Types of Shovels: Comprehensive Guide


While buying tools for your toolkit, garage, or workshop, you can find yourself across a wide range of hand tools. As you would expect, these tools are made for all kinds of usage depending on the buyers. Although, a few hand tools are highly universal that can be used for a wide range of applications making them a must-have for any toolkit.


One such hand tool that you will find in almost any garage is a shovel. Whether you are working around your home or at a job site, there are a lot of cases where you might need a shovel. Although, even while buying a shovel, you can find a lot of different types, which can be quite confusing for a lot of buyers. In that case, make sure to check all the different types of shovels stated down below to easily pick the best one for you:


Now that you know that shovels are highly versatile in general, this means that they get used for a wide range of applications. And while you can use any normal shovel for multiple things, you will not get the best results. Instead, you should go through the following different types of shovels and pick the one made for your specific use case for the best results:


1. Digging Shovel


Whenever you are talking about shovels in general, a digging shovel is most likely what comes to your mind. As per the name, such a shovel is used for digging up soil for gardening and other applications. To offer high functionality, these shovels have a decently sharp blade for easily cutting through soil and other things present in the ground. You will also find a high grip collar handle with most digging shovels for easily moving hardened soil if needed. But even if you are going with a digging shovel, you will the following three types of blade options to choose from:


A) Square Digging Shovel


SQUARE DIGGER


As per the name, a square digging shovel has a flat and straight blade end which makes it useful for edging and making trenches. You can also use a square digging shovel to move shrubs and bushes if needed. Since the blade is completely straight and rigid, it can be a great option for digging up hardened soil.


B) Pointed Digging Shovel


Round Point Shovel


With a pointed digging shovel, you can work in tight spaces as well as in a part of soil that has a lot of roots and rocks. Because the blade is curved at the front, you can also scoop up loose soil with ease in comparison to a square digging shovel.


C) Round Digging Shovel


ROUND DIGGER shovel


A round digging shovel has a completely dome-shaped blade at the end, which is generally used for gardening. If you want to move small plants, shrubs, and flowers, then this can be a great option as the round blade does not cut the roots. Similar to a pointed digging shovel, a round digging shovel is also ideal for loose soil and not hardened soil.


. Edging Shovel


Edging Shovel


As per the name, an edging shovel is made for highly specific usage. To be exact, you will have to use an edging shovel when you wish to create edges in the soil. This is generally ideal for gardens where you might want to distribute the solid of your garden into different parts for different plants and flowers. In comparison to most other shovels, an edging shovel has a very unique-looking blade which is similar to a half-moon. Since this type of shovel uses a very thin blade, you can easily use them alongside fences, sidewalks, garden borders, driveways, and other places where you have to create a precise edge.


3. Trench Shovel


Trench Shovel


You can also go with a trench shovel if you are looking for highly specialized shovels to be used in your garden or backyard. Just per the name, a trench shovel is used for making trenches in any given area. To make sure that your trenches are deep and straight at all times, a trench shovel uses a long and narrow blade. This blade has a sharp pointed end along with a concave design resulting in almost a triangle-shaped blade. The angled design of a trench shovel allows it to quickly move a lot of soil for quickly, making trenches wherever you need.


How To Use A Round Head Shovel In The Garden


Gardeners know that the right tool, used in the right way, can ensure success on every task. We treasure our tools like a chef treasures his/her knives. Round point shovel uses extend past digging to scooping and are useful in transplanting, trenching, moving compost or mulch and many more applications. Taking care of the tool will extend its life when its edges are kept sharp and the shovel clean and dry. Rounded shovels usually have a beveled edge to help penetrate tough soil situations. They may also have a point to push into soil. The edges are curved to facilitate scooping. Handles are the height at which most people stand and can be ergonomically angled. Grips are often cushioned to prevent blisters. These specialized tools are widely available at any big box store or garden center. It is important to choose one which will last. Wooden handled tools often break on big jobs. The attachment of the scoop to the handle should be welded securely. Since it is one of the most popular tools, using round point shovels for many tasks makes it a work horse of the garden. Good construction and sturdy fabrication will make these tasks a little lighter. What is a Round Point Shovel Used For? Rounded shovels are a bit like a Ginsu knife. They may not slice, dice and julienne, but they can cut, dig, scoop, lift and chop through hard soil. These are invaluable tools for any gardener. Taking care of the tool is essential to its long life. Always rinse the shovel and allow it to air dry before putting it away. This prevents rust that will destroy the metal over time. Every spring, bring out the shovel and use a whetstone or hand held file to sharpen the edge. That will make breaking through tough soil much easier. Keep handles dry if they’re wooden, and occasionally sand them to remove any splinters. Rub with linseed oil to protect the wood.


Choosing Shovels For Gardens: What Shovel Do You Need For Gardening


The sheer variety of shovels available in gardening and hardware stores can be confusing. Fortunately, most garden shovels fall into a few common categories, each intended to be used for specific garden tasks. If you’ve ever wondered “what shovel do you need for gardening,” this article will help answer your question. Before learning about the common types of garden shovels, it is helpful to know the parts of a shovel. From top to bottom, you will find the grip, then the handle, which varies in length, with longer handles better suited to digging deep holes and shorter handles better suited to precise tasks. Next is the collar, where the blade is fastened to the handle. At the bottom is the blade, typically made of metal or, in some cases, plastic. The flat portion at the top of the blade is called the step. The step allows you to use your foot and body weight to push the shovel into the soil, which is much easier than using just your arms! The blade and tip, also called the point, come in different shapes depending on the type of shovel.



A brief history of the pick axe


Pre-history


Ancient Persian Susa pick axe The pickaxe is thought to be one of the oldest tools used by mankind. Its use can be traced back to prehistoric civilizations, and has been associated with everything from cultivation of land to mining and war over the centuries.


Ancient history


Ancient Elam city of Susa being taken by Assyrian soldiers The relief opposite shows Assyrian soldiers taking the ancient Elam city of Susa (2700-539BC) and depicts them using pickaxes and crowbars to destroy and loot the city.


Middle age warfare


Polish winged hussars horsemans pickaxe The horseman's pickaxe was often called a war hammer and was a weapon used through the Middle Ages across Europe by cavalry in war.


The main use of the horseman's pickaxe during battle was to tear cavalry from their mounts.


Another one of its uses was as a means to pierce thick armour or mail that a standard sword was unable to penetrate.


Middle age war hammer However, the horseman's pickaxe has several drawbacks as a weapon. Its heavy weight made it unwieldy and easily avoided by the enemy.


Injuries caused by the horseman's pickaxe were small and rarely fatal, and if swung with too much force, the weapon could become stuck in the victim or their armour, and be difficult to retrieve.


19th Century railroad construction


Railroad construction with the use of a pickaxe Railroad pickaxes are the most common type used today. They get their name from their use in constructing The Great American Railroad between 1850 and 1890, which connected the rest of America to the once wild west.


Mining


Pickaxe being used in a coal mine A mandrill, also referred to as a miner's pickaxe is used in traditional mining, or old-school mining, as it is a mining method involving the use of basic manual tools, like pickaxes.


This type of mining was employed throughout the world up to the early 1900s. It is still a mining method employed in some countries today, such as Colombia, Peru and parts of Africa.


Tips For Using a Machete


Cutting and trimming with hedge shears will help keep exuberant growth under control, but sometimes you need a tool with more heft and more bite — a machete. Backyard swashbucklers, take up your blades: with a machete (sometimes called a cutlass), you're not just taming the blackberries, you're wielding a tool with traditions.


A machete is a powerful tool for clearing brush. In the tropics, machetes are ubiquitous, all-purpose tools: they have been used to carve trails through tropical forests, to slash out clearings for crops, to crack open coconuts and slice papayas, and, of course, as imposing weapons. Use your machete to keep the peace with weeds and brush in your garden, or to serve watermelon with a flourish. Use it with care and respect: it is a razor-sharp tool.


When you use it:


Dress for the job, in sturdy shoes, long pants, and work gloves.


Cut in front of yourself.


Take big swings, leading with your elbow, so the blade meets the stems and stalks at an angle and slices through them. Never reach out to one side or the other to make quick clean-up cuts in such a way that the blade is moving toward your legs.


Keep your free hand well out of the way. Never grab a fistful of brush with one hand and swing the machete with the other; some users recommend holding a stout forked stick in your free hand for this purpose.