This is the best portable shovel, and I've had a few. Rusts up crazy fast if you forget about it though - even if you put it away dry. Great to see another review on it.
I have had one of these for 25 years. When I got mine, they only sharpened the left side to knife/hatchet sharpness, and the front was utility sharpened like you would expect from a shovel. I keep the left edge of mine just sharp enough to shave arm hair with a wide convex edge. It has been used as a makeshift camp hatchet for over two decades, and is one of my favorite camp tools.
This shovel is probably the most versatile tool I have in my collection. I always make sure I have it when i go camping. It also makes what I think is the best CQC hand weapon in the woods. It has a perfect weight for a CQC weapon of that size, you can jab, hack, smack, pull, and deflect with it.
99% of the folders i've had been straight junk, finally found a decent one with my Gerber/ Fisker army one.. I've always been intrigued by these Cold Steel ones, just never bought one..
I agree with Owen Joseph King. Two of the great European & Asian militaries cannot be wrong about close quarter battle tools. The trenching tool. Tac now if I want to dig a cat hole I use my Glock entrenching tool it has a 90 degree shovel face adjustment. Also Blackjack 155's and Tac-Ops are just right in any size or steel flavor. Thank you for the heads up.
***** i once brought my entrenchment tool to the beach. so tac which shovel were you talking about that broke? i have the german one that folds and has a pick on the other side
well that made my day! glad you like it bro. I do believe I read somewhere its American hickory and 1055c. I thought it would make a good emergency multi tool. you rock bro
The deflection might be cause of the edge alingment. Cos its hard to keep it right with a round handle. But this looks like a very handy tool and probably the best compact shovel there is. Keep it up brother tac!
Going to get one for Christmas before I go skiing because I go tree skiing and there are many sink holes and it is more than just a few feet deep. May just be a life saver
Tac! Love your vids Bro! Been looking for a great little back pack shovel and based on what you present here, I think I found it. Don't need all the little survival crap that you see on other packable shovels. Thanks for your vids!
I was at a BBQ and I was wondering if some sort of "tactical" spatula exists? A BBQ spatula that does more than flip burgers, you know with all the good stuff, straight edge on one side, serrated on the other and full tang of course and with an attitude adjuster at the end
This is a bit late and I don't remember the exact name of it, but there is a kind of small machete used in I think South America that someone figured was a great spatula and it had a hook on the back that they used to grab and move meat with. I saw it on youtube, but I forgot the link and the country of origin.
I keep one in my car and an old Maglite as they both look unassuming to law enforcement yet effective against criminals...Win-Win. This shovel is well made, I treasure hunt with my metal detector and dig with the shovel it constantly. Handle is still as tight as when I bought it 2 yrs ago. I think you get much more than you pay for as it can do many jobs well. Buy one, you won't be sorry.
a plus for this shovel is that you can make a long-handled version out in the bush if ya tired of bending over, more leverage too BTW mine is 1055 steel
Ei Pi yeah, I was going to suggest that that was likely the steel used since 1055 is the usual stock carbon steel cut-off between medium steel and high carbon steel.
Long post: If you want to actually use this as a shovel rather than an axe or a throwing knife, don't use it like you'd use your average farmers' shovel. There are stories of people digging their cars out of ruts and then some - which is fine if it's just dirt or mud. But if you want it to actually be a proper utility - like a full-length shovel - digging into rough ground with pebbles and roots and you actually need to hit the ground pretty hard - you'll fuck the edge. Took me * one * time trying to dig a hole in some rough ground and I bent & chipped the edge like I'd been using it for 5 years. That's not a big problem with your dads' old grave-digger but if you want to keep this as an axe it's REALLY hard to sharpen! It also rusts quickly if not taken care of. There's also the fact Cold Steel offers spare handles because they're prone to breaking. You can tell if you own one; the wood is just tapered too much where it fixes to the blade.
Just saying this thing is an engineering marvel and a beast, but if you use it like you use a real shovel it has very little toughness. Toss it at a zombie and you're fine. Use it to plow a garden or dig a hole to shit in when you're camping, and you'll wish you had that rusty thing in your old shed instead (my opinion of course). edit: also the wood is hickory. Said so on the website but they've changed it to "hardwood".
The Coldsteel design is based on Soviet issue. Put the fear into the Nazis at the Battle of Stalingrad. Then it became legendary weapon of Spetnatz troopers. Why get a folding tool with weakness as a design feature.
You are somewhat mistaken - this is a copy of the Soviet small infantry shovel, which was used in the Soviet army since the days of comrades Stalin and Beria and is used in the Russian army to this day for digging trenches. But the fear of the enemy inspires the blade and not Russian soldiers, even with a piece of brick at the ready or when he gets to fight tears teeth the throat of the enemy, because everything else was over. God forbid your civilized armies ever experience what it looks like. Previous civilizers who survived screamed at night and woke up on wet sheets until their deaths.
Hey Tact, man have you ever though about incorporating throwing the blades in your test vids to show if the blade would be good as a thrower? I can understand why you don't throw them, a lot of money there in your collection. A miss can f them up bad. Just curious brother T.
I have The Cold Steel shovel and love it. Thought I would like a folding one so bought a surplus folder, good solid shovel but heavier than the CS and I find the handle not as ergonomic to actually dig with. Cool throwing, I will have to try that.
Looks like a decent tool my man. Totally surprised at how well is chopped. I imagine it would be a great winter tool. Even keep one in the back of the truck for " emergencie shoveling" moo hahaha.
Great review as alwasy sir tactical. I still have some question tho: Do you think this shovel handle will stay beefy for a long time? And Do you think the shovel with a short handle was pretty comfy in extensive use? Thanks.
Great review & you are right the military version is very feeble. I have a couple from WWII quality a lot better than the U.S.Mil. spec. Of today , that shovel you tested is there !
JGstunts22 that a serious question ????? you know how hard he would have to throw that if he threw it like a dart & have it stick in ???? he’d have to have super human strength... he threw it by end handle the rotation of the shovel gives it enough speed, inertia, momentum to allow it to stick in...
Hey Tac, when I got my special forces shovel, as soon as I split a log with it, the screws came loose and the head shaked. did that happen to you? any suggestions on how to prevent this?
![🎤 ไปกันต่อออ! จับฉลากร้องเพลง x P’ #XXSIVK [EP.2] (1/2) เพลงของใครจึ้งสุดน้าา 💓🎤 #MXFRUIT](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mLI_K0sAS4o/mqdefault.jpg)
One of my favorites. I keep it in the car for uhh snow days.
Seventh Seal just say it's for when you have to take a dump during a road trip. keep a roll of toilet paper on the handle to add authenticity.
PsylomeAlpha Just being sarcastic. I live in San Diego.
Seventh Seal
oh... well there's still snow in the mountains.
i carry mine under the seat in my jeep and have had to use it at least 5 separate times in the woods. works well as a deterrent as well for bg
This is the best portable shovel, and I've had a few. Rusts up crazy fast if you forget about it though - even if you put it away dry. Great to see another review on it.
CedricAda Gear and Outdoors thanks man
I have had one of these for 25 years. When I got mine, they only sharpened the left side to knife/hatchet sharpness, and the front was utility sharpened like you would expect from a shovel. I keep the left edge of mine just sharp enough to shave arm hair with a wide convex edge. It has been used as a makeshift camp hatchet for over two decades, and is one of my favorite camp tools.
Dude why do you sound like a voice actor advertising the next Halloween movie??LOL
This shovel is probably the most versatile tool I have in my collection. I always make sure I have it when i go camping. It also makes what I think is the best CQC hand weapon in the woods. It has a perfect weight for a CQC weapon of that size, you can jab, hack, smack, pull, and deflect with it.
Cold Steel hit a home run with this little beast! I'm really happy with mine. Thanks for the review.
Holy shit buddy, that thing is badass. The world is fucked up these days...chopping down trees with knives, now shovels?! Where does it end??
Dildo's and hearings
99% of the folders i've had been straight junk, finally found a decent one with my Gerber/ Fisker army one.. I've always been intrigued by these Cold Steel ones, just never bought one..
“That dont look big” that round is massive🤣🤣
got mine today in UK .. Look forward to taking it on the dog walk..
Tac that is awesome. I want to go running through the woods throwing shovels at shit. I can't believe how deep it was going. Awesome review man
Adventure Time Outdoors thanks mang
WOW great mini shovel...and axe .cool how you throw into the log
Thanks Tac
Jeff Stanton anytime
I agree with Owen Joseph King. Two of the great European & Asian militaries cannot be wrong about close quarter battle tools. The trenching tool. Tac now if I want to dig a cat hole I use my Glock entrenching tool it has a 90 degree shovel face adjustment. Also Blackjack 155's and Tac-Ops are just right in any size or steel flavor. Thank you for the heads up.
Achievement Unlocked: New throwing weapon discovered!
The trenching tool is often over looked and under estimated !
Kudos Tac !
Owen Joseph King so true brother man
***** i once brought my entrenchment tool to the beach. so tac which shovel were you talking about that broke? i have the german one that folds and has a pick on the other side
Oh and the steel is 1055! Can't remember where I heard it but I'm almost 100% on it - not that it matters that much in such a tool!
+CedricAda Gear and Outdoors It matters alot carbon steel sharpens much easier than stainless.
Michal Poláček Its a shovel man... That's its main purpose anyways.
well that made my day! glad you like it bro. I do believe I read somewhere its American hickory and 1055c. I thought it would make a good emergency multi tool. you rock bro
torince1 you rock bro!
It slices and dices. That's the coolest shovel I've ever seen.
Timber Wolf word up!
Wow crazy, almost as if it's designed as a multipurpose weapon.
Aww yeah!
A great multi-use tool! And a strong one, for that matter!
The deflection might be cause of the edge alingment. Cos its hard to keep it right with a round handle. But this looks like a very handy tool and probably the best compact shovel there is. Keep it up brother tac!
styler797 I've been trying to design a handle that would aid edge alignment with tools like this one that have edges at offset angles.
hitting raawcks
I had a custom sheath made for it. multicam nylon with molle. made by jaxpax .
I think this one could feature in a chop-off! What does everyone else think?
I have the east german one. Its tough. Glad to see the cold steel got a good replica of the soviet one.
Going to get one for Christmas before I go skiing because I go tree skiing and there are many sink holes and it is more than just a few feet deep. May just be a life saver
love this dudes voice
possibly a pdw, its blunt for non lethal confrontation, and lethal in dangerous times
Tac! Love your vids Bro! Been looking for a great little back pack shovel and based on what you present here, I think I found it. Don't need all the little survival crap that you see on other packable shovels. Thanks for your vids!
hahahaha dude your voice is freaking halarious man youd be a bro for sure lol. "no shitett"
You can dispach the Bad guy & Bury him, All with the same Tool Cool.
Its a great chopper, digger, and thrower...
Its a must have tool to carry out into the field.
his reactions are priceless
You should play bodies by drowning pool at the opener instead of what ever that is.
the cool thing about this little shovel is that u can make a longer handle in the field if necessary. Good video as always bro.
joel Velazquez true
A lot of your music is Lord of the Rings, that's kick ass!
Your intros are fucking awesome brotha!!!!!!
Live Action! much appreciated!
I was at a BBQ and I was wondering if some sort of "tactical" spatula exists? A BBQ spatula that does more than flip burgers, you know with all the good stuff, straight edge on one side, serrated on the other and full tang of course and with an attitude adjuster at the end
I've got one of those. Comes complete with a bottle opener as well.
Cold Steel has one! Well not really, they did a parody of it though.
This is a bit late and I don't remember the exact name of it, but there is a kind of small machete used in I think South America that someone figured was a great spatula and it had a hook on the back that they used to grab and move meat with. I saw it on youtube, but I forgot the link and the country of origin.
It was on my mind so I kept searching and found it. It's a Brazillian Sugar Cane Machete.
Perfect for self defense. I have 2. I made it razor sharp.
I keep one in my car and an old Maglite as they both look unassuming to law enforcement yet effective against criminals...Win-Win. This shovel is well made, I treasure hunt with my metal detector and dig with the shovel it constantly. Handle is still as tight as when I bought it 2 yrs ago. I think you get much more than you pay for as it can do many jobs well. Buy one, you won't be sorry.
3:44 AHHH My eye!
a plus for this shovel is that you can make a long-handled version out in the bush if ya tired of bending over, more leverage too BTW mine is 1055 steel
Ei Pi yeah, I was going to suggest that that was likely the steel used since 1055 is the usual stock carbon steel cut-off between medium steel and high carbon steel.
That things beast! Might have to pick one up...
Long post:
If you want to actually use this as a shovel rather than an axe or a throwing knife, don't use it like you'd use your average farmers' shovel. There are stories of people digging their cars out of ruts and then some - which is fine if it's just dirt or mud. But if you want it to actually be a proper utility - like a full-length shovel - digging into rough ground with pebbles and roots and you actually need to hit the ground pretty hard - you'll fuck the edge.
Took me * one * time trying to dig a hole in some rough ground and I bent & chipped the edge like I'd been using it for 5 years. That's not a big problem with your dads' old grave-digger but if you want to keep this as an axe it's REALLY hard to sharpen! It also rusts quickly if not taken care of.
There's also the fact Cold Steel offers spare handles because they're prone to breaking. You can tell if you own one; the wood is just tapered too much where it fixes to the blade.
Just saying this thing is an engineering marvel and a beast, but if you use it like you use a real shovel it has very little toughness. Toss it at a zombie and you're fine. Use it to plow a garden or dig a hole to shit in when you're camping, and you'll wish you had that rusty thing in your old shed instead (my opinion of course).
edit: also the wood is hickory. Said so on the website but they've changed it to "hardwood".
at least you didn't get eyed by a police officer for having 240 pounds of knives in ur car XD
wow that thing did the 10 chop test better than some large knives
Dat a killer-shovel; the ace of spades!😃🃏
***** ill see what I can do
+Tactical gigidy gigidy 2:47
I've always wondered bout those very nice brother
The Coldsteel design is based on Soviet issue. Put the fear into the Nazis at the Battle of Stalingrad. Then it became legendary weapon of Spetnatz troopers. Why get a folding tool with weakness as a design feature.
You are somewhat mistaken - this is a copy of the Soviet small infantry shovel, which was used in the Soviet army since the days of comrades Stalin and Beria and is used in the Russian army to this day for digging trenches. But the fear of the enemy inspires the blade and not Russian soldiers, even with a piece of brick at the ready or when he gets to fight tears teeth the throat of the enemy, because everything else was over. God forbid your civilized armies ever experience what it looks like. Previous civilizers who survived screamed at night and woke up on wet sheets until their deaths.
was that the soundtrack of the bridge of khazad dum?
Really good buddy of mine sent me an authentic one from the Ukraine... awesome piece of kit. I honestly didn't bring an axe on my last camping trip.
shazzzam79 nice!
*THATS ALOT OF ROCKS*
lmao when you said "holly shit" hahaha
This
is when shovels became cool
Hey Tact, man have you ever though about incorporating throwing the blades in your test vids to show if the blade would be good as a thrower? I can understand why you don't throw them, a lot of money there in your collection. A miss can f them up bad. Just curious brother T.
supposed to ..call before you dig
I have The Cold Steel shovel and love it. Thought I would like a folding one so bought a surplus folder, good solid shovel but heavier than the CS and I find the handle not as ergonomic to actually dig with. Cool throwing, I will have to try that.
falcon1487 thanks man
Looks like a decent tool my man. Totally surprised at how well is chopped. I imagine it would be a great winter tool. Even keep one in the back of the truck for " emergencie shoveling" moo hahaha.
TheInnate1984 haha
Classic tac review right here
Works even better with a longer Handel.
You still using this ?
Good job Tactical,... keep it up,....
Great survival tool and would-be weapon if needed. Zombies be losing their heads haha
Rich Allfieldnohit thanks Rich!
Why do I feel like I’m watching a jaboody dubs video
Great review as alwasy sir tactical.
I still have some question tho:
Do you think this shovel handle will stay beefy for a long time?
And
Do you think the shovel with a short handle was pretty comfy in extensive use?
Thanks.
Patrick Janitra the handle is heavy duty bro
Your commentary is golden
Special Forces shovel... suitable for digging graves for mooks you catch trespassing on your compound.
jffrocks good idea
thats one hell of a shovel great for camping and chopping off zombie heads
brutalbrital aw yeah
Your intro looks like psychotic killer horror movie
love the Lord music
I wanna get one when I can afford it love your reviews and I bought died when you said bought busted a nut getting that log up there lol good job
love your show !
you have great taste
Sand off the varnish on the handle and rub in some boiled linseed oil.
Great review & you are right the military version is very feeble. I have a couple from WWII quality a lot better than the U.S.Mil. spec. Of today , that shovel you tested is there !
Kirk Veesaert heck ya
Zombie Apocalypes Part 7 ???? release date lol
Really enjoyed. You are a hoot!
I have one in my shopping basket now I seen your video on it I just hit orderd play time soon 😀😀😀
bigbad Knapp aw fookin ya bro
***** I'm a happy man it come to day 😀
Лопатой рубим дрова, а топором копаем землю ;)))
that was bad ass
And I don't know if I should get that because it might take to much room in my bag
That thing is badass
Jacob Cory yes it is!
Tactical love ya mate
Fun video! I just ordered one for my Jeep.
Sand Handel put boiled lean seed oil on
you're a fool if you dont have one of these shovels. so versatil
I'm a fool
Love to be in the woods myself, only we dont really have nice woods here.. where do you live/record this man? This looks epic!
jesse scholten ny
I Like how you talk
Holy shit is right! Ah yeaaaa.
C B haha
were you throwing it by the handle(like a knife) or like a spear( dart)
JGstunts22 that a serious question ????? you know how hard he would have to throw that if he threw it like a dart & have it stick in ???? he’d have to have super human strength... he threw it by end handle the rotation of the shovel gives it enough speed, inertia, momentum to allow it to stick in...
2:44 THUNK Holy Shit!
impressive . How many bikes do you have now?
MrAwesome glock still only 4 & 3 ATVs
1055 and American Hickory
Hey Tac, when I got my special forces shovel, as soon as I split a log with it, the screws came loose and the head shaked. did that happen to you? any suggestions on how to prevent this?
Cat with Knives yea, DONT split logs... its a shovel NOT an axe..
Nice vid man !!!
JOKA LOUREIRO thanks
best shovel vid ever!
Shovel Knight!
This should have been in the
chop-off
Good to have! Nice vid tac :)
Totem Tommy my man!
I have one it Sucks it's own D...steel is 1055.Good vid Tac. I'm not receiving notifications Through TH-cam when you post?.
Tyler Murphy is it fixed yet?
***** No Man...it's probably on my end if you haven't heard that from others I'm $hit at tech stuff and my phone is an @$$hole!.
WICKED COOL !!!!