Cold Steel Spetsnav Shovel

The Cold Steel Spetsnaz Shovel, AKA Special Forces Shovel, Cold Steel Spade etc. is based on the Soviet Special Forces digging tool and is in essence a metal shovel head on a wooden handle, like so many shovels. However, the Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel has a heat-treated carbon steel head and socket and the edges are sharpened, so that as well as being a digging tool, it also functions as a useful hatchet!

In use, I found the shovel great for digging and chopping any roots as I went, reasonably good at chopping medium thick branches into firewood, very good for splitting kindling, fair at splitting poles along their length and excellent for shifting the coals of a fire around while cooking. The edge takes and holds a reasonable edge and is straightforward to sharpen; digging through stony soil soon takes any edge off…

The wooden handle fits into the head well, is held by two chunky screws and has a varnished fitting, but I found the screws poorly seated and this, along with a big ‘step’ between the steel and the wood soon caused hot spots on my hand while digging. Luckily, a few minutes with sandpaper and reseating the screws fixed this and I had a comfortable tool to use.

Dig it

The sheath is well-made, fits the shovel well and has a webbing hanging loop and belt loop attached. The twin webbing closure straps close with secure snap fasteners. Made from ‘Cor-Ex’, the sheath is robust and functional.

Probably the most interesting feature of this practical, functional and tough tool is that it is also great fun to throw! If you have ever enjoyed axe or tomahawk throwing (or even playing darts) you will find that the Cold Steel Spetsnaz shovel provides hours of fun, as you thrown it at dead stumps!

As a shovel, the Cold Steel Spetsnaz Shovel works excellently, as a hatchet it out-performs some ‘survival’ hatchets I have tried in the past, and as a ‘thrower’ it provides great fun.

I bought my Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel from The Bushcraft Store and was impressed by their service.