Original Item: Only One Available. Now this is a rare sight to see anymore. This is your ordinary WWI Russian Empire used MPL-50 Entrenching Tool, but there is something rather rare about it. The example is dated 1916. and has other markings on it as well, probably indicating the maker. There’s also a boxed SA marking indicating post-war issue in the Finnish Army.

The MPL-50 is a small spade (50 cm (20 in) length) invented by Danish officer Mads Johan Buch Linnemann in 1869. It has been used by rank and file military personnel in the Russian Empire, Soviet Union and its successor states since the late 19th century. While nominally an entrenching tool, the MPL-50 has seen wide-ranging wartime applications, from a close-quarters combat weapon to a cooking utensil.

The MPL-50 has a total length of 50 cm (20 in); the steel blade is 15 cm (5.9 in) wide and 18 cm (7.1 in) long. It is sharpened on its working edge and often on one side, for use as an axe. The wooden handle is not painted, but polished with sandpaper and fire singed to create a smooth surface that does not slide in the hand. The blade carries the manufacturer's seal, which indicates the production year and distinguishes original products from forgeries.

This example was also overpainted in green when it was issued in the Finnish army.

A lovely example ready for further research and display.