In Germany we call it Hoopoe ... show us yours!

Humppa

Humppa

Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
7,432
Hi guys!

We had threads about shovels, drawknives and axes, hatchets and hawks for sure.

I want to show you my favorite digging tool, beside a shovel.
It´s a hoopoe (because it looks like that bird) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoopoe

To me it´s between an axe and a shovel

IMG_1276.jpg


Mine is forged, on later pics you can see the smittys marks. I don´t wanna punish you with my explanations. Let´s the pics speak...

IMG_1277.jpg


IMG_1278.jpg


IMG_1279.jpg


IMG_1280.jpg


The smiths stamp

IMG_1282.jpg


Comparison hoopoe, 1,6 kilogramm axe and a standart sized shovel

IMG_1284.jpg


We use it for planting little trees on cut-down-wood-areas. The axe-side is for hacking through roots which are in the ground. The non-axe-side is for digging out the holes to plant the little trees in. A good work. Giving the woods something back we removed. We did that work yesterday and planted 400 new trees. Dad and I are very fast with doing that ;) In combination with a shovel it´s a perfect tool for any digging jobs.

Do you guys also have somthing like that?

In Germany we call it a "Wiedehopfhaue".

Kind regards
Andi
 
Never saw a "hoopoe" before.
Looks like a cross between a "hoedad" and an axe (or pulaski).
Thanks for showing this.
 
Steve beat me to it! I was just going to say it looks similar to what we call a Pulaski in the US. It's primarily used for fighting and controlling wildfires and forest fires. I don't own any but I'm sure some of the other guys do.
 
Well, against woodfires or something like this, imo this also would be a great tool. I use this for everything when I have something to dig and the ground is stony or full of roots.

Thank you for your replies!

Kind regards
Andi
 
I think that is what we would call and 'axe mattock'. A Pulaski is similar but uses a double bit axe haft. An axe mattock uses a pick handle. The perpendicular blade (mattock) of an axe mattock tends to be beefier (bigger and stronger) than the perpendicular blade of a Pulaski.

Axe mattock.
Axe_mattock.jpg


Axe mattocks are great for digging out stumps. With two differently oriented blades one of them is always in the right position for cutting a root.
 
Very nice, I haven't seen one quite like that before. I have a couple of chopper-digger tools, I'll try to get some pics. Something called a "super Pulaski" sold recently on the bay; it's a regular Pulaski with a double width digging blade.
 
Because the tri-fold entrenching tool is such a poor digger, the military came out with a Mattaxe, which looks a lot like the tools above but smaller. Again nothing new as the Roman Legions used a tool called a Dolabra, which was an axe/pick combination. John
 
VERY cool! I my area the soil is dense, rock-filled clay so a pick mattock comes in handy more than a cutter mattock I like to use a 3lb. Tramontina head (rather than the standard 5lb.) on an extra long 45" handle. Since you spend half the time working with the tool picking it back up after swinging it, the light head makes it so you expend less energy doing so, while the long handle puts the power back in your strike and improves ergonomics (less back strain!)

CIMG9804.jpg


By the way, the tool on the right is a TrueTemper "potato hook" which is like a cultivator with tines about 1.5x longer. I use it for raking manure and dragging/piling hay.
 
Hi guys! Thank you for your comments and your thoughts. Especially the different shapes of that tool that are around there.

Kind regards
Andi
 
I really like your variation of it! It looks like something that belonged to a Viking who retired from a life of raiding and took up gardening! :D:thumbup:
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I really like your variation of it! It looks like something that belonged to a Viking who retired from a life of raiding and took up gardening! :D:thumbup:
Click to expand...

LOL!!! Anyhow... Yes... definitely! Gardening bavarian vikings, this is still lost in the history books!

Kind regards
Andi
 
I was digging thru our pile of pulaskis at work today and came across one from Forestry Suppliers Inc.. It was in nice shape except that it needed sharpening. So I threw it in the vise and went at it.
Surprisingly hard steel!!
bigshock.gif

Notably harder than our Council pulaskis. The mattock is forged straight out from the eye, rather that forged and twisted like on the Council pulaskis. Very stout tool. Has a good handle, too.

Once I finish sharpening it it's going in my truck for sure.
 
Wow--forged straight out from the eye? That's surprising in this day and age! :eek::thumbup:
 
I've more commonly seen the tool type referred to as a cutter mattock. Grubbing hoes would just have the perpendicular blade rather than also having the short axe blade on the reverse. At least that's my understanding.
 
Square_peg said:
I was digging thru our pile of pulaskis at work today and came across one from Forestry Suppliers Inc.. It was in nice shape except that it needed sharpening. So I threw it in the vise and went at it.
Surprisingly hard steel!!
bigshock.gif

Notably harder than our Council pulaskis. The mattock is forged straight out from the eye, rather that forged and twisted like on the Council pulaskis. Very stout tool. Has a good handle, too.

Once I finish sharpening it it's going in my truck for sure.
Click to expand...

The handle on mine wasn´t very good. I waited until it broke and made my own one. The handles very thin, so it broke during using... :mad:

A truck would be a great place for that one... especially an old Pick-Up ;)

Kind regards
Andi
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top