Why? Because you are apparently unaware this type of multi-use shovel has been in service since around WWII?
Chinese military shovel
- Thread starter siegecrossbow
- Start date
Why? Because you are apparently unaware this type of multi-use shovel has been in service since around WWII?
There are full of nutrients in the dirt, including some very yummy worms packed with proteins...
Plus, out on the battlefield, it would be hard to find anything that has no dirt in it...
If I remember correctly clay is eaten in certain parts of Africa and Asia as a supplement. People dig very deep to find quality clay that would not only supply vitamins but also cure stomach ailments. I don't think just any old clay would do the job though.
bladerunner
Banned Idiot
No, Im simply amazed a shovel could do so much without requiring a bit of basic maintence like sharpening no matter how good it was, so when demonstrating the flexibility of the shovel in the video,how do we know they didnt use several. I cant imagine a shovel edge maintaining its sharpness after all the digging and chopping/slashing.
Many yrs ago when I worked in forestry, many of the spades would be resharpened after a couple of days use, when planting trees.and they were quality spades.
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vesicles
Colonel
OMG, it's a demonstration video. No one expects to see maintenance of a product. We see car commercials on TV all the time. Do we ever see any of those car getting maintained? Many commercials even indicate that the footage was shot in closed tracks with professional drivers. It's automatically assumed that anything and everything has to be maintained for highest effectiveness. Heck, even the most perfect of all things, human body that took millions of years to perfect, has to be maintained. So in the same sense, I would not expect average GIs would be able to use the shovel in the same efficiency as the guys in the video. But nonetheless, the versatility of the shovel cannot be denied. To be honest, I am sadden that you cannot find anything bad about this product, but yet still try to nit-picking the non-issues about it.
Again, I don't think we should compare this shovel to a dedicated shovel or any dedicated tools. It would be unfair. Like I said before, a dedicated tool is a uni-tasker and no one expects himself to bring a thousand uni-taskers (shovel, picks, hooks, can opener, knife, wire cutter, etc..) with him to battle. Yes, a soldier can choose to bring with him THE best shovel he can find, but what about the other stuff? You can choose to carry with you a few highly effective uni-taskers, or one multi-tasker that may not be as effective, but can get the jobs done. Something that a soldier can use to do his jobs effectively in a time of emergency is a lot better than nothing at all. So if ti were me, I would pick the multi-tasker. Yes, it may take me 10 minutes to cut a potato that could be cut in 5 by a specially designed potato-cutter, but at least I'm having my potato soup tonight.
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bladerunner
Banned Idiot
Well now that you ask, How experienced are you with shovels?
I do have some thoughts on the shovel. While its not bad
, I don't think it would stand up to some of the more vigorous tasks demonstrated. Being a short handled and folding shovel,IMO its only meant for light work, digging in lighter soil types. Strenuous work such as chopping, etc as demonstrated, could see it break or damage at the pivot point, and then where would you be "up the creek without a paddle"/sorry shovel when you need something for prising battle debris off a wounded comrade or something?
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Well now that you ask, How experienced are you with shovels?
I do have some thoughts on the shovel. While its not bad
Well I see this tool as more of a multi-purpose (albeit somewhat awkward for many functions) device and it isn't supposed to be geared to be particularly effective for any particular type of work. The true value of the device stems from the fact that it could help the user save space by replacing multiple tools with only one.
Yea... agreed with that. Anything that is that versatile means it can do all those things as advertise, but are never extremely good with any of those things... maybe perhaps to shovel.
It is something like, I have a camera that can also listen to MP3... but the main function is still to take photograph, all the others are just good to have gadgets.
For this type of shovel, it is always a dream for those grunts on field... at least their load will be lightened because they do not need to carry individual items for individual tasks. But frankly, I think if I was to choose, I would not actually depend on that shovel when doing repelling or hill climbing job. My life actually depend on it.
It is something like, I have a camera that can also listen to MP3... but the main function is still to take photograph, all the others are just good to have gadgets.
For this type of shovel, it is always a dream for those grunts on field... at least their load will be lightened because they do not need to carry individual items for individual tasks. But frankly, I think if I was to choose, I would not actually depend on that shovel when doing repelling or hill climbing job. My life actually depend on it.
I am sure they cleaned it between digging in mud and chopping food.
Well now that you ask, How experienced are you with shovels?
I do have some thoughts on the shovel. While its not bad
I take it you not familiar with US army's three-part folding shovel.
Practically every entrenching tool built during/after WWII has folding handle. They serve purpose. What you think is irrelevant. Ask instead experience of soldiers at Korea Vietnam etc.
They not as strong as Soviet shovels, which cast from one piece of metal, but you'll be surprised at how strong one is, certainly hinge compares favourably to socket.
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I am sure they cleaned it between digging in mud and chopping food.
Yeah, but as I have been to field before, I kind of think... no matter how much you wash your equipment, unless you have some very high power water jet, you will not get some of the persistence mud off the blade. But sometime, I guess... it boils down to the matter of no choice... either you eat with mud, or you die of starvation.
I trust you about the strenght of folding spade or shovel... but I will still prefer a grappling hook (kaginawa) when it came to scaling of walls, hills or repelling down the hill... I would never try it with a shovel... it just doesn't give me the confident...
Eat potatoe whole in field is probably best compromise.
Seriously half the functions there for show. Maybe three quarters. As a shovel only note four functions: Dig, pick, fight, light sawing. MAYBE the light cable-cutting.
Grapples used for more than climbing for supporting man weight. It is handy to have securing things hanging things etc. But like I said side function. Shovel should be judged by digging ability, everything else is bonus.