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New, exact copies of the German WWII leather carriers for the standard service shovel. Like all our gear, they are copied directly from original example, with minor changes to accommodate post War shovels (slightly wider than WWII). Made from heavy black or brown leather, hand-stitched with linen thread. Various maker marks and dates.
Expensive? Yes. There are $20 carriers available. They are made in India and Pakistan and the quality is mediocre at best. We have tried to persuade them to improve, but to no avail. All of our German leather gear is exclusively produced for ATF. It is available nowhere else.
Color: Some Luftwaffe nuts are convinced that no self-respecting Air Force trooper would allow anything other than brown leather to touch his body. Owing to the chaotic supply problems of the Wehrmacht during the War, it is entirely possible for Luftwaffe troops to have had black gear and Heer and SS troops to have been issued or acquired brown gear. If you are a reenactor, ask your unit Führer if you have a question on this matter.
Standard E-tool Carrier, Black
New thick leather, hand stitched copy of the WWII German carrier for the straight E-tool. Workmanship is first rate.
$50.00
Standard E-tool Carrier, Brown
Same as the black carrier, but made from heavy natural brown leather for you Luftwaffe and Great War nuts....
$50.00
About WWII German Entrenching Tools
There are several variations among the shovels made for the Wehrmacht. Additionally, most of the conquered armies (Polish, French, Dutch, etc.) used similar if not identical tools. As with blankets and rifles, the Germans often re-issued captured entrenching tools as well as those of their own manufacture. There are two main styles of shovel- those with a riveted handle brace and welded ones. Both were used. The only ones I own, which have WWII dates and or Waffenamts are 3 welded ones. Most riveted shovels I have encountered are dated during WWI. How's that for a concise answer to the inevitable "which one is correct" query? Answer: All of them.
Comparison to
original (on the left)
Standard Entrenching Tool
Dead-on to WWII German issue. These are post war Norwegian manufacture- aside from the markings, there is no difference between these and the welded WWII pattern shovels.
$50.00
East German Entrenching Tool
Very similar to WWII- square, welded blade, wood handle.
$25.00
Folding E-Tool Carriers
Top quality reproduction of the leather carrier for the "Klappspaten". They are one of the most difficult pieces of all German field gear to reproduce. Our copies are near perfect: we based ours from an original, but widened it a few mms to accommodate the Dutch Folding Shovels in use by most re-enactors. The hardware was copied from authentic pieces and custom made for us, and the carrier is hand-stitched with linen thread. The workmanship and quality are better than anything out there, the price is reasonable, and they exist. You don't have to send a fortune to the east or west coast and wait 5 years for something that will never come!
USER NOTE:
The frog with bayonet cannot be secured in the loop on the side of the folding e-tool carrier.... Only the shorter "SS" bayonet frog can be secured in the loop on the side of the folding e-tool carrier. Your gear will be more flexible if you do not attach the bayonet scabbard to the folding e-tool carrier though (tends to bind up if you do a lot of crouching/bending).
 Folding Shovel Carrier, Type-I: Exact hand-stitched copy of the "box-top" folding e-tool carrier. These will accept either Dutch or original German E-tools. Sold Out |
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Original W.W.II Issue
Blade Detail
Markings may varyOriginal WWII German Klappspaten
Original issue German manufacture folding shovels. These all have dates and Waffenamts, but they are under a layer of medium green paint applied by the Norwegian army after the War. Good to very good condition. Originals were unpainted: the metal parts were blued and the wood was bare. So far we have found that an hour or so spent scrubbing with acetone will remove the paint. However, be careful as the bakelite nut does not like sandpaper, paint stripper or chiseling. We are not responsible for shovels damaged by customers trying to remove the paint!
Markings: All are "marked". All appear to have a 3 letter maker code. Some are dated, some are waffenamted, some both, some one or the other. You may have to remove some paint to see them! So far, all that have dated are are dated '41 or '42. Mostly "agv". No guarantee of anything other than them being original W.W.II German and serviceable. No date or marking choice!
$100.00
Dutch E-tools vs. W.W.II German
Dutch folding E-Tools are 95% identical to German W.W.II. However, I have never seen one being offered at a military show as anything other than "genuine Nazzee World War too!". These are one postwar item that are almost always offered as "original". Some dealers honestly don't know the difference themselves, but many are just looking for a quick score. A lot of people have been burned over the years on these. Here's what to look for when you spot a folding "German" E-tool on a table of Zinger's Militaria at the next Beaverlick Military Extravaganza:
Dutch E-tool that has been stripped and painted black. The German shovel is one of ours that has had the green paint removed.
Original
Blades are
7mm narrower.
Originals close at an angle. Dutch shovels close parallel.
Comparison to the shovel blades when closed.
German shovels are marked on the blade. Usually a 3 letter maker code and a Waffenamt.1. Dutch Shovel spades are 7mm wider than WWII German. They will not fit into an original carrier without the aid of a jar of vaseline and a sledgehammer.
2. Original German E-Tools are originally blued, not painted. However, many were re-issued after the war and were often painted by the early NATO armies.
3. When the handle is closed and the nut screwed tightly, the German handle sticks out at a slight angle to clear your leg: meaning the handle does not rest completely parallel to the spade.
4. German E-tools are ALWAYS marked and usually Waffenamted on the blade, though corrosion can make it a challenge to find.
Yes, we has just told you how to make your Dutch Shovel near perfect! Strip it, cold blue it (or have it hot-blued; maybe a gunsmith could do this), and grind the shoulder of the spade a little to make the handle angle out when closed. No, we don't offer this service!
