he won the Alone show, season 3, in Patagonia. What say you? Mine seems to be as advertised. Here's a youtube vid about adding different types of handle to make the shovel more versatile. Since Fowler made it popular, CS has jacked up the price by $10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq8MtSbSq8w&t=240s

lighter, more versatile (as you said), reasonably priced, very PC

if limited to a single tool, it has advantages

A small shovel is indeed a useful, versatile item. Few are really much better than the GI entrenching tool, which is usally obtained for cheap.

the folding ones can't stand being used to chop much, cause they break.