Sharp Digging Tool

I will when they need it.

I went ahead and sharpened mine. I got them sharp enough to cut myself if mishandled. Man what a difference. Much easier to dig.

My grandfather was a digger, not a detectorist digger, but a laborer. He was not a wealthy man but would volunteer to dig the graves of recently passed as a token of sympathy to the family. He dug many wells and cisterns by hand. He had firm beliefs about shovels and spades. One of which is a good shovel only cuts when it's clean, AND a good shovel only cuts well if it's sharp. He always dipped his shovels in a bucket of used motor oil after he cleaned them up. I just re-sharpened my digger yesterday. Did it need it? Absolutely not. Did It make me warm with nostalgia and make me smile when done? Yes.

I have always sharpened my digging tools. I don't really care for serrated edges since a sharp digger will cut through roots just as well if not better. This is my thirty year old 3-in-1 knife next to a newer Hori-Hori knife. It is as close to the 3-in-1 knife as I can find. I wrapped the handle years ago to make it easier on my hands. I haven't done that with my new one yet. Wearing gloves I haven't needed to. They were about the same size when new. Over thirty years of sharpening it has made it a lot shorter. I never really noticed it until I placed it next to the newer Hori-Hori knife. It still works great but I just decided to retire it since I would hate to lose it after all this time.

BlueDog said:

My grandfather was a digger, not a detectorist digger, but a laborer. He was not a wealthy man but would volunteer to dig the graves of recently passed as a token of sympathy to the family. He dug many wells and cisterns by hand. He had firm beliefs about shovels and spades. One of which is a good shovel only cuts when it's clean, AND a good shovel only cuts well if it's sharp. He always dipped his shovels in a bucket of used motor oil after he cleaned them up. I just re-sharpened my digger yesterday. Did it need it? Absolutely not. Did It make me warm with nostalgia and make me smile when done? Yes.

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I have a background similar to your Grandfather...and yes, I kept my gear clean and sharp and could move a tremendous amount of dirt by hand...Good on ya for the memories...
Mud

Mud-puppy said:

I have a background similar to your Grandfather...and yes, I kept my gear clean and sharp and could move a tremendous amount of dirt by hand...Good on ya for the memories...
Mud

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Thanks Mud, he was an extremely hard worker. I miss him terribly. He didn't usually use a shovel, but what we call a spade or some call a tile spade. He also didn't dig down in the conventional way, but dug on his knees and took the dirt off in horizontal layers. It was far faster and more efficient. When the old gents mention him to me the always say "good gawd that man could dig like a mole..."

I notice a huge difference when I sharpen my tools. I leave a file in the truck on site sharpening. I also like to hit it with some silicone spray, which helps to keep mud and dirt from stick9ng to it.

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I have a sharpener similar to this in my trunk. I don't use it on my fine knives but it works great on my diggers and my Sampson's. They already have a good edge on them and a few strikes with this is all that is needed.

BlueDog said:

Thanks Mud, he was an extremely hard worker. I miss him terribly. He didn't usually use a shovel, but what we call a spade or some call a tile spade. He also didn't dig down in the conventional way, but dug on his knees and took the dirt off in horizontal layers. It was far faster and more efficient. When the old gents mention him to me the always say "good gawd that man could dig like a mole..."

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Thats the cool thing about digging Bluedog! Its not so much about strength as it is endurance and the understanding of whatever soil matrix a fellow happens to find themselves in...same with running a wheelbarrow full of dirt, a big strong fellow tries to muscle it too much, a smaller guy such as myself favors balance, momentum and finesse....We aint that strong, but we can go steady! Your Granddad sounds like he had his own style to move dirt!

The right tools for me are a D handled tiling spade, or a long handled one, a conventional shovel, and some sort of pick or Mattock for the roots and frost and such...

I remember my Momma told me, "Son, if you dont get an education, you will wind up digging ditches"...I said, "Good! I like to dig!" I often think about that smart alec reply when I'm 4' down in a graveyard with the Sun setting....still...I have had no complaints from my customers, and theres a bit of job security... Nice sharp well balanced tools are important! All I use for detecting dirt is a screwdriver...I just dont want to waste my hole digging skills for a penny I suppose...
Mud