CAN YOU DIG IT
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ส.ค. 2024
- in this video i will show the mods i have done to the u.s. army entrenching tool and to small military shovels to make them a better tool for woodscraft / bushcraft. i will show how a file can be used to add a edge to make the shovel act as a small axe or hatchet. we will talk of how to mod the tool with a Dremel to project to sharpen the serrations along the blade.
u.s.army folding shovel , army surplus ,german army shovel , folding german shovel ,folding shovel mods , tips and tricks , gear mods, bushcraft kit mods ,
You NEVER cease to amaze me my friend! God bless you and thank you for your willingness to pass this important info on to us! Your friend from North Mississippi!!! 😘👋📦
My first shovel that I ever had. Those are made to last. Mine was well over 20 years old to start and I had that over 15 years after but lost it somewhere between MI and IN. As I got older I found a longer shovel was well worth the added weight to save my back. Good video!
yes sir if you got a lot of digging to do the long handle is the way to go saves your back
Again I learned quite a bit from you. I don't have a military shovel yet, even though I was married to the military for over 15 years. As a dependant wife and younger years, you don't think about having one of those.
And here in Kentucky we had three surplus stores BEFORE the pandemic. They are now closed. So that leaves me out of buying one unless I get it online, and there too I avoid Amazon like the plague. I know how to navigate the internet very good, so I think I will do my research on line as to where to buy it at. It's like window shopping...😁🤓
The Cold Steel made shovel with the longer handle has become a favorite of mine.
i have had those and they are a good shovel
I did a mod on my Cold Steel shovel by drilling two holes on either step and Canadian Jamb Knotting a doubled up chunk of inter tube on each side. Doing that took away all of the "ping" from the shovel.
nice
You are a Mad Man of knowledge. Cheers from the South Carolina Lowcountry!
thank you very much
Blackie , Great Video and Outstanding Information and Tips and Tricks with a E- Tool , Uncle Sam let me use one for six years. Thanks For Sharing Your Time and Knowledge. Yes You Are The Master Woodsman and Buschcrafter. Thanks Again. Tim L. Old Boy Scout , and U.S. Army Vet. 1979-1986.
thank you for your service
@@blackoracle69 I was Glad to serve and would do it again.
Thank you for bringing up how using a shovel to cook with you can lose the temper on the shovel. I have seen people do that, and it just made me cringe. I watched one highly respected bushcrafter do it. I even considered doing it once myself. I did, however, come to my senses beforehand. I'm with you on this one. I'm quite sure it would destroy the temper after just a few times.
Very Useful Information ! Thank You For Sharing Your Knowledge !
Grazing in the grass is a gas. Is a gas.
I can dig it.
You can dig it.
We can dig it.
.....thanks for putting that song in my head.😁
Really like the last shovel you showed off. Got the first tri-fold shovel. Like the modifications. Also have cold steel's shovel in my truck. The Glock tool feels flimsy. Haven't used it much. It and the cold steel shovel live in my truck and work truck, respectively. I'm a Utility worker and have lots of occasions to dig.
Rock on!
I've had the W German shovel / pick on my work truck for many years . I dug a 6' deep outdoor sewer ejecter pit with mine thru shale and it did surprisingly well .
it will get the job done for sure
Thanks for the video now I'm gonna take my 78 year old collapsible 1944 World War II entrenching shovels bead blasted and repainted ! Would not done have done had i not seen your video! 👍
Very good information Blackie, thank you for sharing.
My pleasure!
Lots of neat mods, sir! Thank you for passing on the knowledge! I know a lot of us say that, but we really, really, really mean it!!!
I appreciate that!
I kept one of those shovels in my truck for years, so handy to have. A few times I’ve used it to dig out hard packed snow from under my truck after getting hung up, that’s when the hoe feature is great. Not sure how old mine is but it has a straight wood handle & a nut like the tri-fold you first showed & also has a pick hook. The canvas pouch has the belt clips (not Alice clips). Had it since I was a kid & I’m 60 now, it’s never let me down when I needed it.
i kept a tub of lard when i was up in snow country when i had to dig snow i would lube the shovel with lard so the snow would not stick to it
Good word here, I carry one in my truck for JIC. Had it for 45 + yrs, but I also have a jeep shovel in the back of the truck, which I prefer . But I live in Fla, an its all sand or mud here. Thx for the vid Blackie
Thanks for sharing
Got the Bundeswehr shovel,& the U.S shovel. Modern and Ww2. Great kit. Good tips, thankyou,have used them on difficult construction, jobs in tricky woodland areas.
thanks for watching
thanks for the astute observations and the sawzall blade idea!
Any time!
1st time seeing you. You've got some solid good ideas. The insect sound in the background is some intence. Ontario Canada.
Welcome aboard! yep that is the song of my south this time of year
I keep mine under the back seat of the truck. I've used it with a snatch strap looped on the ball hitch, like a anchor. To pluck out some massive boulders in my field.
I use it all the time at work, cleaning out mud pushing against tie rims or digging dirt to seat a jack, in a tight spot..
I've stuck it in the ground and dropped my drawers and balanced a check, to drop a load out in the field.
My ground in Ohio is hard
Right on
Nice modifications. Will have to look at my little car shovel and see what I can do with it. 👍
Right on
Used my entrenching tool on a recent trip a lot for assisting with cooking, moving hot embers etc, great tool!
Very cool!
Great mods! I've had mine for over forty years and it is a great piece of gear! And it can be a life saver besides being a very versatile tool!
Thanks Blackie! ATB Sam Adler from Vietnam
Right on!
Digging your video. Used it many of time in my 21 year Career. Just another usage for the shovel in an absolute pinch; frying pan. In case you weren't a Ranger you might want to wash off your shovel in the creek somewhere... We just keep in grit on it.. why wash off the seasoning.
Thanks for sharing!
Killer shovel vid Blackie!! I really enjoyed hearin the cicadas in the background I don't hear them up here in Wisconsin much.
yep they sing loud down here
I dig it. Love the pounder plate mod.
thanks
Another Great video Mr. Thomas! Thank you, I an Etool in each vehicle and have one similarly modded up that I carry on occasion... cheers to ya
Right on
Good video. Yep I love my U S. Military shovel. My father gave me his . It's one of the pieces of gear that won't let me down . God bless. From Glenn CATT in Massachusetts.
they will last for ever with a little up keep
I had my first one, a wooden handled folder, from my dad when I was little. Carried that thing everywhere.
Great idea on the hook/point. May try that myself -- I definitely sharpen mine, although my side edges are sharper than the front edges right now.
I like using it with the head at a right angle, almost like a baling hook, to move logs, especially readjusting em in the fire-- sling the point into the end of a log, and drag it where you want it! And then, set the handle on the ground, and there's your one-legged stool ;)
thanks for watching
Yep entrenching tools at 20 dig a fox hole 5 foot deep at 55? Yeah not so much but still very useful. I mean the usefulness is only limited by your imagination. I really need to replace mine. Lost it awhile back. Off to the mil-surplus store tomorrow! The only real problem watching your channel is I see so much I want and the wife frowns on that! Oh well I have no other vices so.....Thanks for your info sir it is always a pleasure! Eastern AR has soft dirt here in the Ouachita's it is not soft. Might need to look at the german folding shovel. Ah southern air 85% liquid! Great video as always!
the german ones are heavy but dig very well
JB weld and a sawzall blade welded to the shovel. Worth the price of admission. :)
glad you liked it
Good info Blackie 👍🙏🐺
Much appreciated
Ran up against that Red Clay in Virginia many times. In the heat and humidity or in the frozen winter. I am glad I am not a Cableguy anymore. Useful info thanks. :)
Thanks for sharing
I have never found one of 'em "thangs" 'at would fit my hand worth a dang! Lots of good to know info about them "fanger pinchin' $@#@##!!s. Good job my friend!
thanks brother once it cools off a bit we go camp again
Wow! I’ve never heard of some of these mods before! Great thinking and great info!
Glad you like them!
Great video
Thanks!
Hi Blackie! I appreciate theoverview and especially the mods portion.
My pleasure!
I have an entrenching tool that Ive had for many years and remember while in the Army, this tool had my back in many situations. They may seem a little bulky and heavy to some, but it sure beats using sticks or something else.
Super useful in the winter up north in jersey to break up ice and shovel snow. I had a trifold shovel and the point that broke was the washer that kept the collet and shovel head in place so i added 2 thick washers from home depot and bought smal pack to replace the washers once they are too damaged to use anymore
Great tip!
Hi Blackie, great tips, thanks! I bought one of those folding U.S. military shovels a few years ago. I also have a U.S. folding shovel with the straight wooden handle that I take camping with me a lot. Wish I could find one with a spike like your German shovel. I think those are very hard to find now. The dirt here in Michigan is quite hard, in my experience camping in the northern part of the state. 👍
i found some of the germans for sale in sportmans guide a few months ago you might check there
@@blackoracle69 Thanks Blackie, appreciate it. I'll check it out.
The saw teeth are meant for getting through roots. It is dull so that it doesnt require maintenance. The crappy blade side was usually used though. We never sharpened those either lol.
I use the cold steel spetznaz shovel now. I keep it in my truck. Its served me well for digging a fire hole (and burying it), and digging tires out.
Using this as a makeshift hatchet would ultimately cause it to fail. It would eventually bend it to where it wouldnt close. This one failure was why I went with the shovel I chose.
thanks for watching
Great video as usual. I've got a green one. I think I got a glimpse of the $5.00 price on the bottom of the blade.
yep i bought it in like 1981 or something from a garage sale
I had an issue wood handle shovel in the Army for 20 years before a supply Sargent got me in a showdown. Hated the trifold for digging. Vehicles had a pick sledgehammer and d ring shovel and an ax so we always had tools. Have fun stay safe.
thanks for your service
Sawsall blade a good idea! Safe travels.
Mine is a 1945. Heavy, but I enjoy using it. Sanded handle and applied linseed oil for presevation. Filed edges to blade to allow better root cutting.
Right on
Great coverage of shovels .. and the description of our dirt ,, just left of concrete , lol. They are expensive as all get out. But for a long hard core chopper shovel look into the cororna brand landscapers shovel. .. it’s a beast and will cut thru roots as big as your wrist with minimum effort ,, I have to constantly dig in rough areas repairing broken water lines ,, one of the best tools I have ever purchased
Thanks 👍
I looked on the Corona site but didn't see anything labeled landscapers shovel. Would it be the trenching shovel?
@@rafterL78 part# as 90300 all steel one piece construction ,, serious heavy duty quailty
Good informational video , thanks for sharing , God bless !
my pleasure
Great info Blackie..as always I learn something new with every one of your videos..have fun, be safe and stop breathing in my water 😅😅😅
Thank you, I will
Now I regret getting rid of my old E-tool. Might pick one up and do the mods. thanks fro the tip.
Go for it!
outstanding info 💯 thank you 👍🏆🥇
My pleasure!
Handy made handier. Just the 'camp stool' option decided which type to have for me. Neither style is worth a hoot for real digging compared to a full-sized shovel (which I've been known to carry when digging was in the plans) but that's not their purpose. Very little of my gear or tools remains as-bought; there's almost always room for improvement to better suit my needs and as you showed these can be made better in many ways.
thats the big thing make it your own if you like it sharp here or have a longer handle , do the mods make the tool fit you
Shovels are great to have in the truck lots of uses.
yes sir and hello brother be sure to let me know of any campout this fall i want to come camp with you guys
I'm a leftie, nice to see!
I was digging g rocks and hit some dirt here! LOL, I'm on a mountian that's a huge rock formation
Very cool!
Sitting here watching the segment on the trifold shovel where you put the bolt and wing nut through, made me wonder if one of those cam locking bolts used on a bicycle seat post would work there. Just a thought, keep up the videos I really enjoy them.
Great point!
Gotta love Fridays!
thanks for watching and all the comments
I think adding a pick to the modern GI one sounds pretty good. It'd be better to angle it, if you can, to follow in that greater-than-90° arc the angled shovel head follows. The American triangle handle is made so you sit or kneel (one or both knees) and you grab the angled parts, one hand each side, when the shovel head is set at the [actually greater than] 90° angle. That way you're low, maybe hid while digging.
yep its used often from a prone to get you some more cover
I've several of the Military Tri Fold but my German ( Just like the one you have) is my Favorite. For me the Weight isn't an issue. Great Video Buddy.
thanks
I loved my E-tool. I had 1 time where I ran off the road into a snow filled ditch. I got the front dug out by the time a friend helped pull me out. It has helped me with the stress of life by being there to dig fighting positions. I need to get a new E-tool. I lost mine in the last move.
thanks for watching
Thanks Blackie!
You bet!
Good information, Blackie. I use all of the tools you discussed and I think the USGI Ames brand entrenching tool is better made than the after market ones.
Right on
Hey Larry, the Ames company is from Ames Iowa, and as legend has it made shovels, picks, and axes for the union army during the "War of Northern Aggression" (I'm from Mississippi by the way), my pawpaw never called an Ames shovel anything but a "damnyankee" shovel, LOL!
@@forestgnome55 Being from Tennessee, I fully understand his thinking! 😁
Got another winner on this one in the required viewing pile. Lots of great mods.
thanks
this was pretty DEEP but i understood the HOLE thing 😂
I've been looking for a shovel to carry. US folding shovel is sooo heavy I've been looking for an alternative. The Euro style is not as compact. I may just pick up both up and take that which suits the job. Thanks for the tips on the mods. Good advice.
i understand on the weight but also that is the power of the shovel if its too light it will not work well as a pick i like the german with the pick on it and it is double the weight of the other green one but when i swing with force it will bite deeper and make the job go faster
Great one Blackie, thanks. Any updates on the blankets?
Not that I know of but i was told last month they were on schedule i will ask and do a update on the channel
👍👍👍
thanks for watching
You can use triangle file to sharp that serrated edge
good idea
Nice mods... finding the older ones is getting harder.. Newer ones not so tough
the old ones are the best
dang have used one of these for years, never thought about moding it
Sounds more like glacial till than silt. The silt I am familiar with here in Alaska is about the consistency of finely ground flour. When wet it makes treacherous muck ( and half way decent throwing clay) but can compact and harden into a concrete like substance.
very true
the part of ohio i'm in is clay city! one reason i prefer the straight handle pick spiked folding ones like your German one! never thought of taking the back part off the trifold and putting a straight handle on it i'll have to look at mine that damn spade handle makes it awkward as hell to swing for me! although i've seen those trifolds used as shore anchors too, it was folded over like for a hoe sunk into the bank and the boat tied off to it we didn't have enough rope to reach a tree big enough! the ones that were used as a skillet and broke it sounds like they were over hardened and got brittle! repeated heating will do that!
yep once you put steel in a fire you are rolling the dice
I have two surplus shovels with straight wood handles. They are excellent. One is in the car the other is in the truck. I don't plan on ever needing it but Its like a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
thats right never need it wonderful but when you do few things can sub a shovel
Blackie mine has that spike or pick on the back and it’s a bit heavy but it’s a solid piece of kit
that spike is real handy to bust thru that hard clay layer
You weren't wrong about Ohio. 3 to 6 inches down and you hit a hard pan of clay. No matter what tool you have that's a pain in the a$$ to get through. My multi tool of choice is the Camillus Predator. Not a shovel by a long shot but it sure as heck digs into the ground like a pro. The only mod I did on that was some friction tape on the handle and a better edge. It's still part of my kit.
awesome thanks for watching
I happened upon a 1944 Wood wood hand shovel. May have seen the beaches of Normandy.
awesome find
If your buddies that cooked on theirs.... it only takes one time cooling the shovel with water to harden out a grain boundary in the steel (brittle).
true
Could please show some photos of that strait handle mod to the E Tool many thanks
i will look into it and see if i can get some picks for ya
I took an old truck leaf spring cut a piece out to fit in the area between the three large rivets and welded it in for my striking surface.
awesome
back in my day we called the folding shovel an I pood because if you turn the handle 90 '0 gig the blade in the ground now the handle becomes a toilet seat
Cold Steel went on sale, bought one of their shovels for $18. I’d never considered bringing one before but damn…once you do you think of a thousand uses! I have my Ames brand tri-fold from the 80’s when I was in the Army, I recently bought one of the new issue models with synthetic handle and steel head by Fiskars/Gerber and it’s really nice. BUT…after watching Corporals Corner, he had an Ames model from the 60’s, much like the German model you showed. I searched and searched…months…finally found one, cost me $95. Ames, 1965. It’s amazing, took it on a recent trip and yeah it weighs a ton but we had a project in mind. When the world ends this is the one you want! And I’m sorry, but anyone who cooks on their shovel I’m just going to make vicious fun of! If you don’t care about it I certainly don’t but anyone who thinks that isn’t totally screwing it up is not that skilled! Some cool ideas, great video.
glad you found one they are kinda hard to find these days
I cringe at the thought of cooking on a shovel. I'd rather dig up a rock with it to use as a cook surface.
@@rafterL78 Exactly! Just because you can cook on a shovel doesn’t mean you should!
Its my most important camp tool.
I never thought about shovel mods... now I realize I have to put one in my car for Canadian winter problems (once had to dig my car off a snow bank with a snow brush... not fun!)
i carry one i might not need it for yrs but when i do its a life saver
Good day
Have a nice day
I live in southern Illinois Williamson county. Our soil here is partly sandstone and dark dirt
that can be hard to dig thru thanks for watching
Not illegal 'less ya get caught ! ;)
And if you use a bow and arrow to feed your family nobody will ever know you were in there. Stealth man, stealth. I fed a family once too.
those days may return
i like the russian shovels they have a straight handle and they are more user friendly especially as a chopping device
The American triangle handle is made so you sit or kneel (one or both knees) and you grab the angled parts, one hand each side, when the shovel head is set at the [actually greater than] 90° angle. That way you're low, maybe hid while digging.
thanks for the comments
Hey Blackie… I’ve wondered about the e-tools with the 45° locking position. Is there a way to mod the tool for this purpose? It seems to me that it would be beneficial to have the 0°/45°/90°/180° locking system with the pick bit folding e-tool. I’ve not been able to locate any of these, but I keep looking. Any thoughts?
I love the mods that you presented here! Also, my e-tool rubber pouch has bit the dust! What would you suggest as a long term solution to replace it?
the head uses a square lug for the twist lock to hold in position if that was ground to add a 45deg it could lock in that position
My shovel is an old military one from WW2 has a pick had for over 50 years
they were good gear
You can rebuild the world with an E-Tool and a good hand axe.
🐺 Well I'll be . Shows how dumb I am I never knew that they made folding shovel for right or left hand person I have couple of them made by different company's I reckon when I get home tonight I'm going to check to see if there for left or right hand . I reckon that old saying you learn something new every day is true lol 🇺🇲🦅
My name is Gary Parrish. I'm very sure you never met me. I've been watching in silence for a long time. I. Very happy to know it's the facts that matters.
thank you for watching
Do I hear a rattlesnake? 😳 (16:36)
Have an e-tool in both my rigs 🤠
awesome
You could really hear the insect noise picking up towards the end of the video. It must have been getting late .
lol nope they just sing it was around 5 pm sundown here is 8 pm that the song of the south in the summer only after 11pm will they quiet down a little bit
DOOD!
DUDE!!!
How feasible is it to drill a hole in the shovel and tap it to 5/16-18? You could then put one of those replaceable hammer tips in the hole.
should be easy well remember the steel is hard so ya can do it but it might dull a few drill bits in the process
Probably have to use one with a carbide tip. Then there's the tap.
I have US surplus folding shovel with a wood handle, before your time.
i know what ya got they are good tools
@BLACKIE HEY BROTHER HAVE YOU EVER DUG IN SANG DOWN THERE IN ALABAMA?
Ten - 4 on tryin' to breathe low - pressure steam... it sucks!
yep you will choke up and hack stuff up cause your lungs are swimming
Yeah - tryin' to breathe "low-pressure steam" as Mark Novak calls it over in Charleston S.C. , not so great....
It's rare for me to speck up.
Please give me a way to speak with you at least a better place !
well thank you i am blackie thomas on facebook as well if you will send me a txt there i will look for it