Has anyone tryed the folding shovel on<br>http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/british_military/frames.htm<br>described as "A three-way folding compact mini shovel / pick / saw. Standard military design. Toughly constructed from high grade steel."<br>Can anyone recomend a good folding shovel?<br><br>

Hi Pete,<br><br>The 3-way folding shovel that I found on that site is a cheap Chinese copy of the official Nato 3-way folding shovel.<br>That thing weighs approx half of that of the original military one and if you want quality go to a military surplus store were you live or on the web and buy a used but good original Nato folding shovel.<br><br>I bought a few of them for about $15 they were used but in excellent working condition Dutch Army 3-way folding Nato shovels.<br>You can sharpen one side and you can really get an edge on it! and the other side is with a wave pattern that also can be sharpened.<br><br>In short if you want a 3-way folding shovel get a used original military one, it oprobably will outlive you.<br><br>Best Scouting wishes from Holland,<br><br>Bagheera

thanks bagheera, I notice how you always reply to my posts politly, patiently and helpfully<br>thanks

I'll second Bagheera's recommendation. I got my folding shovel at my local army surplus dealer, used, for about $20. The quality is worlds ahead of the cheap ones you see everywhere else. <br><br>Even though any folding shovel is undersized for seroius digging, you could put a real military shovel to very hard use. I would not want to rely on a cheap imitation as they seem flimsy by direct comparison.

I purchased a Coghlan's version which I keep in my SUV (along with axe, blanket and folding saw) through REI. It may not be the best available but REI warrants the product and will replace it should it ever prove faulty. One of the good things about making a purchase through a reputable dealer.

I use the Glock spade, light & compact.

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