The Shovel Discussion Thread!

Thread resurrection! Found that my local Tractor Supply was closing out their bully tools. They only had D-handle spades, one long handle shovel, the spading fork, cultivator hoe, drain spade and the post hole diggers left. The last long handled shovel followed me home. I am undecided about the drain spade. It is good quality materials but the finishing leaves something to be desired. It looks like they smooshed a square piece of steel and welded a thick piece of steel to it.

The shovel is really nice, though. I may pick up a D-handle spade to go with it.
 
Picked up a very nice solid shank round point TT. The original handle is marked Burlington Northern - railroad shovel. It has been used, but not much. Handle is in great shape as is the blade. Picked it up at a flea market for 15.00.
 
What is a recommended hoe for heavy weeding. I have a flowerbed with vines(think honeysuckle) in it. And I want to remove the weeds. Loop hoe or would something else work better?
 
I have seen a dutch hoe before, just forgot about it. Stupid question, there seems to be a difference between some fixed head loop hoes and an action hoe. The loop head may just be sharpened on one side, pull cut, whereas the action hoe is a sharpened on both sides, push and pull cut. Bully Tools has a loop hoe but I don't know how it is ground. I don't see many dutch hoes available here in the states, I think I will look at scuffle/diamond hoes too. I like the look of the back and forth motion weeding. I think it is more efficient.
 
I like the double sided 'action hoe'. It's a quick way to win a war of attrition against weeds. You sever the plant from the root. They may re-sprout but most don't. A quick hoeing keeps the weed at bay until the desired plant grows above the weeds and shades them out.
 
If you don't mind me asking, what brand of action hoe are you using, Square? Probably a vintage one knowing you. ;)
I am kinda thinking a larger eye hoe for heavy duty weeding and an action hoe for standard weeding. Thanks for the input.
 
I've got an aluminum handled Seymour one I got to use at my family's camp to remove matted lake bottom weeds in the swimming area of our section of the lake. Works great. :D
 
Mine is maybe 20 years old. Nothing special. Off the shelf at the local hardware store. Probably a True Temper. I'd have to check. Not everything I have is vintage.

If it works ....... good enough.
 
You guys talk of them old shovels with such feeling...Love,even,i'd venture to say!:)
(can wholly relate,i'm that way meself about many,if not all,old tools...).
Square Peg,i've got a deal for you,sir!Two orphaned shovel-heads,a True Temper #1,taper forged/heat-treated,with a forge-welded back!And a Union Fork & Hoe Co. #4,heat-treated,but with a crack...(not too structural...).Fresh from the dump!:)
Both yours,free of charge,to be loved and cared for...iffen you'll adopt them...(will they fit into a flat-rate box...probably not...i can just send them as a regular parcel...).
 
Sounds good,Sir,we'll consider the adoption papers signed!:)...Please PM me with your postal address(i've friends travelling down south sometimes,but can't think of anyone in the near future).
 
Today I finished hanging that True Temper #1 FS shovel that Jake sent me. I use these frequently on trail crew. They typically come with a shorter handle than a regular shovel. But I've wanted to try one with a full length handle so that's what I hung it on.

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The new ones say 'Made in Ireland'. This one is vintage.
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Freshly peened rivets.
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I like how thick the back of the blade is...
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while the tip is quite thin.
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Hand selected ash handle from Do-It-Center, likely a Link (Seymour).
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A quality stamped shovel is ok...Taper Forged shovels are great !

Sadly few understand the difference, even fewer willing to pay the higher price.
 
Square_peg said:
Today I finished hanging that True Temper #1 FS shovel that Jake sent me. I use these frequently on trail crew. They typically come with a shorter handle than a regular shovel. But I've wanted to try one with a full length handle so that's what I hung.
Click to expand...

COOL! Reading the nomenclature on your shovel sent me off on a quest to find what Rockwell hardness number they might assign to one of these.
Well, down the rabbit hole I went, starting here, http://www.anvilfire.com/article.php?bodyName=/FAQs/heattreating.htm
That was just one of more than a few sites I looked at, including Ames own. The best I could figure is that they are hardened to around a low 50's number?
I'm still not sure of any more than that, so just enjoy your shovel, and know it's heat treated, I think. :p
 
I think mid 50's is a good guess. It was a little hard to file. Thankfully it didn't need much since it's taper forged and you want to leave the edge about 1/32" thick anyway.
 
Thanks,Square_peg,for giving a new life to such an old,classy tool....You've done a Fantastic job of it,looks excellent(and hadles,i'm sure,likewise,which is the main point...).

Echoing th esteemed Lieblad above,it's simply Unimaginable to me,the work required to smash a solid billet of (any %)carbon steel into a shovel shape....mindblowing...

(that Irish joint,i've heard that they were the last to actually forge shovel-heads from a solid billet...and that they were closing,too...).
 
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