Gerber 22-41578 Gorge Folding Shovel
by Gerber
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List Price: Our Price: $9.58 You Save: $20.12 (68%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Gerber 22-41578 Gorge Folding Shovel
Customer Review: You get what you pay for...
Summary: 3 Stars
This shovel is adequate for light work such as having in a car to dig out of snow in case one get stuck. It is especially nice that this thing folds up into a relatively tiny size. It is, folded and in its pouch, about the size of a shoe and can easily fit into a large industrial sized glove compartment (i.e., the type an 18 wheeler or large pick up would have). However, it is far from perfect. Many of the critiques of the shovel I have been expressed by other reviewers. One is that it very small. The blade itself is barely the size of a human male hand (open). In addition, the shovel itself is not that durable. The build quality leaves much to be desired, especially for a Gerber product. The product's build quality is very schizophrenic. The lower part and (i.e., the shovel) is made of steel (and hence is durable) and has a good locking mechanism that insures that it will not come lose during use. Unfortunately, the handle is made of plastic and has a poor spring locking mechanism. The word plastic says enough. The spring locking mechanism, due to its poor quality and the fact that it can come lose when any force worthy of the name (such as what you will probably have to apply when you need to use the shovel to dig your way out of an emergency), is a good point of frustration. If only Gerber would have used wood or metal and a better locking mechanism. Then again, if they had, this thing would be much more expensive.
Hence, in short, this shovel is something that would be useful to keep in a vehicle (i.e., standard auto, not 18 wheeler or large pick-up) for digging out of snow in an emergency. However, for digging into hard dirt, prolonged digging and any other type of strenuous digging forget it. It is highly unlikely that this thing would last. Thus for small jobs fine but for anything larger forget it.
For those seeking a small portable shove that is only slightly larger but is more durable, I would recommend the Gerber 30-000075 E-Tool Folding Spade with Serrated Blade. This thing is much more durable and can be used for more serious digging. However, its price is about 2.5 times greater than the shove reviewed (about $50 vs $20 in early January 2011). As the saying goes though, you get what you pay for.
Customer Review: Excellent Little Pack Shovel
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great and useful pack shovel and I've been really happy with it. It packs down extremely small and comes with a nice, heavy bag with drawstring and cord lock. You could easily stow this thing under the seat of your car or truck. The folded dimension is approx. 4.75" wide X 8" long. Unfolded, it becomes 15.75" long, so it really is a small tool and the handle gives you limited leverage. It is heavy for its size and is well made. Though the handle is plastic, it seems durable enough. The blade is stout and is not likely to deform from use. (anything is possible, of course!)
The blade is not sharpened, but I prefer this anyway; the edge of the blade can easily take an edge from a large metal file, grinder, or grinding wheel, if that's your preference, but I find it just dulls too quickly anyway and makes it unnecessarily dangerous. The dimensions of the blade itself are about 4.75" X 6". It is tapered to a nice point, is slightly cupped, and has a folded-over edge at the top in case you wanted to give it some oomph with the heel of a boot. It has a hammer function for use on tent stakes and such and is actually capable of performing that task without distorting or otherwise breaking the tool, unlike some other camp shovels I've used in the past. This one is heavy and well-made.
That said, this is an excellent and useful tool for car camping, camping with larger groups (where you have more backs to carry heavy little goodies like this), and for winter or desert duty with your vehicle where you may find a small shovel useful. (It's small enough to leave under the seat and forget it until you really need it, versus forgetting to take a larger shovel that you wouldn't otherwise carry all the time) When I'm backpacking, however, this baby is way too heavy. Instead, I take along a much smaller, lighter plastic trowel for sanitary duties.
Customer Review: It's good,
Summary: 4 Stars
I have an inclination to buy stuff online. If I saw this in a store for $18, I would probably pass. But I bought it on Amazon for the free shipping. At first, I was surprised at how small it was. It was about the size of an adult men shoe, with the shovel face about no bigger than a slice of bread.
One complaint is the shove handle seems to get jammed easily when fully collapsed and gets stuck whilst trying to extend for use.
It took a lot of tugging and it finally shot open. It wouldn't be a problem for most men, but for women, it might pose difficulty, especially if she were in subfreezing temperatures. Anyrate, once fully extended and with the shovel mouth unfolded and locked into place via a screwing mechanism, it works like as advertised.
Keep in mind, it's small and can be awkward to use for the first time. Today, i was pulling into a parking spot that had chunks of hardened snow and ice around my tires and rear bumper. So i took the opportunity to see how it stands up to ice. I wacked the ice as hard as I could over and over again. It held up pretty well. I was swinging the shovel to break the ice and then using it to shovel it away. It passed the first test. A bit pricey for $19, I probably wouldn't recommend paying more than $15 for it, but I guess I'll keep it for emergencies.
Oh and since the 'telescoping' handle appears to get stuck easily when collapsed, I would suggest leaving the handle extended, and only folding the shovel face, it still fits in the pouch provided, just sticks out a little.
Customer Review: Backpacker's Delight
Summary: 4 Stars
I just got back from my first trip with my new Gorge, a 13 mile backpacking trip, and this shovel really delivered. There's a lot I like about it, but the two biggest features for me were the dual-utility of both hammer and shovel and the compact size. I also think the price is pretty fair.
I used the shovel for fire chores, cat holes and for driving in my tent stakes and it worked well for all of these tasks. It is VERY sturdy, more so than the E-Tools we had in the Army and I'd have no qualms about using this harshly. Also, the carry case is great because it keeps your dirty shovel from contacting the clean gear that might be near it in your pack.
There are 2 downsides, both of which have already been noted by other reviewers. The first is the spade. I live in sandy Florida, but anywhere else this shovel, as delivered, would be useless. You MUST sharpen the spade before this will be a useful shovel. The other problem is more an issue of scale. You don't get the impression from the picture of how small this shovel is. It's great for backpacking, but if you're looking for a shovel to throw in your car or something, it's a bit small. Make sure you check the dimensions before ordering.
Overall though, an excellent tool for an excellent price.
Customer Review: Pretty good
Summary: 3 Stars
It's easy to say the shovel is perfect before using it in the real world, and I probably would have.
But after using it on a beach camping trip, I can't say it is perfect. First off, there are three different mechanisms in this shovel. The first is the telescoping handle. The second is the rotating shovel head. The third is the threaded lock so the shovel stays firm. All of these mechanisms work well if the shovel is clean, but after being used in a sandy condition, they deteriorate quickly.
The telescoping action grinds and is difficult to move. The other mechanisms have similar problems and there is no easy way of cleaning them out. Even after washing them out with water there is still grinding, and the shovel isn't meant to be disassembled. Maybe the tolerances are just a little too tight in this shovel.
The other thing that maybe is more annoying is the paint has already come off of the head of the shovel. This is just one weekend in sand, and it wasn't used in rocks or anything hard.
I still think it is a good shovel, but a simpler shovel might be in order for sandy situations.