# Survival > Survival Kits & Survival Products >  Chinese Military Shovel WJQ-308

## sgtdraino

Maybe it's actually crap, but this thing looks pretty amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60OZhrTB6o

I just purchased one, now waiting for delivery. I'll let you know whether or not it seems to be any good.

Anybody have any experience with it?

PS - Is there no way to post embedded video on the forum? You guys should totally add that feature.

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## Aurelius95

Interesting video.  Let us know how it works for you.

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## NCO

It appears that a swiss army knife is obsolete...

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## Pal334

I have no experience with it. I personally would never trust the Chinese quality control. I would stay with a US Military entrenching tool, but that is just me I guess (based on experience and its quality).

But good luck, hope it is all you want it to be

*NCO*:  I think the Swiss Army knife is still safe  :Smile:

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## klickitat

looks interesting and I am looking forward to your review. The video makes the thing look tough as nails.

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## sgtdraino

> I have no experience with it. I personally would never trust the Chinese quality control. I would stay with a US Military entrenching tool, but that is just me I guess (based on experience and its quality).


Ah, but can the US version juliann fries?

Or, more notably, cut through barbed wire? I like that wire cutter function.

And how about OAR function???

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## lucznik

"The multifunction folded saw boasting a happy combination of spade, pickax, trowel, howing, knife, saw, scissors, hammer, operner, shield, anchor, and oar perfect designed and refined making making a pioneer in tools family."

And all to the dramatic western music of Silverado!!

What more could you ask for?

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## sgtdraino

lol. Sometimes, I swear I think they write it like that on purpose, because they think that's what we expect to see!

I love "happy combination."  :Smile:

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## Pal334

> Ah, but can the US version juliann fries?
> 
> Or, more notably, cut through barbed wire? I like that wire cutter function.
> 
> And how about OAR function???


Yup, you got me there for sure  :Smile:  US version probably would not julian fries  :Smile: 
Mine has a wire cutter feature though, but for the life of me I never could figure out why.
As for oars, you scare me enough and I can paddle with my hands  :Smile:

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## Rick

You can not embed video.

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## beetlejuicex3

That is pretty nice. Where did you find it? At first I thought it was a knock off of the Cold Steel Spetnaz shovel but no.

"Function Show"! The music is so right. Did everyone see the guy whip out 2 and paddle a boat!  Note to self, it is also a "shield".

I like the commenter who said they forgot they can play ping pong with it.


But seriously where'd you get yours.

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## beetlejuicex3

$89 on ebay

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## tipacanoe

I'm thinking that with 1.4 billion neighbors coming over to eat, you do every thing you can to hurry ( and those guy's are), and you don't waste time looking for the right tool.

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## sgtdraino

> $89 on ebay


Tip: Use "Make Offer."

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## aflineman

Why does the term: "Now imported by Ronco"! come to mind? :Stuart: 

I want a bright orange one so I don't lose it.  :Big Grin:

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## sgtdraino

> Mine has a wire cutter feature though, but for the life of me I never could figure out why.


That particular feature is used _to cut wire_.




> You can not embed video.


I _know_ that. That sucks!




> That is pretty nice. Where did you find it?


Somebody on survivalistboards posted it, and I fell in lurve. _Hopefully_ it's not crap. The design seems like it could work, though. It looks like the shovel *doesn't* lock into position via a tension screw like most other similar designs, but that intead you have a big-*** metal bolt that you put through various pre-set position holes in the big-*** rotating fulcrum. _Seems_ like a sound design. We'll see! Of course, poor metallurgy can potentially ruin any good design.




> "Function Show"! The music is so right.


I think part of that music is from "Silverado." I think somebody said another part is from "The Magnificent Seven." lol.




> Note to self, it is also a "shield".


And "Grapple!" <"Hyaaah!">




> I like the commenter who said they forgot they can play ping pong with it.


lol. Once I get it, I'm tempted to do a spoof video where I "function show" about 20 more functions, each one more ludicrous than the last!




> But seriously where'd you get yours.


I got mine from "fresh tea" on ebay. I did not pay full price, I made the dealer an offer, which they accepted. In the interest of not sabotaging them, I will not divulge the price that was accepted.

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## beetlejuicex3

If you make a video, don't say it's a shovel until the end, in very small print.
Keep us posted when you get it.

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## Rick

Personally, I'd use it to make hamburger patties. Place a ball of hamburger on the counter then THWACK!. Hamburger patty. You could also use the handle as a very short pool que or to stir your soup while it cooks. The possibilities are endless. 

What would you pay? Don't answer because if you buy yours today we'll throw in the Himalayan military shovel free of charge. A $29.95 value all yours for only $89 or your best offer. 

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Himalayan shovel not sold in stores.

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## klickitat

Do a kill, skin, butcher, cook, serve and clean up video with it.

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## Rick

Oh, yeah. Use it as a skillet. That would complete the cycle. Good show, klick!

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## rwc1969

It does look like a solid design. But the grappling hook bits looked like a stretch to me. And it didn't look like it opened a can very well. But for french fries it can't be beat. LOL! Watch those fingers.

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## Rick

I didn't even know the Chinese ate French Fries. Wouldn't they be Chinese Fries?

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## pgvoutdoors

Interesting tool if the quality is there.

I'm a strong believer in the US E-Tool.  I used mine just the other day to dig a fire pit in bone dry clay.  I used it as a pick and it worked great.  The civilian version isn't as strong as the military one.

While serving in the US Marines I dug holes in some of the finest counties around the world.  I highly recommend the E-Tool.

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## Batch

You could open the video by cutting through a barbed wire fence into a cattle ranch. Then use the blade to attack the neck of a calf. Then use the shield function to defend yourself against the bull(s).

Then you could demonstrate its functionality in cutting and procuring branches, cordage and bandage material to compress and splint your wounds. 

Then you could butcher your calf and grill tenderloin in pan fry mode.  :Chef: Before finally entrenching and attempting to use the shield once again against the ranchers varmint gun.  :rambo:  :Surrender:

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## Alaskan Survivalist

If I wanted a dull knife or saw I would just use one I have to dig a hole in the dirt. I like the idea of the grapple and some of the other features. Quality of manufacture would make a big difference. I would have to see one but if I do I'll know something about now. Thanks for video.

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## sgtdraino

> You could open the video by cutting through a barbed wire fence into a cattle ranch. Then use the blade to attack the neck of a calf. Then use the shield function to defend yourself against the bull(s).
> 
> Then you could demonstrate its functionality in cutting and procuring branches, cordage and bandage material to compress and splint your wounds. 
> 
> Then you could butcher your calf and grill tenderloin in pan fry mode. Before finally entrenching and attempting to use the shield once again against the ranchers varmint gun.


lol. You sick MFer.  :Smile:  Btw, my magic shovel has reached NY. It's officially in the US!




> If I wanted a dull knife or saw I would just use one I have to dig a hole in the dirt. I like the idea of the grapple and some of the other features. Quality of manufacture would make a big difference. I would have to see one but if I do I'll know something about now. Thanks for video.


If it seems promising, maybe a group of us could get together and buy one, and do one of those pass-it-around things.

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## sgtdraino

Got it! Have not really used it yet.

First impressions...

It seems to be very solidly made. The base (the part that is bolted to the wooden handle) appears to be made out of solid metal, no seams. The metal of the hinge is quite thick as well, as is the shovel blade. The shovel blade appears to be _welded_ to the hinge, not sure if that's a weak point or not, maybe you guys can tell me. The pin that bolts the base to the wooden handle could be a little thin, hard to tell. Seems like it would be easy to replace it with a thicker pin, if I chose to. The shovel blade rotates on the hinge to several different preset positions, and then locks in place with a bolt you screw in. It is not a tension lock, but an actual bolt that goes through various position holes in the metal hinge. The one real surprise is that the position bolt does not go _all the way through_ the position holes, but just far enough in to lock the blade in place. Perhaps this is a design weakness? Not sure. Again, seems like it would be easy to replace this with a bolt that goes all the way through, if I chose. The reason it doesn't go all the way through, it so it takes less time to unscrew the adjusting bolt, and fold the shovel into different positions.

Let's see... another "function show" they didn't advertise: The blade has two different sized octoganal holes in it, meaning it can also be used as a wrench!

There is a hole drilled into the end of the handle, maybe a centimeter in diameter, that goes maybe 4 inches up into the handle. If you chose, you could probably store a few small items in there, and stop up the hole with a small cork.

The shovel does not come with a carrying pouch. I ended up buying a surplus Vietnam-era entrenching tool pouch, which fits pretty well. I did have to cut a slot in the pouch flap for the hinge wheel, so that the flap could snap closed.

So far, I like it! But I have not subjected it to any real punishment yet.

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## Rick

What does it weigh?

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## sgtdraino

> What does it weigh?


My scale is not very precise. The shovel is advertised to weigh 2.2lbs, I would say that is pretty accurate. I think it weighs about the same as my machete.

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## mike75925

wow, i got to the end of this thread, hoping for a spectacular finale, and it died. has anyone else bought and tested this thing?

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## mike75925

p.s. if you remove the handle, you lose about a pound. for a new handle, use a trusty walking stick?

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## sgtdraino

I still have mine, and it still works great! The only function I haven't really tested, is the grappling hook function where you actually support all your weight on the shovel. I saw a video of some kids on youtube doing it though, and it held them just fine.

All the other stuff, works great, holds up great. Most recently I use it to excavate a busted pipe leading into our house. I used a full sized shovel as well, but the chinese shovel did probably half the work. Pipe was 6 ft down, and it took a few tries before I could figure out which section the leak was coming from.

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## Delta 5168

You forgot the most important part........"But wait....."

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## mike75925

i finally got mine in. i failed to see that there is a screw that allows change out. so i went looking for a hitch pin or something for quicker changes. the 'ax' was thick but dull. i took my angle grinder to it making a hollow grind. works ok. metal is +/- as hard as a machete. it forms flash when ground.  possibly the blade is too thick or not being used to the way she handles is the culprit. my dad decided to dig up and remove a redbud stump from the sidewalk. what better way to test? 1' trunk, 2 feet down plus concrete and 'filler'. in chopping some of the smaller roots and 'stalks?' the head bent a bit. still usable, slightly catches as you pivot open and closed. detent/ball catch has been removed. the finish is still great. the wood was wet so the saw clogged but stayed working. handle length provides good leverage. on a side note, i did hang from the handle which was grappled to a kids swingset/clubhouse. did not feel any movement in the mechanism/handle. as a seat it's comfortable (if you remember it's a one legged stool!) the nail puller is tiny, smaller than the older style finish nails. more like picture hanging nail sized.

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## hunter63

I don't know if any of y'all saw the Doomsday Preppers show where they bought a dead pig and "attacked" it with a tool like this......I guess to show it's use as a weapon.

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## mike75925

it's called the crovel and at 5+lbs, not something to attach to your backpack.

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## mike75925

update, having used mine for around the house for a few months, the blade appears to be fracturing at the normal spot. only really been used for gardening. i figured with the shortened handle (vs other shovels), that this would take far longer.

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## Wildthang

> I don't know if any of y'all saw the Doomsday Preppers show where they bought a dead pig and "attacked" it with a tool like this......I guess to show it's use as a weapon.


Are you sure that wasn't a zombie pig :Scared:

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## inchoneb

Made an account just to let anybody searching for this shovel know that I had the typical breakage occur after about 5 or 6 strikes on some old, soft, dead wood, using the sharpened edge. I, too, bought mine from the "fresh tea" seller on ebay. 
IMG_20140515_125712 (Medium).jpg

Chinese Military Shovel Army Shovel WJQ-308 WJQ 308

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## Rick

It seems a bit of a stretch to say it broke on "old, soft, dead wood". Punky stuff is pretty soft. Still, if it did break it was probably a soft wood like pine. Replace it with a hard wood handle like hickory and you should be good to go. It should only take, "ten minute. Numma four, ten minute".....I slay myself.

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## inchoneb

Vertical cuts into a several-year-old, soaking wet palm tree stump. Cutting totally down the grain. At first I thought "This thing is _awesome_, this is like cutting butter!" Then *ponk*, shovel in stump, handle in hand. *shrugs*

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## kyratshooter

As a teacher I must comment that I had numerous students over the years that had the capability of walking into an empty room with three ball bearings and ten minutes later walking out of the room with nothing.  They had lost two and broken the third.

You can tear anything up with only minimal effort.

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## Wildthang

Is there nothing it can't do :Smartass:

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