I have found that making a clean plug means keeping you digger or shovel sharp. I carry this in my trunk and make a couple of strokes on my diggers every now an then. It makes a big difference.
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Yikes! Those things are notorious for eating up the steel of a blade!
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So...what does stomping the blade into dirt and gravel do for them?
Lol.....ok
Here's a discussion on the topic of sharpeners like yours: https://www.reddit.com/r/knifeclub/comments/3abuj9/are_drawthrough_knife_sharpeners_bad/
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#1- It's not mine.....
#2- We're not talking knives here, we're talking trowels and shovels which are constantly dulled by the abrasiveness of dirt and rock.
See the difference?
Firstly, I did not realize it wasn't yours. Sorry.
Secondly, I don't see the difference. Those types of sharpeners will still strip material away from the blade of the shovel or hand digger, speeding up the rate of degradation.
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Yikes! Those things are notorious for eating up the steel of a blade!
...
I understand the idea of "optics," and how things might "look" to some people when they see you with a big shovel and imagine you leaving "craters." For that reason, there are places I don't bring a shovel and go "hand digger only." However, using the "greenskeeper/putting green" example, combined with demonstrating my technique, will often satisfy most people who might question you...
Steve
The irony of the "no shovel" argument for me is the fact that my shovel cut plugs are nicer than my Lesche cut plugs. Much cleaner edges and IMHO a far better tool for the job. Having said that, I still don't tote the shovel into my city park but thinking it over I'm not sure why... Maybe if I give it a camo coat of paints nobody will see it anyhow...
BBsGal --
LOL! I think the camo paint might do the trick, for you!
Seriously, the good thing about this thread is that people are seriously concerned about how "nice" of a plug they can cut, and debating how best to do it. I don't think most people who think of metal detectorists imagine them talking online amongst themselves about how to cut the cleanest/neatest plugs so as to leave as little of a trace as possible that they ever retrieved a target...
Whether you carry a shovel, a hand digger, or a "coin popper," I think once most objectors who might confront you personally would hear your story and see that your true concern is leaving as little of a trace as possible, they'd relax...
It hasn't happened yet, but I do feel that if someone who "sees some guy with a big shovel tearing up the park" ever decided to call the cops, that once the officer arrived, I'd have an opportunity to explain my reasoning to him/her. I truly believe that if I took the time to respectfully show the officer what I do, and why/how I do it, I like to believe that it would go a long way toward smoothing things over...
Steve
I Agree, here's my .02 on the subject in an article i wrote about it recently
http://detecting365.com/metal-detecting-diggers/ - TWO METAL DETECTING DIGGERS YOU NEED
31 inch shovel is different than showing up in a park with a full blown SHOVEL!
I've used my sampson in parks in 4 states, 20 cities, 15 counties, talked with cops, residents, onlookers, park patrol, etc, never an issue because my sampson cuts CLEANER plugs than a hand digger, faster, less trace of my presence. I think the old chicken little sky is falling over a shovel debate is outdated and based in unwarranted fears. If they do not have specific writing that states the type of digger you can use, there is nothing wrong whit using a sampson in a park, and I do it every time I grab my sampson.
Your mileage may vary but I giggle at some of the people who freak out about it... leave no holes, get no problems, regardless of what you use... leave holes with your hand digger and you got probs, regardless of how small it is... fill yer plugs n be a bud!