Cold Steel92SFSZ Special Forces Shovel Includes Sheath and Clam Pack

I purchased this shovel to take camping, having broken many a tri-fold shovel in the past and wanting to upgrade. I did quite a bit of research before buying, and decided to give this Cold Steel shovel a try. I figured that, for the price, I could see how well it performed under heavy abuse and not feel like I had wasted a bunch of money if it broke. Below are all of the tasks I threw at it, and how it performed.Chopping: On the way to our campsite there were several fallen trees that blocked the trail. I had worked the edges of the shovel (which were decently sharp to begin with) with a sharpening stone before heading out, so I thought using it to chop a few branches would be a good first test. It did a decent job of chopping smaller branches, up to about an inch and a half thick. Larger diameter branches were a lot tougher, requiring considerably more effort. Because the head of the shovel doesn’t have as much mass as a typical hatchet or axe, and the relatively short handle doesn’t afford as much leverage, it took quit a bit of energy to chop those bigger branches. That being said, I was able to chop through a branch that was about three inches in diameter, but I don’t think I’d ever want to do that again!Digging: What good is a shovel if it doesn’t dig? Fortunately, this little shovel more than met my expectations. I dug a fire pit in some pretty hard soil which was riddled with roots. I honestly couldn’t tell I was cutting through the roots until I saw them in the turned dirt! I dug the pit larger than I normally would just because it was so easy. I also dug a latrine a short distance from camp. The soil there was more rocky, but the shovel did just fine. The head of the shovel is a little shallow though, so while digging wasn’t an issue, removing dirt from a hole does take some time. I actually found I could move more dirt with my hands ham with the shovel, but that’s something I’ve found necessary when using any shovel of a similar size.Throwing: I don’t typically throw my tools around, but after seeing the demo video on Cold Steel’s website I thought I’d give it a try. Standing about five yards away from a fallen tree, I was able to pretty easily stick the shovel about an inch and a half deep into the wood. It’s really well balanced, and getting a single spin before impact was the best way I found to get it to stick. Beyond throwing it at a target, I also decided to just chuck it into the woods to see what would happen. I heaved it about as hard as I could and bounced it off a few trees before it finally hit he ground. The shovel, more specifically he handle, didn’t have a scratch on it when I was finally able to find it!Overall, I’m really impressed with this tool. I expect that it will stand up to any abuse I throw at it, and at just over twenty bucks, it’s a real value.

Ignore the "Special Forces" and "Spetznatz" foolishness. It's all marketing from th company. This design is basic issue to any Russian infantryman since before WW II. Yes, the Russian Special Forces use it. But they also breathe oxygen like everyone else - so what?That said, it's high value for the money. In addition to being a solid shovel, it can perform extra duty as a hatchet, machete, hammer, and knife. Like any multitool, it's not as good as its purpose built analogs. But it's more than good enough for all of them. Yes, it can be thrown, though I'd be very surprised if anyone does that for anything but yuks. There's no doubt a skilled user (like a Spetznatz operator) could use it to devastating effect in hand to hand combat.The metal shovel head is attached by large Phillips head screws instead of rivets. Why is that important? So you can, if needed, chop a tree branch and carve it into a full sized shovel handle to replace the small handle so you don't have to dig while on your knees. You can also attach it to a tree branch so it can be a pick. This is a common tactic for Russian forest fire fighters. I recommend you get the sheath, which makes it easier to carry and ensures the sharp edge doesn't cut anything.I seriously recommend it as a car tool, bug out bag item, camping tool, or self defense in a confined apartment.

Just my opinion here but... remember this is a SHOVEL first, and then ANYTHING ELSE second. That being said, it can work as an "ANYTHING ELSE" quite well in some situations.Can it be used to chop wood?Yes. Not very well, definitely not as well as a real Axe can, but it CAN to some degree.Can it be used to cut/slice things?Yes. Once again, not very well, in fact, this application to use it this way is actually quite poor, as this shovel comes rather blunt and jagged on the edges, but if you take the TIME and SHARPEN it quite well, then it can slice/cut well. But then when you go back to shoveling granite, rocks, hard dirt, and stuff you will ruin that nice edge, so not personally recommended.Can it be used as a weapon?Dear God, Yes! The flat part of the shovel pointing downwards would make for a nasty BLUNT WEAPON if swung onto an assailant or zombie's face, and the edges are somewhat jagged (from the factory) and can be sharpened into razor sharpness to be made into an impromptu axe.Can it be used as a throwing weapon / throwing axe?Those of you who have seen the YT commercial video for this thing know what I'm talking about. Yes it can, but I don't recommend it, and thatstunt seems more like a publicity thing that they did, and also the principle of a throwing weapon which can be picked up and used against a thrower does not seem quite appealing in a tactical sense.YMMV, great shovel!

I’ve wasted money on those fold up shovels at Walmart and online. They all failed with minimal use. The alloys would collapse.But this shovel has shown to be virtually indestructible. It’s not too heavy to pack in. It’s proved it’s worth when digging a fire pit for windy day fires. I will say that it is fine as a stand alone but I also use a buck saw in conjunction with it. It doesn’t have the mass to split real hardwood logs but limbs the size of your arm are no match for it.The knife edge on one side is a very serious potential for slicing through a boot. But I use a stabbing motion and kind of lean in on it experiencing no problems. I will not sharpen it like a knife but more as a woodworking chisel. I would never use it to slice but to scrape and split. The shovel is fairly flat so it doesn’t have much of a curve.I have no plans to start throwing it so I can’t speak to that aspect. I keep it in my truck as a multipurpose tool. If I Day pack I don’t carry it but if I tent camp at all it’s become very useful.

The total length of the product is wrong. In the description it says it would be 24 inches or 63 cm long. In reality it was 10 centimeters short.On a normal shovel that would not be an issue. But on a compact shovel 10 centimeters is a lot. Otherwise everything looks fine. It looks like a fairly sturdy shovel I will try it out to see if 10 centimeters are a deal breaker.

From digging to throwing it does it all! Right out of the box this shovel preformed feather sticks, steak making, chopping, throwing and digging. Excellent blade retention. This is a fantastic tool. Would recommend to everyone.EDIT: went back to digging and the handle broke! In contact now with the supplier to see what can be done. Will let you know the outcome.EDIT 2: seller offered to refund my money and have me send the broken product back. Rather then wait for a new shovel, I contacted cold steel directly to have a new handle sent out. In the mean time I fashioned my own handle to use until it arrives. Very happy with this product regardless of bad luck in the handle.

Overall I am happy with what I got. The sheath fits well and is a nice touch. It has a very wide loop on the middle of the sheath and a belt loop on the very top. I wouldn't use the belt loop on top because the balance is off, so I might just cut it off.As for the shovel itself, a few words. I just got it and can't comment on durability or how it will hold the edge. That said the overall construction is solid and I really like the 2-screw handle attachment as opposed to rivets because the screws you can fix in the field. The down side of the screws, And I don't know if I just got unlucky, is my screws were put in at an angle and the caps stick out from the handle. They could be put in flush, but they weren't. Means I will have to remember to use gloves when I use it. I may also commit to taking the screws out, rotating the handle, and improving the entry angle.The factory edge on the blade is superb. I am very much impressed.The wooden handle had a few dents and little Knicks, so did the shovel blade. I suspect this happened in transit to the seller or at the seller facility. It could not have been in transit from the seller to me because the rest of the items in my order were not hard enough to beat up a hardwood handle.Overall I wanted a Soviet design shovel with a western manufacturing precision. I ended up getting the Soviet manufacturing precision. I am fine with that.

This really seems like it will last forever, I bought it for a compact, portable gardening shovel, but I was out chopping up apple prunings with it yesterday and it certainly holds its own as an axe as well. I will probably reach for it to clear brush on the job. Also poses less of a visual concern for the public than if i were carrying a machete.

entgegen der Beschreibung in der Bestellung ist der Spaten OHNE Tasche geliefert worden. Dann ist der Preis nicht gerechtfertigt.Der Stiel ist aus Weichholz. Der wird nicht lange halten. Warum macht man den nicht aus Hickory, oder Esche wie sonst bei solchem Werkzeug üblich ?Ansonsten ist der Spaten sehr robust