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TL;DR: this is a copy of the Russian standard issue small infantry shovel MPL-50, made to spec, except that the blade is solid titanium rather than carbon steel. If you know what MPL-50 is, that's all you need to know - you're getting the same exact thing, except it's 300 grams (10.5 oz) lighter, more sturdy, doesn't rust, and dirt doesn't stick to it as much. If you know the Cold Steel Shovel, then that is also an MPL-50 copy, so this will be similar - although this one is closer to the original, and better than Cold Steel in certain respects other than titanium.This shovel is made in Russia by VSPMO Ural. These guys are the largest manufacturer of titanium products in the world even to this day, and historically have been servicing the Soviet military and space industry, so they know their stuff. Their side business is making various camping and gardening accessories out of titanium, so we're enjoying the benefits of that.The blade on this thing is 2mm stamped BT6 titanium alloy - this is the usual kind for stamped titanium products. The manufacturer claims tensile strength of 1000 MPa (145k psi). 2mm is the same blade thickness is the same on MPL-50 and Cold Steel - but, of course, titanium is a lot stronger. If you abuse it, you will probably break the handle first. The edges are sharpened somewhat, but not to the extent that you can cut yourself on it - not like Cold Steel.The handle is dense hardwood that is NOT painted or lacquered, just like the original MPL-50, and unlike Cold Steel. The reason for this is that lacquered and/or painted surfaces are more slippery, and it has been found from experience in the field that they will produce blisters much faster than raw wood, when using the shovel a lot. The downside of no lacquer is that the handle is less resistant to moisture, and therefore, rot. It'll still take a while for it to rot, mind you, especially if you don't leave it exposed for days. The manufacturer furthermore claims that the handle has been impregnated with some chemical that increases rot resistance. If you want moisture resistance, I recommend applying something like tung oil, or else finishing it with wax or wax-based product (e.g. Sno-Seal) - if you heat it up, the wax will impregnate the wood.The blade is attached to the handle with two wood screws. You might want to make sure that they're firm once you get yours - they were somewhat loose on mine. Some people install larger screws for a more secure hold on these, but I didn't find it a concern. Because of this method of attachment, the handle is easily replaced if it breaks.The sheath is nylon, in some vague woodland camo lookalike pattern. Mine doesn't match the photo precisely - instead of a plastic buckle, it uses a button and a nylon loop to keep it closed. It opens on the top, and the shovel is dropped into it handle down - this means that you need to grab it by the blade to take it out, so you probably don't want it to be too sharp..."Small infantry shovel", its official service name, also describes its purpose exactly - it's the individual entrenching tool of an infantry soldier in the field, for the purpose of digging individual fortifications (foxholes etc). It is meant to be used while kneeling, sitting, or lying down - not while standing. It is not intended for heavy digging jobs, and you will tire quickly if you use it for that. If you want to be able to use it efficiently, look up the specific digging techniques on e.g. YouTube - the most efficient way to use it is different from your regular shovel, and is more similar to other entrenching tools.Speaking of other entrenching tools, one of the most common questions is whether, and how, this is better than the standard NATO entrenching tool (the tri-folding one with D-handle). The answer, as usual, is: it depends. The main benefit of the NATO tool is that it folds (duh), making it more compact. The price you pay for that is increased weight, because the folding joints have to be very beefy to handle the stress of digging - and even then it's still easier to break. The plastic handle version has comparable weight, but at the expense of being notoriously flimsy. The folding mechanism is also somewhat prone to rust, dirt, and icing in cold weather, and they sometimes rust open (or worse yet, rust shut) to the point where it doesn't fold anymore. On the other hand, the blade can be folded perpendicular to the handle, which allows for a somewhat more efficient way of digging in kneeling or prone position, which is further helped by the more ergonomic D-handle. However, D-handle is only ergonomic for digging - if you intend to use it as the multitool it is intended to be (e.g. as a hatchet), the simple handle is far more versatile.Finally, to address the "Special forces" and "Spetsnaz shovel" claim. This is a part of Western mythology that's associated with MPL-50; it's not really false, just somewhat misleading. The shovel itself is NOT a "special forces" shovel. As mentioned earlier, this is a standard issue general purpose infantry shovel, and literally every infantry soldier in the Russian army is issued one in the field. It is not specifically designed for fighting - originally, this design was intended by its inventor to be a multitool of sorts, with entrenching being the primary function, but also usable as hatchet, saw, and makeshift frying pan. It was adopted as such by most Western armies prior to WW1. When that war devolved into trench warfare, soldiers quickly discovered that a shovel of that size makes a very good weapon in the tight confines of the trench, being much more compact and easy to handle than a full-length rifle with a bayonet, and delivering devastating blows. Better yet, it can also be thrown surprisingly well. Consequently, the practice of sharpening all its edges became common, and various techniques for its use as a weapon were developed, and some countries - notably USSR - incorporated those techniques into their official hand-to-hand fighting manuals, alongside bayonet use. The most well-known manual of this kind is the WW2-era "Destroy the enemies in Hand-To-Hand Combat", and English translations can be found online. In practice, however, soldiers of all armies used their entrenching tools (which looked essentially the same back then) as makeshift weapons; it was by no means restricted only to Russia, or to its special forces. After WW2, the importance of this type of combat diminished, and the combat training was gradually phased out for regular troops, but persisted in the Soviet special forces community (and would often trickle down from them to regular troops when on deployment in some conflict zone, since they would still carry the shovel itself) - and from there, the legend of the "Spetsnaz shovel" was born.

Ok I cant give it any 5 star rating yet, because the shovel did not come sharpened. It came with a blunt faux edge that I am having to sharpen my self. Otherwise it is nice and light weight, the handle has a better feel than the Cold Steel spade. The sheath is some woodland camo pattern I don't recognize. If the handle is removed the joint where it attaches is a bit smaller than the cold steel, also the screws are a bit smaller. The light weight makes it supremely more carryable. I have not had a titanium blade before, but we will see how she does.

I very rarely write reviews but I felt I needed to because there is not much information on these anywhere.First off it is very lite surprisingly lite. The wood handle is very nice, no knots weak spots. Also it doesn't have lathe marks like the cold steel ones have. The edges are fairly sharp out of the box and ground perfectly. The sheath is well made for what it is. If used as only a shovel it will last a long time. Good stitching and a nice camo color.Now for the good stuff. It will be a great shovel but you can make it a beast of a woods tool. First I used my belt sander to remove a little metal from the edges then moved to wet sanding paper to put a shaving edge on both sides and touch up the tip edges. The handle came unfinished and none of that cheap lacquer you find on some tools. I took a torch and brought out the grain and then soaked it good with linseed oil. It looked amazing and had a great comfortable grip. Now with the super sharp edges I will need to make a leather sheath because it will eventually shred the one that came with it. The last mod I made is if you are going to use this shovel to its fullest potential you'll need to remove the head and put a little jb weld on the wood and then slide the head back on and put the screws back in. If not it will eventually rattle a bit.As for use. It is a monster. You can batton, cut, smash, slice, dig, and feather stick with this bad boy. It is as tough as it is versatile. I dug roots, cut logs as big as my thigh, cleared a path through some high weeds, and even did a little whittling. The titanium is tough and strong. When it does flex under extreme use it snaps back to true immediately.I can't wait to use it all this summer on hikes and camping trips. Also fishing. I'll be able to cut a couple forks for my poles and then dig some green worms to fish with. I didn't get paid or get a discount to write this review. I just felt the company deserved it and some of you guys would enjoy it as much as I have. I can't wait to see if this company has more tools available. If they do I'll review them also. Happy trails!!!!

This shovel is absolutely fantastic. I bought this for hiking and camping to use as a lightweight alternative to a folding e-tool and it fills that roll perfectly. It was much lighter in the hand than I thought it would be making it perfect for hiking when trying to save weight. It actually feels lighter than some of the hatchets and tomahawks I own. The edge did not come sharp but can be quickly and easily sharpened if you desire since it has a blunt false edge. The sheath is a very simple belt loop type which I personally prefer over molle straps since it can be worn with any standard belt comfortably. The sheath also has an unusual camo pattern I have never seen before. I like the look because it doesn't appear "tactical" or military-like so it's more suitable to wearing around other people. All in all I like the shovel and would recommend it to anyone interested in buying a small e-tool or shovel. Shipping was also fast which I wasn't expecting, it came in one week.