[Democracyman]

Ok, I got a few days of usage with the shovel. I took a file and sharpened it
up, got it fairly sharp, but not knife sharp.

I did some hacking and whacking and cutting.

I do not have a huge amount of experience with hatchets, but I think
this thing cuts better than a hatchet. Also the pointed front shovel end
works well as a pry bar and a jabber to get into punk wood of a stump.
I went out today and was able to dig out inside of a old stump, got some
fairly dry punk would doing this.

I am sure I can cut down a small tree, I was able to cut down a 3inch
diameter tree in a minute or two. You can swing it two handed or one
handed and it fits in a pack well. I have seen other shovels with longer
handles that may work better as a wood cutting item. But this one
works well.

You can choke up on the handle and it works pretty well for scraping off
outside bark, I was also able to some feathering of wood with it. One thing,
watch it as you do the back swing as both ends are sharp

I think this is a better survival tool than a hatchet and it cuts good enough
to take the place of a axe for light work. Also you can dig with it, It would
be hard to find a single item better than this for cutting wood as it can
also dig. I think would rather carry this in most survival situations than a axe,
as it can also dig in snow and dirt and it cuts pretty well. I want to get one
of those neat hiker axes and try them out and compare someday.



Dan