Silversmith45
Elite Member
You can buy an original Hori-Hori for about ten dollars less on Amazon.
You can buy an original Hori-Hori for about ten dollars less on Amazon.
I also have a gator by kellyco. I have never used it. It is the dullest digger that I have ever had. A Hori-Hori has a slight concave to it so you can dig with it through almost any ground. I have never cared for the stepped design of the lesche.
I bought one from watching him use it in his videos. You have to have the right dirt for it, pretty much soft aerated loose type dirt. Otherwise the sharp end is so wide that you can't get any penetration. I also nicknamed it the knuckle buster, because the handle is really thin and the rubber slippery, so trying to get penetration I slipped off the handle and thrashed my knuckles more than once. I ended up selling or trading it here, it just didn't work for me around Maryland.
For some reason I bought the Little Mac, which is a T handle version of the same head design, and that didn't work out great either. My White's Digmaster is still king over anything I tried for hand diggers, including the Lesche. https://www.predatortools.com/products/model-little-mac
For an inexpensive digger, Fiskars just started making a full tang Hori Hori. Home Depot seems to exclusively carry them locally, haven't seen them elsewhere. I've been putting one through it's paces and I'm impressed, it cuts through the soil easier than others and I haven't bent it yet, and I'm pretty hard on diggers. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars...-Handle-Gardening-Knife-370880-1001/300374030
I've been using this on the past couple hunts. I must have given it to Dad at some point (probably got it as a freebie) and ran-across it recently, and it's sat in the shed since. I got it out for a spare, and after actually looking at it, thought I'd give it a try.
I used it 2 days in the cow pasture, and I'll tell you, I've never dug in dirt so hard (on day 1, it rained that night), I wore blisters on my hand from forcing it into the dirt. I know for a fact I'd have broken my Lesche, as well as my Fiskars, or Lowes brand, seriously.
I could put all my weight on it (prying), and it never even thought about flexing/bending. It's one piece, with the handle being rolled from the same piece as the blade. Not sure what gauge stainless they used, but it's hefty.
If you're in the market for an inexpensive digger you'll never break, take a look at this one, even as a spare.
I snagged the pic off Amazon, and think the price there was $15. Couldn't tell you if that's low, high, or the goin' rate. I do know I won't be letting go of this one.
ETA: In event you can't make out the engraving, it's a Garrett.
I thought there was nothing better than a Lesche hand trowel.... so so strong.
Has anyone seen this digger? It is used by a detectorist on youtube goes by the name of DirtFishin.
I don't know how strong it is but he seems to dig out a ton of dirt in one scoop which is the down side to a Lesche, which takes out small scoops due to the narrow blade at the tip.
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I recently watched a vid with a guy using this kind of digger. Only good in soft, rootless soil; as mentioned earlier. That guy was making a big mess too. No careful plug handling at all. It was uncomfortable just to watch.
You can buy an original Hori-Hori for about ten dollars less on Amazon.