This Shovel Ain’t Made for Diggin’

Dark Moon’s Sapper Shovel is a 60 cm spade made from foam, handcrafted to imitate the Russian MPL-50 entrenching tool for your cosplay or LARP needs. This particular military shovel would have been used not for digging, but for close quarter combat (and sometimes as a cooking tool or paddle)! Their wood handles were polished--not painted--and shaped to perfectly fit in the hand, minimizing the danger of fighting in wet conditions. Our imitation captures this same gritty, dangerous feel.

Constructed from EVA foam around a solid fibreglass rod, this Sapper Shovel is finished with a durable layer of latex to prevent shredding and to give it a realistic, smooth surface. The handle is carved and hand painted to look like real wood grain, while the head has a nice rusted, dirty looking finish.

The shovel’s head is not actually useful for digging or cooking, but it is great for hitting zombies at your favorite post-apocalyptic game! It includes fine, realistic details like nail heads and overlapping plates. Use this improvised weapon against grease gangs, walking dead, and radioactive insects--and look authentically cool in the process.

An Essential Russian Tool

• Entrenching tools were used in ancient times by Roman legionnaires to dig ditches around their camps
• The Sapper Shovel, also called the MPL-50, was invented by a Danish officer in 1869
• The MPL-50 was used by the Russian Empire, Soviet Union, and beyond for close combat