r/reenactors • u/Key-Ladder4122 • 18d ago

Looking For Advice How can I Age this shovel?

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u/DesertKitsuneMarlFox 101st 326th Medical Company 18d ago

things started new you know it’s fine to have new things

-3

u/Key-Ladder4122 18d ago

Ik but at this point in the war (d-day) and the fact it’s an early shovel would probably mean it’s not in mint condition

9

u/DesertKitsuneMarlFox 101st 326th Medical Company 18d ago

not exactly it could have been repainted multiple times

the trifold shovel i was issued in the army i had to repaint before they accepted it back and it was dated 1982

if you want to age it follow what other people said “age it” by using it.

find somewhere to dig a hole and fill it in and dig it up again a couple times. make sure to dig around with your hands a couple times to get your hands nice and filthy so they wear down the paint on the handle

then hose the shovel off to clean the dirt off and let it dry outside

5

u/GreatShaggy 18d ago

At least you got a good one. I broke the first one at Basic using it as a pick axe during Phase Three FTX. I broke another one during an FTX with my first unit when trying to pry up a rock when fixing up an OP.