M-1873 Entrenching Tool

Authorized as an “experimental” issue item in March 1874, the Infantry entrenching tool, sometimes referred to as the “Hagner” entrenching tool, was a steel implement measuring eight inches long by three and one half inches wide with a rounded point, with a hard wood handle measuring three and three quarter inches long, stamped “U.S.” near the throat of the mounting socket. One edge of the blade is bent at a ninety-degree angle from the rest of the blade, to give the tool more strength when working in harder conditions. The tool itself was left with no finish, or “in the bright”, and was carried in a corrugated tin sheath that was covered with a thin russet colored leather. At the mouth of the scabbard was a brass throat with an iron loop affixed. When issued, there was to be a split ring attached to the loop, meant to be utilized as a way to affix to the soldier’s equipment and carried, though on many surviving examples this has been replaced with a simple leather loop that has been stitched or riveted in place, making it easy attached to any belt the soldier wore. The sheath also was stamped “U.S.” in the upper left corner of the front of the scabbard. Some known examples have had soldier or rack numbers stamped into the top of the wooden handle or painted onto the scabbard itself.