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Lesche digger vs shovel

zimmer

Junior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2016
Messages
42
I currently have a small shovel. I'm wanting opinions on a lesche knife vs a shovel. Does it work well, is it better than a small shovel. I was considering due to size and convenience of carry.
 
In parks and playgrounds you want to use the hand digger, because carrying a shovel into public parks etc gives the perception that you're going to tear the place up.

In woods, public property and fields, hands down the shovel is the better tool.

Having said those things, no matter where I use my shovel, I dig cleaner, better plugs, as well as retrieve targets twice as fast.

Both have their place in your arsenal, but you just want to err on the side of caution of busting out a shovel in public parks etc.
 
Yeah, listen to Nectar here. I have the 31" samson and love the thing and how easy it gets to deep targets, cuts a great plug, but I'd never take it into a park to dig plugs. Perception is all that really counts, and the perception you get with a 31" samson or any other larger shovel is that you're gonna dig massive holes in the park and mess the whole place up. The Lesche is top notch. I have it and the Whites digger. I like the Whites digger, but the Lesche is still my go to tool, works without question, and pays for itself in the first couple months.
 
I've used a Mini 18 shovel for years and recently went to a 31" Sampson. Both cut neater plugs than a Lesche, plus it's the devil to pierce Texas dirt with a Lesche. I'm not alone here, and that's in various parks and schools too. I'd say it's at least 80-20 shovel use for several of us. It just takes discretion for the locale of the day's hunt. I love my small shovels. Private yards is one place I usually use the Lesche.

I don't mean to imply that 80% of the folks I detect with use shovels, but the ones who do, predominetly use one. If I was in a state where you could saw out a sweet soil plug with a Lesche, I might get me a Model 31 Raptor. They wouldn't hold up for entire digs most days of the year here.
 
I use both, but not in parks.

I also have been practicing probing. I glean or look for new or shallow drops. I have a 30" inch lesche relic shovel.

I see so many videos of guys not digging good plugs or using a lesche digger when a screwdriver would work. You have to do what your comfortable with. You pull a shovel out in town and you get the big uninvite quick lol.
 
I've used a Mini 18 shovel for years and recently went to a 31" Sampson. Both cut neater plugs than a Lesche, plus it's the devil to pierce Texas dirt with a Lesche. I'm not alone here, and that's in various parks and schools too. I'd say it's at least 80-20 shovel use for several of us. It just takes discretion for the locale of the day's hunt. I love my small shovels. Private yards is one place I usually use the Lesche.

I don't mean to imply that 80% of the folks I detect with use shovels, but the ones who do, predominetly use one. If I was in a state where you could saw out a sweet soil plug with a Lesche, I might get me a Model 31 Raptor. They wouldn't hold up for entire digs most days of the year here.

We have pretty sweet dirt here in Indiana so a full Lesche blade worth of dirt is usually not an issue. (at least not in the spots I hunt). Usually there isn't any need to use much more than that. I use the samson to minimize the amount of bending, but usually only on private property. The samson cuts a nice plug, but with as much practice as I have with the Lesche, I can cut almost as nice a plug as the samson without the attention. I do use the 31" samson in the urban parks as it is a deterrent to the "undesirables". Not many people want to mess with the crazy dude in the park with the sharp looking serrated shovel...:D
 
In parks even small shovels convey a bad image, I have a Sampson 31" but only use it sparingly in certain sites.
In public parks in bad soil, (hard, dry, clay filled), the regular Lesche does well.
I areas with better black dirt and especially going deep the Predator Raptor hand digger will get more dirt out a bit faster.
 
Everyone has addressed the same things that were on my mind. Carrying a a shovel, even a small one, causes people to become worried about you trenching out the park. But also as mentioned earlier, some Texas soil is a nightmare. There are places I stand on the shovel and it won't take a dig in. I appreciate the comments on the lesche. I think I will have to give one a try and see how it works out. I saw a thread that talked about adding a T handle to it. That might help with the tougher soil.
 
Everyone has addressed the same things that were on my mind. Carrying a a shovel, even a small one, causes people to become worried about you trenching out the park. But also as mentioned earlier, some Texas soil is a nightmare. There are places I stand on the shovel and it won't take a dig in. I appreciate the comments on the lesche. I think I will have to give one a try and see how it works out. I saw a thread that talked about adding a T handle to it. That might help with the tougher soil.

The point on my Lesche is invaluable for punching through my soil when it gets dried out and rock hard around here plus I sometimes have to do some actual dirt chopping to loosen it up ...not that I do a ton of deep digging or much digging at all in that situation.
Even when it isn't drought conditions digging in my soil can be challenging unless we have had some recent rain.
For me the Lesche hand digger is the only thing tough enough and capable enough to do what I need to do in my area of the country.
 
There are different kinds of shovels. Those like the Sampsons are capable of digging clean holes without leaving a mess I have seen large holes left by the ones with the wide blades. The narrower the better. I use an 18" Sampson and the way I carry it isn't as noticeable. My arm usually hides it from view anyway. I have never had anyone say anything about it. They are also good for packing down a plug after removing your find.
MiniC.jpg
 
Jeepers I use my 31" Sampson every time I go out. Schools, parks, public properties, ball fields. I don't do much door knocking. But I've never had an issue with anyone. I've been kicked out of a park for detecting but the shovel was never brought up. Anywho now that I think about it I should use my hand digger as much as possible good topic!
 
Jeepers I use my 31" Sampson every time I go out. Schools, parks, public properties, ball fields. I don't do much door knocking. But I've never had an issue with anyone. I've been kicked out of a park for detecting but the shovel was never brought up. Anywho now that I think about it I should use my hand digger as much as possible good topic!

I "live by" my Sampsons. Lesche is getting cobwebs. The 31" is keen, and the 18" is stealthy enough to have never given one problem in nicer parks and schools.

I don't flaunt the Sampsons in busy places. Dig with my back to them, and if I get a 1-3" target, I don't shove the blave full depth like I've watched some peeps do every time. Standing on a shovel every time you dig is just asking for notice.

Park officials and even a police officer asking about the hobby, never even looked at the shovel. They might in the uppity parts of Dallas and North Dallas. I'll wait and see but not worry till then.
 
I was detecting a City Park in Nc. One of the employees came up to me and said that due to folks digging in their soccer fields with SHOVELS the city had passed an ordnance banning any digging in any of the city parks. He had no problem with me working the tot lots as I could not hurt the wood chips but no digging in the dirt.

Shovels in a park convey the completely wrong impression regardless of how well one cuts and replaces the plug.
 
I was detecting a City Park in Nc. One of the employees came up to me and said that due to folks digging in their soccer fields with SHOVELS the city had passed an ordnance banning any digging in any of the city parks.

I have never dug on any sports fields . Only around the sidelines. Most park employees take pride in their sports fields and don't want anyone digging on them. As long as you stay off of the fields you probably won't have a problem in most places unless someone has already ruined it for you.
 
I was detecting a City Park in Nc. One of the employees came up to me and said that due to folks digging in their soccer fields with SHOVELS the city had passed an ordnance banning any digging in any of the city parks. He had no problem with me working the tot lots as I could not hurt the wood chips but no digging in the dirt.

Shovels in a park convey the completely wrong impression regardless of how well one cuts and replaces the plug.

I concur.

I think many times people don't say anything to us is because it's 2016 and not always advisable to confront strangers, but if they are complaining after we leave we don't get a chance to tell our side. It's kind of like people are less likely to yell at someone cutting them off on the road, than it use to be 25 years ago.

Anyone who has cut a plug with both would know the hand digger leaves the less desirable hole. But people watching us don't always come to inspect our holes, just complain about our actions.
 
Well now I got to chime in here..... The 18 inch Sampson is not more visually intimidating then the looks of a very large "knife" looking tool such as the Lesche. Especially in Parks with kids. I have NEVER had any issue from anyone for my use of my small Sampson shovel when digging. It is about cleanup after the recovery of the target that matters to people and the grounds keeper. Less intimidating and much better at clean cut plugs that looks like you never had been there !!! Sampson's until they lock me up.... LoL
 
I use y hori-hori in the parks. Looks a little knife like so I tend not to flash it too much. Just like it too much to leave it at home. I do have plans this winter to make a Kydex sheath for it. Also considered making one that carrys in the waistband like the way I conceal carry. Only concern with that is it being considered a knife and not a digger and getting charged for a concealed weapon.
 

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I use y hori-hori in the parks. Looks a little knife like so I tend not to flash it too much. Just like it too much to leave it at home. I do have plans this winter to make a Kydex sheath for it. Also considered making one that carrys in the waistband like the way I conceal carry. Only concern with that is it being considered a knife and not a digger and getting charged for a concealed weapon.

I never refer to my Hori-Hori as a knife. I always call it a landscaping tool. How many knives have you seen with depth readings etched on them?
 
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