Another entrenching tool

[LeRoy Silver]

Another picture thanks

[Jack's Son]

AH..........the good ol' E-Tool !

 

Hey, LeRoy.....youre not wasting any time!! :w00t:

Good For You!!

[LeRoy Silver]

AH..........the good ol' E-Tool !

 

Hey, LeRoy.....youre not wasting any time!! :w00t:

Good For You!!

I used the introduction and said hello

[QED4]

These shovels were made from extra parts for the surplus trade. They used to be pretty common in surplus stores until the parts ran out.

[11b inf]

if this helps...i saw a copy of a 1953 boyscout magzine that had a lot of advertisments for all kind of clothing and equipment..one of the items that stuck out was this exact type of fixed blade E-tool...it was sold to scouts as the "boyscout shovel" i think,in the ad ....vince g. 11b inf....

[LeRoy Silver]

if this helps...i saw a copy of a 1953 boyscout magzine that had a lot of advertisments for all kind of clothing and equipment..one of the items that stuck out was this exact type of fixed blade E-tool...it was sold to scouts as the "boyscout shovel" i think,in the ad ....vince g. 11b inf....

Thanks Vince g

[B229]

These shovels were made from extra parts for the surplus trade. They used to be pretty common in surplus stores until the parts ran out.

 

Exactly right. The blade and handle from an M-1943 shovel combined with a stamped bracket and some rivets. After WWII there were tons of spare parts around for years and surplus dealers came up with all sorts of ways to use them. Definitely not a US military shovel.

[boyt44]

That really is just an opinion,not fact. These shovels are actually fairly common, and they have several features that call this "made from parts" theory into question. All the ones I have or have examined are stamped "US", and "EMP co" . At any rate, as far as I know, no folding ET has ever surfaced made by this company, so there would not be any "left over" parts, and Boy Scout stuff is not stamped "US", either. In my opinion, these were made during the war for some purpose,but the war ended before they could be used for whatever purpose they were made for.

 

[B229]

That really is just an opinion,not fact. These shovels are actually fairly common, and they have several features that call this "made from parts" theory into question. All the ones I have or have examined are stamped "US", and "EMP co" . At any rate, as far as I know, no folding ET has ever surfaced made by this company, so there would not be any "left over" parts, and Boy Scout stuff is not stamped "US", either. In my opinion, these were made during the war for some purpose,but the war ended before they could be used for whatever purpose they were made for.

 

True that all of this is just opinion, not fact. However, there is ample evidence, or ample lack of evidence to suggest that the "made from parts" theory is correct. There is no evidence thus far to show any shovel of this type having been developed, tested, or produced by the US during WWII. It is fact that large quantities of surplus material, including spare parts, were sold after the war to surplus dealers. It is also fact that many of those dealers used the parts to fashion salable material. It would be very easy for a large surplus wholesaler to have a small bracket made that could then help them sell off the crates of spare blades and handles they bought from a surplus auction. I worked for a large surplus chain for a couple of years in college and I saw this same scenario several times.

 

As for the markings, perhaps EMP Company only made replacement blades and not complete shovels, and perhaps not that many were ever used. Boy Scouts have been using Army surplus material since there were Boy Scouts. I know from my own experience that as a non-profit organization, any Boy Scout troop could go to DRMO and take what they wanted for free.

[boyt44]

These EMP co. blades were all made in 1945, and are dated on the blade, and "US" marked. Until a folding shovel appears with a blade made by this company, I will firmly believe these were contracted by the Gov't in this form for some unknown reason, and soon cancelled at the end of the war. I find it hard to believe that repairing a damaged folding shovel blade would even be considered. Of course, the handle is easily replaceable,though. As far as the 'spare parts' theory goes, has anyone ever seen a replacement Ames or Woods blade? These shovels had been in production since 1943, and the Gov't only decided to have a third company make spare blades in 1945? seems pretty unlikely.

[carbinekid]

I believe there was a third company that made M43 folding shovels but, I can't tell you who. A few years ago I picked up a very nice M43 shovel that was marked only with a "US" out out a pile of mixed M43 shovels of various makers at the local surplus store. The font was very different from the typical rounded style. I assumed the manufacturer name had to be under the layers of repaint but, after sandblasting it was clear the only marking was the "US". Anyone ever see a shovel marked like that before?

[Third Herd]

A few years ago, my father-in-law (an ex Marine) told me that when his big brother (a career Marine) came back from the Pacific he had an odd shovel. It looked like the folding shovel but didn't fold. Last summer my Mom wanted Dad to clean out some of his collection, before she died. One of these shovels was in what I brought home. I showed it to my father-in-law and he said that was it was like the shovel his brother had brought back from the Pacific.

[RustyCanteen]

What's the overall length?

[Third Herd]

It is 22-12-inches long. The blade and bracket look like painted olive drab and repainted forest green after assembled,as there is green paint on the unpainted handle where they meet. The bade has U.S. above E.M.P. CO. 1945. In pencil on the handle is an "H", possibly a "17", a line and below it "CH". I hope I helped.

[RustyCanteen]

Thanks for the dimensions.