The best garden hoe?

Hermit, U know that, and I know that, but I got 3 heads, with 2 in handles, and when I look at lehmans, they look the same. Adz or grape.

Bill you got me thinking about my old adz. Dang, I havent used it in long time and frankly I dont know where it is anymore. Probably never use it again if I did find it, but it is a handy tool when you need it. Seems to me it had a square handle socket, but I couldnt even swear to that its been so long since I used it.

Also adz has bit of different angle on it. You sort of go along chipping with it short strokes, you dont take big whacks with it like you were digging a ditch. If you tried that, probably wouldnt have a foot after very long.

Oh and my old forged grape hoe is diamond shape with a spine down backside, much different looking than an adz. I know some are squared more like a mattock, but the diamond shape ones are much better in rocky ground. Adz looks lot more like a mattock that has about half blade worn away.

Yea, here is drawing of what my adz looks like.

Here is pic of simular one only mine didnt have the little point on it.

But there are apparently several different designs some do necessary angle with handle, some the angle is made in head itself. And there are of course short handle adzes for finer work, some with curved blade to carve out concave shapes like seat of a chair.

__________________
"What would you do with a brain if you had one?" -Dorothy

"Well, then ignore what I have to say and go with what works for you." -Eliot Coleman

I was skeptical when I bought it, but this hoe has turned out to be really useful:

http://www.earthtoolsbcs.com/html/dw_hoes.html

It's the 'half-moon / swan neck' one on the left of the page. I keep it sharp, and the long handle (critical to have a handle that prevents you from stooping!) lets me massacre the weeds. It's actually fun to use.

I still want to get one of the grape hoes, because my soil has a lot of rocks.

I have a couple of old hoes, I picked up, over the years. I have never worn one out.
A couple are goose necked hoes and one is a pretty old grubbing hoe, great for cleaning out shallow ditches and open drains. I also have a couple of mattocks, an axe mattok & a pick mattock.
I took a class about 10 years ago, on bowl making. And, I aquired a few bowl making adzes, some with curved & cupped blades some flat, curved blades. I made a few nice big bread making bowls for my DDaughters & a friend or two. Oh, and a set of 4 "trenchers", kinda like longish wooden plates, that he and his DW use for their Reenacting hobby with the SCA.

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'Til later, Have Fun,
Old John

Well Herm. Take a look at what Lehmans calls a grape hoe. What I have looks like it, but with the curved handle as in your drawing. square heads all

PAC, By there advertisement, it would seem that your supposed to use the hoe like a broom. In my case that would be from right to left across my body, not forward pulling backwards in front of my body. I have a hoe with a blade somewhat like shown. Its only around 2in wide at the most. It looks to have either been cut down and resharpened, or wore down to that point

If you got rocks, try to find one of the heavy diamond shaped grape hoes, much easier to use than the squared off ones. I know cause I have an abundance of rocks.

And on actual hoe you want handle long enough that you arent stooping over. Short handle hoes were designed as torture devices for inmates on the old prison farms. Or at least thats my theory. On mattock, you want short handle, but mattock is designed as digging/tilling device, not a tool to cultivate your petunias.

__________________
"What would you do with a brain if you had one?" -Dorothy

"Well, then ignore what I have to say and go with what works for you." -Eliot Coleman

Wilkinson's Swoe - brilliant at weed-clearing.

This guy is a true cottage business. He runs it out of his garage. I have several of the products he sells, been to his house in Columbia. He takes the time and custom fits each handle to the head. His handle are made by another cottage business. I highly recommend this fella

What Lehmans is selling looks like squared off grape hoe style. They have wrong handle on it, the handle they are selling looks more like an adz handle. Grape hoes had longer straight handle. And what they are selling doesnt look like an adz head to me, its definitely a grape hoe, but like I say one of the squared off type.

__________________
"What would you do with a brain if you had one?" -Dorothy

"Well, then ignore what I have to say and go with what works for you." -Eliot Coleman

I find in practice that I wind up standing parallel to the row I'm hoeing, so you're right - the stroke winds up being left to right, not pulling towards me. It felt awkward at first but it works so well I quickly got used to it!

Thanks, HermitJohn. I'll be on the look-out!

I love my rogue hoes! I own three different types but use the field hoe the most.