Review: Gardening shovel

Another hand tool post. I really like hand tools, not only because of their simple utility and ease of use but also on the freedom from reliance on power, for both off-grid use and grid-gone use.

Digging holes is one of those truly universal skills that all peoples; Inuit to Bedouin, Pict to Massai participate in. There is something very primal about digging. Whether is be digging up roots and tubers, clam or crabs for food, digging a fire-pit like a Dakota fire-hole ,digging for fresh water, for shelter or to bury a cache of booty. 

This most recent tool i've added to my arsenal is this very simple gardening trowel I saw online. 

This tool is simplicity itself. An overall length of 32cm (12 1/2"), half of which is "blade" the other half is handle. Made from a single piece of 16Ga stainless steel 2.2cm (7/8th") tubing, the blade has been punched out and folded outwards to a nominal width of 5cm (2")) The resulting edge is unsharpened, but finishes in a respectable point. 

The tip is slightly canted inwards almost to the centre of the handles cross-section, for scooping and balance.

The whole tool has been dip-coated in a tough black paint, which has barely worn on the edges from my digging in sandy soil and repeated throwing into turf and fence posts. 

The butt-end of the pipe handle is filled with a hard plastic plug that I managed to pry off, drill a hole into and add a cord loop for ease of removal and grabbing.

A quick dirt test resulted in a slightly lower yield  than the ChinLin spade but what it misses in surface area it makes up for in depth and low-drag design, which results in a quick digging tool. 

Silent and efficient this tool allows you to dig deep, even through tough turf, perfect for planting bulbs or seedlings. The most exciting part of this tool is that the hollow pipe handle doubles as an eye for mounting a shaft which can either add reach for digging or weeding without tedious bending. 

It is completely and totally coincidental that fitting it to a standard broom handle converts it into a fairly serviceable spear. Much like the humble axe, a spear is a force multiplier and unmatched in melee combat, even in the hands of relatively unskilled operators. 

Weighing in at a mere 120 gm (4 1/4 oz), this tool is easy on the hand and deft in the garden. The only drawbacks are the open end on the blade/ handle interface allowing dirt to enter, but not a  significant issue, a quick shake or bang will loosen that. In a pinch you could scoop up water and carry it in the upturned handle.