Take a look at this video. It demonstrates the Chinese Military shovel. Much like our entrenching tool, but with a number of great improvements.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60OZhrTB6o

Nomad

But.... Is it like most chinese made stuff? I would like to know the specs of it.

I like the wire/bolt cutter idea. Other than that, there are a few entrenching tools with most of the other features such as the saw, blade, and ability to use it as a pickaxe.

My favorite part of the video was the potato slicer dicer. lol

I feel like lighting up a Marlboro after watching that. Louise says I can't have one. She's upset when I use my pocket knife to peel an orange. There's no way she'd eat potatoes after I diced them with the entrenching tool. Dang.

Guess they don't issue pocket knives in the Chinese Army.

Chinese quality depends on the cost of the product and the seller. I've found with flashlights they can match whatever quality people are willing to pay for, from $1 cheapo lights to $500 titanium lights. And of course my iPod, laptop, etc, were made there too so it just depends.

WTH... Chinese entrenching tool...with mariachi music/Dramatic movie music.
lol
wow.....
AAAB
All American Adventure Boy

Yeah, I guess I spoke too early. I also hane some M.I.C. stuff tat is high quality. So, I will correct myself. ...like some Chinese made...!

cool, but most of that is just new uses for a folding shovel!
Notice, a foxhole was never dug with it! Just a couple ditches.

The music has me expecting to see Hoss and the rest of the Cartwrights come over the hill on horses. Maybe for the A-Team arriving. A bit over the top.

I kind of like the shovel. The hinge design, the key to the system IMHO, has some advantages mechanically and it seems pretty stout.

The basic functions are not entirely different from what you see on a basic wood-handled entrenching tool from WW2 but with a bit more refinement perhaps. The chopping edge seems to be more a more refined grind. If it is a better grade of steel they might be onto something. Most entrenching tools are made of a generally unremarkable mild steel.

The saw seems a step up from what you see on most saws. Perhaps it is a better grade of steel, hardened. But it might just be the same old mild steel sharpened to hold up just long enough to do the demonstration. It would be good to inspect the unit after some use.

Clearly they are reaching when they describe some uses. the functionality as shield, grapple and oar are clearly more fanciful than real. The grapnel, what they call 'anchor' is interesting but I'm not sure I would risk life and limb in anything but a desperate situation. The can opener function is marginal and tedious just barely beating pounding the can open with a large rock. If you have cans that need opening your better off with a P-38 or SAK.

The bottle opener is clearly functional, a nice feature, unfortunately very few supplies these days come with bottle caps that need removal.

The wire cutter and ability to grip wire to tie it might come in handy. The hammer seems marginal but possibly useful. Better than nothing if you have a nail to hammer in. The nail puller seems useful but I can't remember ever needing one in the field. I guess if you need to reuse your nails it would be useful.

If I needed an entrenching tool I would give it a try as long as it was $20 or less. A bit more if the steel was a higher grade than usual.

I need to find for you a video I had years ago of a guy who used dynamite to tenderize meat. No, it wasn't Blast. I think.

Art, I had the same feeling!! Kinda a 70's/80's western music theme!!!
I do like the idea of the wire cutter. The rest, my issue Etool can do. Other than dice up food-but, I've never had need for that.
The grappling hook part was amusing-the guys threw the tools well over the obstacle-cut to a PERFECT hook, lol.

the food dicing was a nice touch. Looks like Leatherman has their work cut out for them ...

My issue E-Tool, I purchased at a yardsale for $5! But, I can shovel and pick, Thats about it. I can improvise it for use of a hammer, knife (the edge is roughly sharpened, I can improve that).

Can opening was cool but I wuold tie a P-51 to my handle.

I prefer my D handle to the straight handle as it is easier to pull.

The only significantly evolutionary part of this that I see is the hinge-wirecutter. If that stands up, especially for chopping, I'd say incorporate it with the Gerber trifold that half of NATO is adopting.

I'm not going to knock it as a shield- it's not much smaller than the small targ sheild some of my friends fence with. I would rather try to block a blade or spikey club with that than my bare hand. But the use as a grapple, uhm, yeah, I'm a full sized computer geek- I don't trust little hinge pins. *blush*

The quality of the metal and the strength of the multi-function hinge and wheel of tools will be interesting to follow.

It's a shame Billy Mays isn't still around to do an spot for those things on TV! Well, if it's Chinese made Wal-Mart probably has a zillion on order and we can all pick one up next month.

I keep waiting to see an ad on the boob tube. Fritz has been selling that Slap Chop long enough. It's time for the e-tool. Problem is, most folks these days would think an e-tool is something you connect to your computer via USB.

Anyone have any idea where to purchase? I will get one or two, turn the boy scouts loose on it and see how it holds up.

I guess these little jewels never made it to this hemisphere?

They are available on EBay (isn't everything???)

The basic specs:
Gross weight : 1.2 KG
Total Length : 565 mm
Length of folded : 380 mm
Shovel board size : 202mm x 157mm x 1.9mm
Material ： stainless steel 2Cr13
Rigidity : HRC44
Origin : China

A couple of the sales were at a ridiculous price and just as ridiculous shipping cost but they appear to be original. There are also some (get this!) Chinese knock-offs of the Toparmy shovel that are also available for dirt cheap.

BTW, I'm not really understanding the "everything China BAD, everything USA GOOD" attitude prevalent here. I've bought lots of good Chinese stuff and lots of bad US made stuff that would say otherwise.

Yeah, they're intriguing, but "Buy it now" for $99 CAD? No thanks.

No way are the originals made of stainless steel. Pretty when hanging on the wall, but it would cost too much to make and wouldn't hold up to the abuse.

Chinese knock-offs of Chinese military gear? Hilarious!

Roarmeister, I know what you mean about the "Chinese Bad, USA Good" but I dont have a problem with the quality, I have a problem with our revenues going over seas to another country... Unless it is Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Europe in general...

Maybe they are $99 because they are stainless steel?

How hard is metal that is "HRC44" as mentioned in the eBay thread?

For the saw to function for a reasonable time they must be fairly hard metal otherwise it would be pointless to include a saw.

How hard is this compared to US military entrenching tools?

I understand there are hardness files that you can use to gauge how hard metals are. How easy are these to use to get a reasonably accurate determination?