I have lots of tools for a DIY guy. Tools for gardening, bicycle maintenance, chopping firewood, carpentry... you name it, I probably have a tool for it. And I'm super picky about what I buy. I will spend hours trying to find *just* the right German-made screwdriver. I would rather not do the job than have to do it with a cheap tool. So, when I went looking for a shovel for digging moats around sandcastles on the beach with my 2-year-old, I didn't screw around. First, it needed to be small, so it could be packed into a suitcase. Second, it needed to be big, so I could dig big holes. Third, it needed to be tough. This beach has conch shells and big rocks and chunks of coral buried in the sand. These eat lesser shovels for lunch. Finally, it needed to look like a serious tool. I wasn't going to step out onto the beach with a stupid-looking shovel.My search led me to this shovel. It satisfied all of my criteria. It folds up tiny, and unfolds to the perfect size for digging from your knees. It's constructed of surprisingly thick-gauge metal, and everything is securely riveted or bolted together. The blade itself withstood impact after impact against jagged bits of seashells and rocks, with nothing but some cosmetic damage. So it's plenty tough. Finally, it looks the business. No one else on the beach had a shovel like this. The matte black paint and serrated edge scared children and adults alike. (I also bought a tough-looking camouflage holster for it. I was super excited about this accessory. I was visualizing strolling out onto the beach with this bad boy. I even practiced at home, before the vacation. Imagine my disappointment, then, when we got to the beach and I realized that my swimming trunks lacked a belt! Maddening. So the holster stayed in the villa. Ultimately it was ok. Just remember to unfold the shovel before you step out. The balance point is such that, as you walk down to the water, it swings menacingly by your side. Then, when you pick your spot on the beach, use all of your strength and stab it deep into the sand with one hand. Awesome.)My son and I dug holes every day for two weeks in all kinds of sand. Dry sand. Wet sand. Sometimes I rinsed off the salt water and sand, sometimes I didn't. It stayed outside exposed to the harsh elements overnight.Needless to say, with all the salt water the rust showed up within 24 hours. Sand and shells quickly wore through the paint on the blade, and water washed away any lubricant that may have been on the hinged points and the threads of the collar. This made it quite hard to open and close. Sand got into the threads of the collar and caused the collar to lock up every day. At first I was alarmed. I mean, come on, this is a US Army *entrenching tool*, right? For digging during war? But then I discovered that some water would instantly flush out the sand and release the collar. I used salt water, because that's what soldiers got on their shovels at Normandy in WWII.After the vacation, I rinsed out all the sand, and lubricated the hinges and threads. I sprayed more tri-flow all over it to arrest the oxidation. It is currently sitting on my workbench in the basement, awaiting its next mission. I don't know yet what it will be, but I am sleeping soundly every night, knowing as I do that this shovel will meet any challenge.1-Year Update: Completely awesome. Getting out the shovel remains a highlight of every beach trip. I uploaded a couple of pics showing how it has fared. Bit of surface oxidation, nothing to worry about. After a trip, I rinse it of all sand and salt water, lube the joints and threaded collar, and cover it with a rust-inhibiting oil (anything that says "rust inhibitor" will do - I use Lie-Nielsen Jojoba oil because I have it; but last year I just covered the whole thing with tri-flow).