[Bama63]

I was thinking of bidding on this but was hesitant since it was coming out of China. Certainly looks authentic and when I went back to the listing it had sold or at least been ended. If it is the real deal wasn't a bad price at all, IMHO....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/180833559000?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_4495wt_931

 

[BOUGAINVILLE]

I had looked at that shovel as well but had second thoughts because of it being in China. One can never be too sure if it is a reproduction or not. Having said that though I just looked at his other listings and he has a heap of reproductions listed as reproductions. So with that in mind I supose if the shovel was not original he would mention the fact. Who knows?

 

[arisakadogs]

The shovels are one of the most ironic things in this hobby. Every soldier had one and yet they are nearly impossible to find. I only needed one example to complete my infantryman mannequin, The shovel and the proper gas mask were the toughest things to find.

 

[unleashedndest]

You mean the tent poles and stakes lol

 

[arisakadogs]

You mean the tent poles and stakes lol

Those too :thumbsup:

 

[JCLTB]

Three things would give me pause about this shovel:
a. The pronounced weld on the shovel socket where the handle is placed.
b. The holes in the center of the blade do no look correctly spaced (and one looks raised around the edges, i.e., recently drilled.
c. The hole on the socket should not be there.

 

[akb]

Ditto, JCLTB, and the knob on the end of the handle is not mil-spec; it might have been modified in service.

 

[Bama63]

Thanks everyone for your comments and observations regarding the shovel. I guess now I'm really glad I didn't bid on it since its authenticity is in question...Yes, it is funny how you just don't see an item that every Japanese soldier should have been issued with. But I guess it is easy to understand why. I wouldn't imagine many Allied soldiers would think of wanting a shovel for a bringback souvenir especially if you can have a rifle, pistol or sword instead!

 

[Helomover]

Glad I got my shovel set-up when I did. Check out this recently sold shovel cover on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200719689897?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

 

[arisakadogs]

Glad I got my shovel set-up when I did. Check out this recently sold shovel cover on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200719689897?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Dang, I got my shovel & cover for just a few bucks more that that. The leather on my cover isn't as nice as that one but it will do for my mannequin
You got it Bama, I don't think shovels were very hot souvineir items. Most of those that were brought back probably got put to use in the vets garden

 

[ThirtycalGB]

For someone like me (relatively new), it's easy to understand why US soliders wouldn't have brought back Japanese shovels... But it's difficult for me to understand why there wouldn't be tons of these shovels laying around as surplus items in Japan. All of the shovels that came back from the war had to go somewhere - where did they go? They weren't dumped in the harbor. They wouldn't have been rounded up as banned items after the war... So what happened to them? I guess the likely answer is that each soldier that had one must have just left it in the field if they survived the war, and obviously if they didn't survive, the shovel didn't either. So is it the Japanese causualty rate at work here?

Thirtycal

 

[monkeyboy]

But it's difficult for me to understand why there wouldn't be tons of these shovels laying around as surplus items in Japan. All of the shovels that came back from the war had to go somewhere - where did they go? So what happened to them?

As a utilitarian object a shovel has much value to people in need of tools to rebuild their infastructure. Shovels would have been used, used and used....did I mention used? Same thing with shoes, boots, pants....all those things have value to folks surviving devestation, they'd have been used up. Insignia, ammo pouches etc. don't have the same utilitarian value. Think about it............

 

[03man]

For someone like me (relatively new), it's easy to understand why US soliders wouldn't have brought back Japanese shovels... But it's difficult for me to understand why there wouldn't be tons of these shovels laying around as surplus items in Japan. All of the shovels that came back from the war had to go somewhere - where did they go? They weren't dumped in the harbor. They wouldn't have been rounded up as banned items after the war... So what happened to them? I guess the likely answer is that each soldier that had one must have just left it in the field if they survived the war, and obviously if they didn't survive, the shovel didn't either. So is it the Japanese causualty rate at work here?

Thirtycal

The Japanese didn't "bring back" much stuff; no one to carry it back. Left where it fell, covered up by the GIs, or scavenged by the natives. Most anything left in China would have been completely used up or melted down in the infamous scrap drives of Mao.

 

[Jareth]

Also many shovels didn't make the transfer to the Pacific by the China campaign combat troops. You rarely see photos of them being carried/worn on islands

 

[arisakadogs]

Also many shovels didn't make the transfer to the Pacific by the China campaign combat troops. You rarely see photos of them being carried/worn on islands

You don't see many photos of Japanese troops on the islands at all

 

[TGE]

While visiting Peleliu in 1994, I saw several Japanese shovels laying around caves and at fortified positions. That was the first time I ever saw a Japanese shovel in the flesh.

- tge

 

[unleashedndest]

Like a-dog said there are very few photos to speak of Pacific troops. My guess is they were not carry shoels much they were probably situated in caves and did patrols for the most part.

 

[arisakadogs]

Probably every soldier was assigned one of these (actually, I think some were issued picks). On the islands it was a garrison situation so the troops would not be wearing full packs but only combat gear. Their packs & shovels were probably stashed in their barracks area or in caves.