I've been wondering about the painting of tools located on AFVs (any army, any era). Many of the models I see have tools with nicely painted wood colored handles. Do/did the tools really come issued that way? Wouldn't the tools be painted in whatever color the AFV is painted?

Not a huge deal, but just curious.
thanks for any insights,
Terry

Terry,

Haven't seen too many AFV models with the tool handles and metal/iron parts painted the same color as the camo patterns on the AFV's themselves. I paint my handles wood, or a darker brown color, if anything to show them off a little. I personally think it adds a nice touch to see the various items a different color, just my two cents. As far as realism goes, don't know, I'd have to check reference pictures, but even if the handles were the same color as the base camo, after prolonged use the paint would wear off exposing the wood, I'd like to think anyway.

Hope this helps, but I'm sure a few others may chime in here. Cheers!

Tim

Once upon a time in the late 70s-early 80s, in the era of $800 hammers, most modern US pioneer tools (axe, D-handled shovel, pick axe, etc.) came painted entirely in olive green when new. During usage, they would get worn and chipped and crews would repaint them with whatever "subdued military color" spray paint they could get from local stores or the supply system. This usually meant flack black or some commercial color of OD green from a spray can.

In the 80s, the color and type of paint switched to a forest green CARC (checmical agent resistant coating) paint. But when worn and chipped, soldiers went to the old method of repainting them with whatever the PX or Wal-Mart carried.

When tools were lost, stolen or deemed unserviceable (i.e. broken), they are replaced commercially. That is, a new one is bought from a local vendor (Ace Hardware, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc.). After all, a shovel is a shovel and an axe is an axe.

Generally speaking, if the tool is secured to the outside of a vehicle, it is normally painted in a camouflage color for two reasons, one to keep it from giving away the vehicle's position and two to protect the tool from the effects of the weather.

If the tools are secured in a tool box or sponson box and not left in the open, they are often left as they are received from the store.

down here is oz all our pioneer tools have been commercially bought and would there fore be painted the same colurs as a store bought shovel pick etc etc
as vehicle crews we never painted them the same colurs as the vehicles