Cold Steel "Special Forces Shovel" Review

Cold Steel "Special Forces Shovel"

Cold Steel is one of those brands that if you like them, you're probably not very proud to admit it.  With their advertising campaigns of "The warrior lifestyle" they capitalize on teenagers' desire to be a soldier without joining the military.  A lot of their products are absurdly gimmicky and they're fairly difficult to respect, even though some of their knives are of exceptional quality.

Well, this thing is one of those gimmicks, but I have to admit that I love it.  The shovel is inspired by the Russian Army's shovel issued to troops that became famous in the West in the last few years due to tv shows showing Russian special forces utilizing it as a weapon.  Well, let's clear some things up now, the original Russian shovel was not a weapon at heart.  No, it was just a shovel.  A really difficult to use shovel that didn't offer much leverage, in fact.  However, once you sharpen the steel of it, some Russian Special Forces claimed to have utilized it as a weapon.


That's where Cold Steel came in.  They saw the demand, and they made this thing.  It's a purpose built "combat shovel."  It comes in the box nearly sharp enough to shave your face with (Which I have done before, actually, to prove a point.), and it's far better balanced than the original Russian Army shovel.

While at first I bought it because I too had been taken up with the hype in my younger years, as I matured and 'grew out' of the phase that made me buy this, I still loved it.  This thing is a shovel, a hatchet, a knife, a baton, a club, a boat oar, and so many things all in one.  It managed to stay on my hip for every outing I went on.  A chopped many a tree, and used this bad boy to make tinder for even more fires.  It's surprisingly tough, despite its concaved head making it seem like any slash, chop, or hack would just dent the blade.  While the corners have become chipped beyond repair, the rest of the blade has held up remarkably well.

I'm not going to be reviewing this as a weapon, mind you.  I think bladed items are tools first, not weapons.  This, to me, is a hiking and camping tool to be used for utility.

Note the chips in the corner.  This is a natural weak point of the design.  The steel is tough, but physics is tougher.

The backside of the blade.  Strange how much less wear there is on this side.  You can tell from the condition of the wood that, no, I have never fried an egg on this thing.

The blade is made of very tough steel, but still takes and holds an edge very well.  Remarkable quality, given the $20 pricetag.  The handle is made of a tough wood, though I'm not sure what type.  I always wanted to sit down and whittle myself an oak handle, but I've been waiting for this one to break first to motivate me properly.  Alas, after nearly 4 years, it still hasn't broken.  

The handle was a little rough when I first got it, and had some machining marks.  Some decent sandpaper took care of that in 10 minutes.

What I affectionately call "the Ass" is a pommel to let you keep your grip better.  Also works well to manage the center of gravity making this shovel a decent throwing weapon, which was its original purpose when C.S. designed it.

The head is connected to the wood via a friction lock paired with 2 screws going into the handle.  I have never needed to tighten the screws after nearly 4 years of ownership, which is more than can be said of pretty much any other survival tool I've ever owned.  It's amazing now that I really reflect on it.  The head and handle are still very rigid and there's no play between them at all.  Very solid.  Feels like one part.  The screws are nearly flush with the head, and are close enough to flush that they don't get in the way if you hold it by where the head connects to the handle, like I do.

The screws and my preferred place to grip when idly holding the tool.

The shovel is not fit to chop down a thick tree, but for getting decent enough firewood and making tinder, this thing rocks.  It's excellent for splitting wood into more manageable logs and shaving wood for tinder.  For camping, this shovel is your best friend for digging a firepit, and the flat of the head can be used as a hammer to drive tent stakes.  This is an all around excellent tool, and is 1 of only 2 tools by Cold Steel that I suggest.

As this is my first review, I'd like to describe how I'll be judging items.  A higher score is always better.

Edge-holding:  The ability of the tool to keep an edge through normal and expected use.

Ease of use:  Does the tool just plain make sense?  Are you going to cut yourself using it too easily?  Does it do its job as easily as you'd think it should?

Ease of Sharpening:  How quickly and/or how much effort does it take to maintain an edge or to put an edge on?

Durability:  Under expected and normal use, how resilient is the tool to wear and tear?

Utility:  How versatile is it?  How many different things can you do with it efficiently?  

CvP:  Cost versus Performance.  Does the price reflect how well it performs at its roles?

Overall:  In the end what do I think this tool deserves to be?  Not necessarily an averaging of the other scores.

Ratings:

Edge-holding: 6/10

Ease of use: 8/10

Ease of Sharpening: 4/10

Durability: 7/10

Utility: 9/10

CvP: 10/10

Overall: 8/10

Do I suggest getting one?  Yes.  I would definitely recommend one of these if you're in the market for a versatile camping or hiking tool.  It'll do what you need it to do, and if you treat it right, it'll treat you right.

To purchase the shovel:

Click here.

To purchase the sheath:

Click here.

A sheath for the shovel can be bought seperately, also made by Cold Steel.  The sheath comes with a belt loop to wear it.  The sheath fits the shovel very snugly and it's very well secured.