Original Item: Only One Available. This is a scarce original Imperial Russian MPL-50 infantry entrenching tool dated 1915 and later modified and overpainted for use by the Finnish Army.

The steel blade retains its 1915 date and additional markings that likely identify the original manufacturer or inspection authority. A hole was later punched through the blade, a modification associated with Finnish reuse that allowed the tool to be secured to field equipment or carried with a modified belt attachment.

The blade was also repainted during its later Finnish service, giving this example a particularly interesting dual-service history.

The MPL-50 takes its designation from the Russian phrase Malaya Pekhotnaya Lopata, meaning “small infantry spade,” while the number 50 refers to its standardized overall length of approximately 50 centimeters. The pattern developed from the short-handled entrenching tool patented by Danish officer Mads Johan Buch Linnemann in 1869 and adopted by several European armies during the late 19th century. Russia recognized Linnemann’s patent rights, paid him for the design, and ordered 60,000 examples.

The Russian version became one of the most enduring military entrenching tools ever produced. Its basic fixed-handle design remained in service through the Imperial Russian, Soviet, and post-Soviet periods with relatively few major changes.

This example was manufactured in 1915 during WWI.

The face of the steel blade bears the date: 1915

Additional markings are also present and may represent the maker, arsenal, or inspection authority. These have not yet been positively identified.

The blade shows substantial age, wear, oxidation, and evidence of later repainting.

A circular hole has been punched through the face of the blade. This alteration is consistent with Finnish reuse of captured or inherited Imperial Russian entrenching tools, which were sometimes modified for attachment to Finnish carrying equipment. Surviving examples are documented as former Imperial Russian tools later reissued by Finland.

The overpaint is also consistent with later Finnish military refurbishment.

Finland inherited and captured large quantities of Russian military equipment during the collapse of Imperial authority, the Finnish Civil War, and the conflicts that followed. Practical items such as rifles, bayonets, ammunition pouches, entrenching tools, and field equipment were frequently retained, altered, remarked, or repainted for Finnish service.

The exact date when this example entered Finnish possession is unknown. It may have been acquired during the revolutionary period following WWI, captured during later fighting, or drawn from stocks of former Russian equipment already present in Finland.

The blade measures approximately 15 centimeters wide and 18 centimeters long, while the complete tool was designed to measure approximately 50 centimeters overall. These standardized dimensions allowed the tool to serve both as a practical digging implement and as a simple measuring reference in the field.

The sharpened lower edge was intended for cutting roots and breaking compacted soil. One side could also be sharpened for chopping, allowing the tool to serve in a role similar to a small axe.

Military entrenching tools were indispensable to soldiers in the field. They were used to dig individual firing positions, improve trenches, construct shelters, clear vegetation, cut roots, and perform countless routine camp tasks.

Their compact size also made them useful as improvised hammers, paddles, and cooking surfaces when no better equipment was available.

During WWI, the short entrenching tool also acquired a reputation as an improvised close-combat weapon. In confined trenches and dugouts, a sharpened spade could be easier to maneuver than a full-length rifle and bayonet.

The original wooden handle remains present.

It is unpainted and shows substantial age, handling wear, darkening, and surface marks.

The handle is now somewhat loose where it enters the steel socket. It should therefore be handled carefully and should not be used for digging or striking.

The steel head retains an aged military appearance with overpaint, oxidation, scratches, edge wear, and surface discoloration.

No attempt has been made to remove the later paint or restore the blade to its original Imperial Russian finish.

That later Finnish overpaint and punched attachment hole are important parts of the tool’s service history and should be preserved.

This is not simply a generic military spade. Its 1915 date places it within the Imperial Russian war effort, while the later Finnish alteration and finish document the widespread reuse of Russian military equipment by the newly independent Finnish state.

A scarce dual-service entrenching tool connecting the Imperial Russian Army of WWI with Finland’s later adaptation of inherited and captured military equipment.

Specifications:
Country of Original Manufacture: Imperial Russia
Pattern: MPL-50 Small Infantry Entrenching Tool
Date: 1915
Material: Steel Blade with Wooden Handle
Approximate Overall Length: 50 cm, or 20"
Approximate Blade Width: 15 cm, or 5.9"
Approximate Blade Length: 18 cm, or 7.1"