Two devices for collecting undisturbed soil samples are described. One collects the sample in a can; the other collects it in a stainless steel cylinder. The can or cylinder is held by a larger cylinder, fitted with a piston for facilitating removal. For can samples, the can edge does the cutting; for cylinder samples the apparatus is fitted with a removable cutting edge which can be replaced separately. All samples can be used for porosity and volume wt. detns. and, in addition, the cylinder samples can be used for percolation studies.