The Truth About Tactical Shovels! Cold Steel Special Forces vs German NATO Military Surplus

Someone finally needs to tell the truth. Maybe not me, but let's take a look at two very popular Tactical Shovels: The Cold Steel Special Forces Spetsnaz Shovel and the Bund German Nato tri fold, folding surplus shovel. Both are easy to buy on the internet and cheap- but how do they hold up. Can you camp with them, take them in the field, throw them, or if you have to... kill ??? Ok that's probably too far. In this shovel film, I put them to the test by digging useless holes, talk about ergonomics, and more. To support more shovel based content check out the shovels below. Thanks!
You can also find the German one easily on eBay if Amazon is out of stock
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Further watching for my EDC Theory
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[williamswan]

And those five bitcoins are now worth over $300, 000 as expensive shovel

[randallkelley]

Hey, about 15 years ago at a pew pew show, I purchased a German Nato shovel. I went home and sharpened the edge, and have been much safer since. I carry it to bed, place it under the pillow, and sleep sounder. My wife thinks I am crazy for having a shovel under my pillow. Shows what she knows.

[robadams]

I don't know about you guys, but when I look at a traditional shovel, I am always thinking it could be improved if the handle was shorter so I could bend over and use my back more when digging.

[chrisyoung]

I served in the U.S. army as an infantryman, we were issued a folding shovel similar to the one in the video, we referred to it as an E tool, short for entrenching tool, one feature you may not be aware of, is when doing your business in nature, you dig the hole, fold the “blade” 90 deg. Tighten the collar, place the handle loop on the ground and sit (half way) on the back of the blade while completing the transaction, then use the folded shovel to cover your “tracks”

[Barryhatchet]

I found the solution to digging shit holes while camping. I grow Carolina reaper peppers (see my pic) And made beef jerky spiced with one pepper for a backpacking trip and that was enough apparently so that when I went #2 it would only come out as acid lava that could not be retained by a little hole but spread out over the wild like Jackson pollock paintings. Much easier than carrying a shovel.

[arizonapancake]

I work way out in the Arizona desert, and sometimes I work nights. It was one of these knights that I just couldn't help that I was feeling watched. I felt uneasy and my hairs were standing on end. I kept looking around but could not see anything (weak flashlight for up close inspection work). My coworker heads over to the area just beyond ours in a truck and radios back that there is a big mountain lion that was just off the side of the road 100 yards away. The only thing besides a pocket knife I had was the cold steel shovel. It aint much against a lion but holding that thing with me was the only comfort I had besides Jesus as I had to finish my work. I knew I at least had a small chance of catching it in the head if it charged me and that was enough to help me finish work. I pick cold steel and always will.

[ldotters]

If all you have is a shovel, everything looks like dirt.

[marmite]

Ah yes, the tactical shovel. For all your tactical digging needs. Like when you're out in the park with your kids and suddenly you're beset by a band of hooligans in armoured half-tracks. Your average Joe might be caught short in such a situation, but not tactical EDC man. He has his tactical shovel and can whip up a defensive trench and foxhole network in just a few hours. He has his tactical altoids tin in which he keeps his tactical razor wire and tactical caltrops. His tactical EDC pouch contains tactical amphetamines to keep his mind sharp during these surprise tactical situations. On his tactical belt is a tactical fixed blade and a tactical multitool, and his tactical belt buckle is also a tactical knife. In just one afternoon he has tactically batoned enough logs to build a tactical blockhouse. Using his tactical keychain Swiss Army Knife and the tactical metalworking kit in his tactical backpack he has constructed a tactical .50 caliber M2 Browning machinegun nest. Tactically he routs the ruffians with precision tactical firepower and tactical combat manoeuvres he learned from his tactical tactics notebook. EDC man can rest safe knowing he has saved another day by the power of tactical carry gear.

[thechugdude]

I don't just"like" this sort of shovel-based content... I love it!

[Pharto_Stinkus]

The Cold Steel shovel has been my go to for years now, and with this and a good knife, I have never felt underequipped. I find the CS shovel to be a very capable shovel/hatchet/machete. I like to carry the shovel in hand when I hike, so I painted it orange, so that it looks like a tool and not a weapon when I encounter other people on the trail. EDIT: I've gotten a number of comments that suggest that people are interpreting what I said to mean that I think of the cold steel shovel as a weapon and I'm disguising it so people won't know that I'm carrying a weapon when I hike. That's not really what I meant. What I meant was, I think of it as a tool but scaredy-scat snowflakes sometimes see it as a weapon, especially when I encounter them in the woods. So that's why I painted it orange, so it would be less intimidating. ;)

[johnners]

There's just not enough good quality small shovel content on Youtube these days. Thanks for doing your part to address that travesty.

[Nachtmahr]

While serving in the Bundeswehr, I used the trifolding shovel quite a bit. You should have mentioned, that the head can be fixed in two positions: as a shovel or a pickaxe, which is quite useful, when digging in heavy soil. Its a quite versatile and sturdy piece of equipment - digging, prying or splitting wood (with the tip of the shovel and a baton) works quite well, using it as an axe creates terrible handshock but is possible. The legend says, its an incredible weapon for hand-to-hand combat, but i cannot confirm that... They will take a lot of abuse, but are not indestructible, the weak spot are the four rivets, connecting the shovel blade to the hinge mechanism - mine broke at that point after prolonged use as a prybar and pickaxe ;)

[Imightberiding]

My search has finally ended. I have found the ultimate "shovel based content" channel & I am satisfied. Might I add? ... I'm really digging this shovel based content. (sound of crickets) I'll show myself out.

[Mark-uonf]

Just wanted to say I love your channel. Love the humor. I have however, actually had to use cutting tools to survive ( homeless in a small town ), and I gotta say, I wish I had some of the tools you've featured in the past, especially some of those flashlights! Anyway, please keep it up. You're hilarious.

[nirfz]

:-D During my conscript time, we had a mixture of the two. Imagine the cold steel one but with the folding mechanism of the NATO one where the shovelhead and the handle are connected.
It's like a multitool compared to dedicated tools. -> better than nothing, but not even close to as good to use as dedicated tools for the job. So i didn't think many people would go so far and buy these items. (I man ok if you are offroading or camping and space is a real issue it makes some sense)
Even our NCO told us: "This little spade is to dig foxholes and trenches if you don't have any other tools, but more importantly, it's the best close quaters weapon you are issued. It has proven itself in two world wars." (To put that in context: we were issued a field knife...)

[MichaelMantion]

I had an old Korean Shovel. Loved it, used it everywhere.

[seanscanlan]

That cold steel shovel came in really handy when my dog passed away in the winter. I was able to get through the top layer of frozen ground with it to bury her. Also helped at my old house when digging up a frozen well line. I've been happy with it.

[BradGryphonn]

No paper cut test
No food prep test
No fire-starting test
No batoning test
What sort of a review do you call this?

[ogenmatic]

4:23 - Regarding using an ax to chop roots - I’ve done this for years with a double bit ax where I use one sharpened side for actual cutting of wood & the other much more bluntly sharpened side when swinging at or near the ground. I’ve always understood that to be the purpose of having the second bit but perhaps I’m an idiot which makes my father & grandfather both idiots since they’re the ones who taught me this.
Good video btw. Always enjoy your content.

[judsonm]

You’re an excellent writer. Love the humor. Thanks for making these videos.