Cold steel special forces shovel mod question

[ninjas]

Hello people. Greetings from Greece sorry asking already for my low quality English. I ordered a cold steel spetsnaz shovel and can't wait. But I have a question, we all know a shovel works(and is strength) only from one side to pre-bar it when digging. But we use that shovel for even chopping etc(the screw that im gona talk right away will even help at digging and not only at chopping ,i guess)so my question is about if i add one screw at this red dots (photo) so even if you push the shovel on a wrong side would not be broke that easy. Because doing that, it can broke the steel handle holder, that must never happen, broke the wood hanle is absolutely no problem but broke the steel is really not ok especially in a survival situation..So friends here is the question,i think a screw there is only gona bring good thinks right? any negative think that i didn't realise about it?


Ops, idk why, im not good on those thinks and i can't upload any photo. Sad. But it's easy to understand, just flip your shovel from back side and there where the wood stops just maybe 30mm higher, put a screw (from the front side of the shovel, like the original 2 screws is) thanks and sorry if you got headache to read it

 

[C_Claycomb]

I am sorry to say I cannot understand what you are trying to describe.

You can upload photos using BBCode through https://imgbb.com/, no payment, just upload from button near top.

I have found ChatGPT does a good job translating between French and English, maybe you could use it to go from Greek to English and get a clearer description?

All the bes

Hris

 

[Pattree]

Is this what you mean @ninjas ? A screw or a bolt here.

I do not think that this modification is necessary. I do not know what you want to do with the shovel but it works very well as it is supplied.

It would be good if you go to the “Introductions” And tell us a little about your bushcraft activities.

Αυτό εννοείς @ninjas; Μια βίδα ή μπουλόνι εδώ.

Δεν νομίζω ότι αυτή η τροποποίηση είναι απαραίτητη. Δεν ξέρω τι θέλεις να κάνεις με το φτυάρι, αλλά λειτουργεί πολύ καλά όπως παρέχεται.

Θα ήταν καλό να πήγαινες στην ενότητα "Εισαγωγή" και να μας έλεγες λίγα πράγματα για τις δραστηριότητές σου στην άγρια φύση.

I have no idea what this says . I hope it is the same in both languages.

Δεν έχω ιδέα τι λέει αυτό . Ελπίζω να ισχύει το ίδιο και στις δύο γλώσσες.

Good luck,
Pat.

Edited to ask:

Is the idk acronym used in Greek?

 

[JonathanD]

From what I understand. I don’t think this mod is needed either. And drilling extra holes into both the socket and handle would weaken it significantly.

 

[slowworm]

If you're worried about the top of the metal ( neck, socket, collar) you could use a hose / jubilee clip or two to strengthen the area. No holes required but not elegant.

 

[Broch]

Nope, no value at all in adding a third screw as far as I can see. The screws are really only there to stop the handle working loose; the strength comes from the wood sitting a long way down into the steel sleeve.

The other thing is you will often be sliding your hand along that bit of the shovel, you don't want any additional 'edges' that would make that uncomfortable. On my shovel (not Cold Steel) I have taken pains to blend the edge of the wood with the metal sleeve to make it as smooth as possible - I think that is the one 'mod' I would recommend as all the Cold Steel shovels I have seen have quite a sharp step between the wood and the sleeve.

 

[Falstaff]

No, don't do it. Every hole or screw into wood will weaken it. The screws are only on one side, so the other side might bend away, not break. No problem, bash it back into position, and learn the limits of your tool. It is not an axe and will not chop down trees.
Slowworm's suggestion would be good, before or afterwards.

 

[homesicksteve]

The best way is to buy two shovels.
Use the first one until you break it.

Study the point of failure - this is the weakest link for your use case.

You can now plan how to modify the second shovel.

 

[Herman30]

learn the limits of your tool. It is not an axe and will not chop down trees.

@ninjas THIS! What Falstaff wrote. This is a shovel, not an axe.

 

[homesicksteve]

 

[Pattree]

Is he Going to leave that chewed off stump standing? Not impressed.

 

[Herman30]

That is not a tree. I have chopped off equal thick with a mora kife in my youth.

 

[homesicksteve]

I bet what's considered a tree is very different in Scandinavia, compared to Greece.
Yes, of course a shovel is not an axe, but many parts of the world an axe is not a tool useful enough to carry.

 

[Falstaff]

As Herman says, that is not a tree, and he does not know how to use a shovel to cut down saplings.
With weaker tools, as with a stone axe, (or a Mora) you cut only at an fairly fine angle to cut the wood fibres along their length not across at 90 degree's. (i.e. Like a beaver does).
Almost any knife (or shovel) can do this, it just takes time and patience not to exceed the strength of your tool. But not a tree....
If your main tasks are going to need a shovel, and chopping a bit of wood is secondary then yes, taking a shovel is the better choice. And vice versa if cutting wood is the primary.
You wouldn't like to dig a hole with a Mora, but it can fashion a very decent digging stick, and a British Army survival lump could do it all without blinking! (Um, and maybe the tree too?....)

 

[ninjas]

https://ibb.co/vxWJ4XLQ

Hey people, sorry for late answer, it didn't notificate me about all those answers. Thanks for it but it was a mess without photo lol.So, i hope you can see the photo with the red circle, the ideology to put a screw there is because right now (original) when you use and pre-bar the shovel to dig a hole etc it have "back support" only from one side, but from the other side if you push a bit harder it will bend the upper stem of the head. Adding a screw there it will make the one weak side much stronger. Thanks again

 

[ninjas]

View attachment 104996

Is this what you mean @ninjas ? A screw or a bolt here.

I do not think that this modification is necessary. I do not know what you want to do with the shovel but it works very well as it is supplied.

It would be good if you go to the “Introductions” And tell us a little about your bushcraft activities.

Αυτό εννοείς @ninjas; Μια βίδα ή μπουλόνι εδώ.

Δεν νομίζω ότι αυτή η τροποποίηση είναι απαραίτητη. Δεν ξέρω τι θέλεις να κάνεις με το φτυάρι, αλλά λειτουργεί πολύ καλά όπως παρέχεται.

Θα ήταν καλό να πήγαινες στην ενότητα "Εισαγωγή" και να μας έλεγες λίγα πράγματα για τις δραστηριότητές σου στην άγρια φύση.

I have no idea what this says . I hope it is the same in both languages.

Δεν έχω ιδέα τι λέει αυτό . Ελπίζω να ισχύει το ίδιο και στις δύο γλώσσες.

Good luck,
Pat.

Edited to ask:

Is the idk acronym used in Greek?

https://ibb.co/vxWJ4XLQ

 

[JonathanD]

The wood is so thin there that it will probably just split it and make things worse. I doubt it would make any difference either. Why don’t you just seal the whole handle in there with epoxy. It’s unlikely you’ll ever need to rehandle if it’s cared for.

 

[ninjas]

The wood is so thin there that it will probably just split it and make things worse. I doubt it would make any difference either. Why don’t you just seal the whole handle in there with epoxy. It’s unlikely you’ll ever need to rehandle if it’s cared for.

https://ibb.co/vxWJ4XLQ

As we can see and as we know, the part of the handle i like to screw is completely stable ANYWAYS with that being means that it will not have to do any job on most of his life BUT it will be in work only (maybe even accidentally step on the shovel when it was laying down, but im sure even when dig or chopp with the shovel it can be broke easier because just have lever support only on one side) when the user push it forward or when the shovel it self's push himself when you chooping and you just mis hited

Im about to make a new photo right now with new clearly sings of what i mean

(After all with the way im gona add the screw there it will not broke the handle because is thin, and no the head of the screw will not be a step out of the shovel, and no it will not be a same huge screw like original, its gona be smaller)

 

[JonathanD]

Is there any documented weakness there? The screw it has is just to secure the handle in and stop it from working its way out during use. Like you said, it’s so tight fitting and stable anyway, so what difference will a screw in that lower position make?

 

[Nice65]

Seems to me a non-problem in a known and trusted tool is being massively overthought by someone who’s going to drill his handle anyway.

There is no way in the world that drilling holes in wooden handles and replacing with screws is going to make them stronger.