won the Medal of Honor using only a entrenching tool inside a trenching clearing scenario.

I highly recommend carrying two full size shovels in your vehicle, one should be an aluminum scoop shovel for snow , and the other a full spade shovel with pointed end.

@felixcat9318

Жыл бұрын

I agree, in a vehicle there's no need to compromise on size and the full size tools will be a huge improvement over much smaller ones. Doing greater amounts of work, faster and without fatigue are three of the major benefits of the full size tools. Whilst these Cold Steel shovels are excellent tools, they're not intended as replacements for full size tools.

At that size, your better off with a real compact spade shovel.

One of them is a backpack one. The other one is car one

If you just want a decent ,small shovel to carry in your car ; you can buy one at the local hardware store for about ten bucks. I have carried one in my car for years ,they work great .

@baroneroberto3400

11 ай бұрын

stupidest comment in history of SM....

I have the folding chinese special forces shovel and its awesome.

Oh... Wendover, NV the enterance to the Great Basin N.P. I live in Elko NV... if you ever get the far West, let me know and I will buy you a cup of coffee. Cheers!

the smaller special forces one is all you need to dig cat holes and split some wood. The larger one would excel for those same things if all you do is car camp, but so would any similarly sized smaller d shovel

Has anyone else wondered what type of “hardwood” the handle is said to made of? As a carpenter and furniture maker since 1980 I know what hickory looks, smells and works like. When using a draw knive rasp and hand sanding the handle to fit my grip i was appalled by how soft the wood was. No hickory grain, color, weight, Or smell. would bet my bottom dollar that my handle is a soft wood. About the same softwood that factory AKs from Russia came with.

@beltfedTODDRULZ

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed it's not looking like hickory, my son throws it like " if it breaks Dad will fix it"...... I wrapped it with 2 layers of fiberglass cloth and resin after he threw it so hard that it split long ways and stuck handle first into a 2x4 block endgrain target!

@donoberloh

3 жыл бұрын

Good son ya got there. If he can’t break it, Keep it!

We still need a sheath for the long one

I own the baby. But the handle design should not have a sharp shelf at the union. Smooth transition relieves the strain on the wood. Anyone who knows how to make an axe handle will understand. There is plenty of hickory there to shave it down. And full saturation will warm BLO will make the hickory much more resilient. Dry handles are not handles.

But can you make an AK out of it? .... Brandon!

@harvestblades

4 жыл бұрын

better then the 3D printed Plastikov. "Does it AK?" -AKGuy

Are the handles interchangeable?

@TheLateBoyScout

Жыл бұрын

it appears so, yes.

I wonder if the handles are interchangeable.

@darrellbaxley9315

4 жыл бұрын

Wondering that myself.

@TheLateBoyScout

4 жыл бұрын

I'm 90% certain they are, but I'll take a closer look later and confirm it.

@harvestblades

4 жыл бұрын

.@@TheLateBoyScout It sure looks like it. My son made a 4' handle for our original shovel after snapping the several year old original handle, and being able to quickly fabricate, & install a long handle is very handy. I recommend for a vehicle kit having the short handle on, & a pre fit 3'-4' (trunk or cab length) handle ready to go. the small spade size with a long handle is great for clearing out a high centered vehicle, or even as a bit of a poll axe. for instance getting some fruit out of a tree without having to climb.

@TheLateBoyScout

4 жыл бұрын

I just examined them more closely. The two handles are definitely interchangeable. The large one can go on the small blade, and the small one can go on the large blade.

@chuckmikey001

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheLateBoyScout nice that could make for some interesting flexibility for different tasks, at 5'7" i do get that a shorter handle gives you a bit more working room in front of you, i use my original one for metal detecting, need to get a new handle though as mine was cracked from throwing lol

I kept thinking, don’t get your clothes dirty. I’m old

@harvestblades

4 жыл бұрын

I'm 42 w/ 9 kids, and thought the same thing, and qualified it with "well at least he is on dirt so there won't be grass stains."

Trench Shovel.....aka....Serial Killer Shovel 😎

the speznas shovel made in taiwan. great

why mess with perfection - its length was chosen for a reason

I have something called a sharp shooter shovel. Great shovel to take camping in your truck, because I would never carry a shovel on my pack

Keep it in a sandbag to protect your gear.

I like shovel videos.

That shovel has about 15 minutes of light use on it.

I can’t find a sheath that fits

@machinistmikethetinkerer4827

3 жыл бұрын

Neither can I.

You can walk around with a shovel on a pack without raising the same sort of eyebrows as an axe or machete

Me likey, just bought an Ontario rat 7 with a custom kydex sheath but what the wife doesn't know can't hurt me

How do you spell, "Great Video"?

Try digging with boots on and not a set of vans probably would have worked out better mo LOL

You do need a bigger shovel for your car, than a MPL50.

Lot of cannibals in Nevada salt flats? I wuld be careful there.

get him some proper boots. It's uneasy to watch him use it as a scraper 😀

u gotta learn that kid how to dig srsly man

For safety's sake, you should be kneeling when using this or especially a hatchet. People cut themselves all the time breaking this rule.

The bigger one is the better tool.

35% more diggyness!

@bdwillis8284

2 жыл бұрын

Hey is the area code 180?

@bdwillis8284

2 жыл бұрын

Trying to reply, my phone says "invalid area code"?

I keep the longer one in the boot of my car for road ragers

Health Warning: A throwing error could easily kill your neighbour with the setup you have. Never throw near a boundary with low walls or fences.

Its ok if your shvel gets dirty

Krieg intensifies

I just put gorilla-tape over the sharp edge

That was some pretty sad shoveling, kids... 🙄