Sapper spades of special forces. German sapper blade. Soviet paddle blades of the USSR

Items such as sapper blades are popular tools and cold steel used by soldiers. Having arisen a very long time ago, they repeatedly proved their universality. Therefore, there is nothing strange in the fact that their use has not stopped and to date. It was they who decided to dedicate this review.

Universal tool in the hands of an infantryman

Each infantryman in the Soviet Army carries a small shovel. When he receives an order to stop, he starts digging a hole in the ground near him. Within three minutes he will dig a trench 15 centimeters deep, so that the bullets whistle safely overhead.

An infantryman uses the same shovel to dig a grave for a fallen comrade. If he does not have an ax in his hands, he uses a blade to cut a loaf of bread. He uses it as an oar when he crosses a wide river on a telegraph pole under the enemy's fire. And when he receives an order to stop, he again builds an impregnable fortress around himself. He knows how to dig the earth effectively.

Taking the instrument in your hand, you can feel that it is sufficiently grasping. The cherry is comfortably placed in the hand. At the same time, the dimensions do not affect this comfort in any way. Mounting the blade is quite powerful. In addition, the free end flows smoothly into the knob, thereby improving the grip itself, made in a wide variety of positions. The handle is slightly rough, additionally sanded with sandpaper, slightly scorched over the fire. She does not slip in her hand. Therefore, we can say that to retain the object does not require much effort. Only that blade can become an ideal continuation of the hand, which is a single monolithic tool.

Measurement of soldiers began to produce easier

The demolition blades are not only a tool for pulling out the earth: they can also be used for measurement. The gun has a din of 50 centimeters. Two equal lengths - meter. The blade has a width of 15 centimeters and 18 centimeters in length. Remembering these data, a soldier can measure everything he wants.

All three edges of the shovel are sharp, like a knife. It is painted with a matte greenish paint, so it does not reflect direct sunlight. Blade is not only a tool for measuring. This is also a guarantee of stability in the most difficult situations.

Official name

The sapper blades appeared, in comparison with a knife or an ax, not so long ago. For the first time such a weapon was talked about after the Russian-Turkish war. The infantry had to dig in the ground because of the increased speed of the musket bullets. A small blade became the companion of every present soldier. The name "sapper" is not quite right. The tool is officially called the "small infantry". But in life all the same the term "engineer" has got accustomed.

Excellent cold steel

Over time, the shovel was used not only for its intended purpose, but also as a multifunctional universal tool. Yes, and a very effective tool is obtained from a simple blade. The use of the tool as a weapon was forced during the First World War. Necessity arose in connection with the lack of firearms. Therefore, a demolition shovel and was used as a cold steel.

The specificity of the positional war contributed to the manifestation of the soldiers' sapping. As a result of simple actions, the sapper blade on three sides was sharpened. Some time passed, and the combat function of this instrument was officially recognized. Over time, it was also decided to develop special kits for close combat, where the scapula was treated as a throwing and cold weapon. Among other things, the operational flexibility of the tool has been significantly expanded.

Use as a kind of bulletproof vest

One of the domestic firms produces a taper sapper titanium. It can protect from the bullets of the TT gun. It is proposed to use a shovel and as an element of armor. It's not really a lie. The shovel is really capable of withstanding bullets. But it is almost impossible to use it as a defense. There were cases when a bullet, hitting a shovel, caused such a heavy blow that the front edge of the instrument pierced the body.

Differences from each other

Despite the simplicity of the design - it can even be said to be primitive - the sapper blades are significantly different from each other. The bayonet is made up of two parts - a tubular cloth and a lining for fastening the handle. A fairly long tube reaches the middle of the handle and is fixed by means of rivets.

Now they use lighter options. However, such tools have less functionality. The bayonet bayonet, despite the ribs, is not very durable. Therefore, the complexity of its use arises. The most common is a simplified shovel in which the hand grip tube is a bayonet extension. Nevertheless, this design, although it is considered a classical type, is not always reliable, since the tube is short. Thus, it can not be used to fix a rigid shape. The handle is fixed by means of a nail.

Creation of a shaving instrument abroad

Abroad, a shovel shovel of Soviet manufacture is reproduced by some American companies. From domestic models it is distinguished only by a more thorough finish and the absence of a folding handle. Credulous Americans shovel advertise as a formidable weapon of the Soviet special services.

Negative feature of the universal tool, which contributed to the improvement of the model

Despite the obvious features of sapper shovels, which have a bayonet fixed on the handle, they have one big drawback. They are very long, they are inconvenient to carry around. Reduce the size can not be, as this will affect ergonomics.

Thus, at the present time, a folding and bayonet sapper blade has appeared, in which the handle is connected to a hinge. The creation of such tools markedly increased the convenience of wearing. After all, a folding sapper blade requires much less space. Thus, the length of the instruments was reduced to the length of the bayonet. In both cases, high security is ensured. There are simplified versions, when an additional section extending the handle joins the shovel. It, in turn, is wound on a carving.

Another household model - the sapper shoulder blades "Spetsnaz" - is formed on the principle of balisong. Such products can already be carried in a simple case made of fabric. The presence of a long handle attached to the hinges allows the tool to be used as pliers, crimping pliers or detonator. In addition, one of the halves includes a folding saw (changes in the civil version - a wrench).

The bayonet is sharpened on all edges of the shovel. One of them is made in the form of a saw for metal, capable of sawing a rod with a diameter of 10 mm. The other edge has a curved shape and is used to cut something. The bayonet has two holes, for which you can fasten the cord.

The tool is made entirely of steel, except for the handle, which consists of wood. The sapper shovel "Spetsnaz" is made for the purpose of using not only as a tool of universal type, but also as a cold weapon. There is also a product that has, in addition to a collapsible bayonet, an optical handle. Inside it is a saw.

Shovels used by German troops

The dimensions of those blades that were used in different countries and at different times, practically do not differ. But there is nothing strange in this, because the anthropometric data of people are also not very different. Therefore trophy shovels were appreciated by almost all soldiers. They could be used in combat without a variety of complementary explanations.

In the German troops, the sapper blade was divided into various models. Such a tool was usually worn by soldiers in a case on the left side. The shovel was attached directly to the belt. The tool had a steel blade of a rectangular shape and a handle made of wood. Such a model has remained unchanged since 1880.

In addition, an identical shovel was actively used in other European countries. The blade of the small dentifrice was usually painted black. The soldiers left the handle unchanged. At the same time, they were guided by the fact that otherwise there would be blisters on their hands. But it is worth noting that the handle was still covered with a varnish layer. The total length, which reached the German sapper blade, was 50 cm. But you can find models that have a smaller size.

The universal instrument has not undergone major changes

Speaking in general, then, since the 19th century, the sapper shovel has not undergone any major changes. In Soviet times, its production was based on the model, which was designed in 1983. At the moment, there may still be a sapper blade of the USSR, which was actively used during the war. In addition, its quality will be much better than those whose production is established now.

A small infantry blade is quite strong and comfortable already because it combines an almost perfect ratio of all characteristics. In the event that the manufacturer decides to take as a basis high-quality material, refuses to equip the instrument with various additional details, he will be able to release into the light a perfect versatile object that will combine military parameters.

Withstanding a large number of tests, a small sapper blade does not fail. It continues to please everyone with its simplicity, perfection and efficiency. This is an important factor in the modern world, when there are a lot of diverse and, most importantly, modern weapons.