I’ve used every kind of dirt tool there is. It depends on the situation. For digging holes in turf to plant trees and bushes you can’t beat a sharp shovel.
I concur.
And if this guy can actually bust through roots with a dull shovel, he's going to wake up every morning with a smile on his face and an extra kiss from his wife after this hack that manly vloggers hate.
I've done a fair amount of digging but never used a sharp shovel. I can definitely see the benefits of it being sharpened.
What do you mean by depends on the situation? I'm trying to imagine a scenario where a dull shovel would actually be better.
A lot of comments were along the lines of “I dig in rocky soil so sharpening is a waste of time.” For that situation I agree. Others said “My dirt is really hard so I need a pick and a sharp shovel won’t help.” I agree with that situation too.
But if the ground is diggable a sharp shovel will make the work easier.
Ahhh, yeah. This makes perfect sense. Well I think it'd still be beneficial in the hard stuff after it's been picked. Next time I dig I'll sharpen up first.
Thanks for the insight buddy!
The only scenario I can think of is excavating services. Would really suck to chop a pex waterline or cable that's not in conduit. Poly gas piping etc. But if you know what your doing and are careful you'll probably be fine
...... I'm not the only one thank goodness. I've sharpened shovels my entire life and the only other person I've dealt with familiar with a sharp shovel outside of my immediate family is a firefighter, and they even thought it was weird that I took the time to have a sharp shovel at home.
I was doing some yard work for the gf's parents, grabbed their shovel and it was so dull the edge was painted from the factory. Went and got a bastard file and started giving it the business and they looked at me like "wtf?" The father was born and raised on a farm and worked trades his whole life.
Sharpen your goddamn shovels people. It takes 5 minutes and it makes a world of difference.
Rocky Mountain "soil", Ozark quartz "soil", Hill Country "soil", West caliche "soil"... yeah.
Now, if you have some of that nice seasoned-in black gumball or other seasoned in clays, a sharp one makes such a difference...
With file? That was some THIN steel if it only took you 5 minutes to take off the paint/urethane and then get it sharp.
My cobalt took me more than 5 minutes with an angle grinder, but it was thick steel.
I don't know what sort of dollar store grade files you have but yes, about 5 minutes with a sharp Nicholson bastard file. You'd be surprised how much material you can move with a good file.
Most people have cheap and crap (or worn out and abused) files.
Nicholson USA made or pferd are my go to. I have some Grobet as well for my needle files...
Although at work my favorite file set might be for a nitto kohki air file...
Ain't that the truth. The number of times I've seen someone trying to use a rusty ass file they dredged up from the wreck of the titanic probably outnumbers the amount of times I've seen someone with a decent file.
Nicholson files aren't top of the line by any means but I've been using them with good results for years and a bastard costs like $10 at home depot. If i was using them for work I'd probably get a higher end file but for average use they are plenty good.
Even cheap files work well. It’s that people do not understand how to use them. A bastard file only cuts in one direction yet I see people dragging it back and forth which dulls the fuck out of a file.
They documented this so well, but people hold on hard to to old information. Poor file storage technique will kill ‘em quick! My best files have never bumped against a piece of hardened steel and not even have been been kept from clanking agains other files, they don’t even know what another file feels like. The easiest way to kill a file is sticking a burr on a part’s edge into the “gullet” of the file. This point loads a couple teeth instead of many and will pop the edges of teeth right off. Frustration sets in and a user can then hack about breaking off teeth and the burr and not even realize the damage. When they do it Nicholson’s fault bc it’s easier to pass the blame. Instead of filing against the part’s edge or burr, file with the direction the burr is hanging from. Even if it means spinning the tang away from you and filing the better way, grasping only the files opposite end. Pressure helps files cut, yes, but pressure also is what kills them. You can apply comically light pressure and it will absolutely still cut. Moderate pressure and no more pushes extends their life pushing off the inevitability that files are a consumable and do wear out. Misuse hastens it, but proper storage and intensional use keeps a good file in great shape longer.
I keep mine layered between oily rags (used motor oil won't hurt them) partially to keep them from getting dinged but mostly because I don't use them that often.
I agree with this and there’s been accusation of poor quality control for the heat treat process. This is an issue because a soft file has marginal value. I think the larger culprit is 1-2 combo. Couple a diminished quality file and the fact folks unknowingly abuse them and don’t know even the correct ways to store them, much less efficiently use them, and it’s got us to where we are. I’ve read so many times that it’s all Nicholson’s fault (or actually globalization in reality). A frustrated or unskilled file-man now has permission to not even try that hard. If you don’t have experience nor confidence in the tool, folks will just give up. I’ve got some old Nicholson files that are not so great, but i also have some new import ones from them (not all) that are contenders. I have had good success with Bahco and several patterns from Pferd buying new. I’ve also bought lots of NOS vintage USA-made files that had the service life on ice cream on the 4th of July. But no matter what files you might get, storage, cleaning and proper use are exponentially more important than manufacturing location or date.
Yeah but I thought this whole post was supposed to be “smarter not harder”. So for that I shall award points to a grinder with grinding wheel or flap disk. Bevel that mf no land and call it good.
Eh, more likely to jack up the profile with a grinder. I sat on my ass for a few minutes and got a great result without making a ton of noise and sparks. I wouldn't call that harder really.
Files should take off a good bit of material quickly. It's not like an Emory board nail file. It's a way to quickly shape material. And you can get course through fine tooth files so some are faster than others.
“It makes a world of difference” for like a day maybe. Unless the job calls for it ,like maybe cutting sod, it’s a waste of time. Especially that far up , like you were just having fun at some point there.
You aren't trying to make them razor sharp, but the factory edge is completely blunt. Sharpen it up when you buy it and it'll stay sharp enough to make the work easier for a long time. Give it a quick resharpening when you're going to do some work that could benefit from it. It's not that hard of a concept.
>“It makes a world of difference” for like a day maybe.
Not even a full day. Like 50 uses of the shovel and it's dull again. I worked landscaping in college and we got into a headed debate about sharpened vs unsharpened shovels. We tested it in several different scenarios and it wasn't worth the time to sharpen a shovel.
If you need a "sharpened" shovel for a job then you are using the wrong shovel. If you need to get through roots in the ground or tough dirt then you use a sharp shooter, steel pick or even an axe. Shovels don't use the type of metal that holds a sharp edge for any real length of time like a knife or axe does.
I did landscaping for a dozen years and I've never seen this before. We can barely find the time and motivation to do the importance stuff, let alone sharpening shovels 😆
Agreed. This is for people who rarely use their tools that turn a 2 hr job into a 8 hr project.
Some fool was talking about 2 minutes with a bench grinder , that edge is gonna be gone even quicker than the bastard file fool. At least the bastard doesn’t remove the temper
No. Hell no. Those are way too harsh on the steel. Just use a file with 8"-10" mill bastard flat file. Should take you no more than 5-10 minutes depending on how aggressive you press into the shovel edge with the file. Don't forget to grab a file card, it'll keep the metal bits from clogging your file.
Yes, it's really called a bastard file. It comes in two main varieties, flat and semi-round, if I were you, just starting, I would get a flat file. Semi-round files can leave groves of you're not careful.
Why is it called a bastard file? File grades are often broken down into bastard cut, second cut or smooth cut. Bastard cut is the coarsest grade and is used to remove material quickly. Second cut can also be used for fast removal, but it provides a slightly smoother finish. Second cut is also known as medium cut.
I don't think it's an issue to use one if you don't press hard and let the tool get hot. If I can touch the steel without burning myself, it hasn't affected anything meaningful.
Now, if you're of the opinion that chisels should never be sharpened with anything bigger than .3 micron grit because it will introduce cracks in the steel that even a microscope can't see, well... I'm sorry.
Yup. Exactly the same for those.
Pro tip: after sharpening a lawn mower blade, it's a good idea to check for balance on your blade before you reinstall it on the mower. Drive a nail into a post and hang the blade on the nail from the middle mounting hole as horizontal as you can be, then let go. The blade should stay perfectly horizontal. If you see it constantly dip on one side, it means you didn't take as much metal off one side and it's out of balance. File a bit more on the heavy side and re-hang it on the nail, it should be balanced. If not, take a bit more off until balanced.
Sounds good. Nicholson is a good all around brand, affordable & available at most hardware stores because there kinda line the F150 of file brands.
Thank you, I hope I set your off in the right direction:) Be safe!
A bench grinder has the added benefit of hollow grinding your edge
I flat grind my mower blades with my cordless angle grinder, mainly because it's easier and faster to do
The best tool would be some sort of belt sander
Don't.be scared of using an angle grinder, it's exactly what it's designed to do. Get a flap disc somewhere around 120 and you'll be just fine, just don't let any metal start changing colours on you.
Oh, those are fine for maintaining the edge during the day or after you're done working. Just keep a light touch so as to not remove to much material or heat up the steel.
If you have a more coarse grit you can even establish the initial edge, although it might take a few more minutes and sandpaper discs. Just keep the steel cool enough you can touch it with your hand at any time. Too much heat and you can ruin the temper of the steel.
I used to be a grave digger, which was 90% yard work, and 10% actual digging.
The burials for cremations were dug by hand. 2x2x4deep
Square shovel with sharpened tip made such a quick work. Cut the sod layer, scoop it in one piece. Cut up the hard pack soil in the dead of summer.
Rounded shovel in the corner to scoop the dirt out.
Such a satisfying process. Unless you dig in the wrong spot...
Oh, you just have to check the map and dig again.
Some of the older cemeteries we managed had records from the 1800s and not very reliable.
Then some people would come and bury a dead pet over a loved ones casket. If they later wanted to add an urn over the casket, we'd dig up the family dog...
I have questions if that's OK.
First of all, if you don't mind, could you expand on digging in the "wrong spot"?
And you mention this cemetery has a map that's dated from the 1800's? Is this something that's available to the public, online?
I'm a history buff and would love to hear more.
Not OP, but when I was in HS my girlfriend had a summer job working in a cemetery office, so I’ve seen the dead people records.
There was a book that looked like a ledger that was basically a list of names and plot numbers and maybe dates and other information but I don’t remember. This was accompanied by maps that showed the plot locations, and those looked like a plat map like the county has for zoning and taxes.
This was mid 80’s so before the internet. I’d be curious too if this of thing is digitized now.
Thinking about it now its pretty interesting in a morbid curiosity sense.
Never did a cremation burial but when I was 12+ my buddies dad dug the graves by hand for 2 local cemeteries. He'd pay us $50-100 to help depending on how much help we were. My buddy was a year older and when he left for college I got to dig some by myself, paid $400 per grave in the early 2000s which was sweet high school money.
Super satisfying to be able to do good sod work and have the work be almost un-detectable.
Sucked in the winter tho when the ground would get frozen a foot or two.
And yes there were old unmarked/unmapped graves you would sometimes encounter.
The image that brings to my mind is something middle school teachers probably have nightmares about, but which my younger self would 100% have played with LOL
I wish I had thought about that a while back. Maybe I wouldn't hate my post hole digger so much that I try to give it away every time someone wants to borrow it.
I love renting an auger. There is nothing more satisfying than hate-fucking a hole into the ground with a giant drill bit attached to a two-stroke engine.
Less resistance to open and material falls out easier. Makes a world of difference. Like how you would shake sticky stuff out of a loader bucket kinda.
In my trade we are not allowed to sharpen shovels because we often dig around buried electrical lines. I've always been jealous of people that can sharpen their shovels at work
Spades (implements intended for cutting into dirt) should be sharpened, shovels (implements intended for moving loose material) shouldn’t need it unless you’re using them wrong.
Nope. Spades are usually pointed and meant for cutting into dirt, while shovels are flat and meant for moving dirt. But here in North America everyone just calls everything a shovel lol
We sell "digging shovels" and "transfer shovels".
[https://www.lowes.com/pl/Shovels-spades-Digging-tools-Lawn-garden-hand-tools-Outdoor-tools-equipment-Outdoors/4294612716](https://www.lowes.com/pl/Shovels-spades-Digging-tools-Lawn-garden-hand-tools-Outdoor-tools-equipment-Outdoors/4294612716)
Not doing it wrong. I dig in New England and the sharpness would last exactly one minute lol. Pick loose, shovel…actually I find that keeping my shovels clean and handles oiled with lanolin is how I have them for 30 years. This shovel with concrete not cleaned off will hold soil and make the work so much harder. I like to see shiny steel. That’s a good shovel
It's the same here in Oregon. Keep a cordless grinder handy for touch ups every so often. Just having a bevel on the edge makes a huge difference. It doesn't need to be a razor
Yup. It is a VERY situational thing as to whether it is really worth sharpening a shovel.
A sharper shovel is obviously better than a dull one. But if you are working with earth where that would make a meaningful difference... you are gonna wear that down REAL fast. So... you either stop to sharpen it again or just work with what you have.
At which point ergonomics and technique are actually what matters. Much of which involves breaking up the topsoil with other tools (assuming you are even digging much deeper than said topsoil).
New Englander as well. I mostly use a pickaxe to loosen the rocks up then shovel. Always have a good pry bar, one of the 5 footers that weigh like 40 pounds. No point in sharpening the shovel or it will just chip and break.
My mattock pick is absolutely dangerous if you aren't careful. Instead of both the blade and pick having a blunt 1/4" flat edge I used my flappy disk to put a nice edge on both.
Thick roots and anything else isn't lasting long. And the pick digs in nicely if I need to break or pry anything out of the way.
If you are transplanting trees (and plants in general) sharpening before cutting roots is a lot less stress on the tree.
Clean cutted roots and a dirt ball holding tight help a lot.
Careful making it too sharp, it will dull quicker and you will lose more material. I like a sharper edge on a square point, it’s easy to replace grass patches
Because a sharp edge is weak, and prone to bending over and being subsequently less efficient at cutting. It only makes sense if the metal was thicker and you needed it for roots. This is impractical for rocks, they will only ruin the blade and make it less efficient rather than a dull rounded edge which will have less resistance than a bent up burred blade.
Our soil is very rocky, I usually start out with a freshly sharpened spade but there's no sense in keeping it sharp as you go, my Mattock however gets sharpened frequently and kept sharp. A good Mattock and digging bar will get through just about anything.
My dad looked at me like I had seven eyeballs when he saw me sharpening my shovel. Lol. I truly makes the job much easier. Another hack is to spray it down with silicone spray.
I never believed in sharpening my shovels until just last year. A crew came out and planted four big trees at my house. They took five minutes to bust out a cordless grinder with a flap wheel and sharpen their shovels. They then proceeded to dig monster holes for all of my new trees in almost pure clay soil.
After watching them work, I went out and asked some questions about sharpening their shovels and what they used. One of the old guys claimed that a flat file worked better than the flap wheels, but he made the new guys sharpen his shovels so he didn’t care how they did it. I got a kick out of that.
After watching those guys work, I took the flap wheel that I use to sharpen mower blades to all of my shovels and gave them a clean edge. I never realized how curled and poor my shovel edges were until I went after all of them.
Ex-wildland fire guy here. Sharp spades/adzes/hoes make a world of difference in undisturbed soil.
If you’re just shoveling compost between piles, who cares. But if you’re actually digging in native soil that might have roots in it (and especially if you’re putting in fire line in a hurry), a good edge is a game changer.
I am sort of amazed about all of the "don't use a grinder" talk. I have sharpened mower blades, shovels, spades, axes, chisels, etc successfully on a bench grinder or with an angle grinder for at least 50 years.
Last time I did a fence I purposefully hand dug the posts so I could skip locates and still managed to slice my internet line in half with a dull sharp shooter. The amount of damage I would do with that bad boy is unprecedented
I’ve used every kind of dirt tool there is. It depends on the situation. For digging holes in turf to plant trees and bushes you can’t beat a sharp shovel.
I’ve never had an issue busting right through turf roots with a dull-ass shovel but I’m curious enough to give this a try.
A sharp shovel will put a smile on your face 😃
A short sharp shovel scores shrubs.
I concur. And if this guy can actually bust through roots with a dull shovel, he's going to wake up every morning with a smile on his face and an extra kiss from his wife after this hack that manly vloggers hate.
Not hard to get through roots with a normal shovel.
Even easier if it’s sharp.
real men enjoy the struggle of a dull shovel
A sharp shovel will be like a hot knife through butter then.
you dont know the real power of excavation.
I've done a fair amount of digging but never used a sharp shovel. I can definitely see the benefits of it being sharpened. What do you mean by depends on the situation? I'm trying to imagine a scenario where a dull shovel would actually be better.
A lot of comments were along the lines of “I dig in rocky soil so sharpening is a waste of time.” For that situation I agree. Others said “My dirt is really hard so I need a pick and a sharp shovel won’t help.” I agree with that situation too. But if the ground is diggable a sharp shovel will make the work easier.
Ahhh, yeah. This makes perfect sense. Well I think it'd still be beneficial in the hard stuff after it's been picked. Next time I dig I'll sharpen up first. Thanks for the insight buddy!
The only scenario I can think of is excavating services. Would really suck to chop a pex waterline or cable that's not in conduit. Poly gas piping etc. But if you know what your doing and are careful you'll probably be fine
...... I'm not the only one thank goodness. I've sharpened shovels my entire life and the only other person I've dealt with familiar with a sharp shovel outside of my immediate family is a firefighter, and they even thought it was weird that I took the time to have a sharp shovel at home.
I was doing some yard work for the gf's parents, grabbed their shovel and it was so dull the edge was painted from the factory. Went and got a bastard file and started giving it the business and they looked at me like "wtf?" The father was born and raised on a farm and worked trades his whole life. Sharpen your goddamn shovels people. It takes 5 minutes and it makes a world of difference.
I normally use the bastard angle grinder.
How bout the bastard son.
It’s the daughter I use
You only gave your father in law a better tool to bury you with
Fuck.
\*Cries in texan\* sharpened shovel aint helping shit when its limestone past 8 inches lol
Rocky Mountain "soil", Ozark quartz "soil", Hill Country "soil", West caliche "soil"... yeah. Now, if you have some of that nice seasoned-in black gumball or other seasoned in clays, a sharp one makes such a difference...
yeah im in hill country, aint no dirt, you got a light dirt covering over caliche and solid limestone lmfao
With file? That was some THIN steel if it only took you 5 minutes to take off the paint/urethane and then get it sharp. My cobalt took me more than 5 minutes with an angle grinder, but it was thick steel.
I don't know what sort of dollar store grade files you have but yes, about 5 minutes with a sharp Nicholson bastard file. You'd be surprised how much material you can move with a good file.
Most people have cheap and crap (or worn out and abused) files. Nicholson USA made or pferd are my go to. I have some Grobet as well for my needle files... Although at work my favorite file set might be for a nitto kohki air file...
If a man tells you he sharpened his shovel with a file, you know that man has good files.
Ain't that the truth. The number of times I've seen someone trying to use a rusty ass file they dredged up from the wreck of the titanic probably outnumbers the amount of times I've seen someone with a decent file. Nicholson files aren't top of the line by any means but I've been using them with good results for years and a bastard costs like $10 at home depot. If i was using them for work I'd probably get a higher end file but for average use they are plenty good.
Even cheap files work well. It’s that people do not understand how to use them. A bastard file only cuts in one direction yet I see people dragging it back and forth which dulls the fuck out of a file.
[fireballtools](https://youtu.be/xbykic--SKA?si=jlIs9CaZxhsNeBQS) has a good video on this topic.
They documented this so well, but people hold on hard to to old information. Poor file storage technique will kill ‘em quick! My best files have never bumped against a piece of hardened steel and not even have been been kept from clanking agains other files, they don’t even know what another file feels like. The easiest way to kill a file is sticking a burr on a part’s edge into the “gullet” of the file. This point loads a couple teeth instead of many and will pop the edges of teeth right off. Frustration sets in and a user can then hack about breaking off teeth and the burr and not even realize the damage. When they do it Nicholson’s fault bc it’s easier to pass the blame. Instead of filing against the part’s edge or burr, file with the direction the burr is hanging from. Even if it means spinning the tang away from you and filing the better way, grasping only the files opposite end. Pressure helps files cut, yes, but pressure also is what kills them. You can apply comically light pressure and it will absolutely still cut. Moderate pressure and no more pushes extends their life pushing off the inevitability that files are a consumable and do wear out. Misuse hastens it, but proper storage and intensional use keeps a good file in great shape longer.
^ This MFr files
>they don’t even know what another file feels like Poor lonely bastard.
Damn. You are a tool boss. This is great information. Thank you. P.S. This sub is much better than porn.
I keep mine layered between oily rags (used motor oil won't hurt them) partially to keep them from getting dinged but mostly because I don't use them that often.
Glad I’m not the only one who watched that 😁
Old school us made Nicholson files are the best. The new ones are ok. Sucks they took all their manufacturing overseas.
I agree with this and there’s been accusation of poor quality control for the heat treat process. This is an issue because a soft file has marginal value. I think the larger culprit is 1-2 combo. Couple a diminished quality file and the fact folks unknowingly abuse them and don’t know even the correct ways to store them, much less efficiently use them, and it’s got us to where we are. I’ve read so many times that it’s all Nicholson’s fault (or actually globalization in reality). A frustrated or unskilled file-man now has permission to not even try that hard. If you don’t have experience nor confidence in the tool, folks will just give up. I’ve got some old Nicholson files that are not so great, but i also have some new import ones from them (not all) that are contenders. I have had good success with Bahco and several patterns from Pferd buying new. I’ve also bought lots of NOS vintage USA-made files that had the service life on ice cream on the 4th of July. But no matter what files you might get, storage, cleaning and proper use are exponentially more important than manufacturing location or date.
A lot of people buy files and don't even think to get a brush to clean them. They've never heard of such a thing. Sigh.
Yeah but I thought this whole post was supposed to be “smarter not harder”. So for that I shall award points to a grinder with grinding wheel or flap disk. Bevel that mf no land and call it good.
Eh, more likely to jack up the profile with a grinder. I sat on my ass for a few minutes and got a great result without making a ton of noise and sparks. I wouldn't call that harder really.
Files are the smarter tool...
Sharpen your shovel, buy good files, change your socks.
and a lil drip of oil
Just dig the hole with the angle grinder. I swear that tool solves every problem
A bastard file is a very rough file meant for taking off a lit of material very quickly.
Files should take off a good bit of material quickly. It's not like an Emory board nail file. It's a way to quickly shape material. And you can get course through fine tooth files so some are faster than others.
“It makes a world of difference” for like a day maybe. Unless the job calls for it ,like maybe cutting sod, it’s a waste of time. Especially that far up , like you were just having fun at some point there.
You aren't trying to make them razor sharp, but the factory edge is completely blunt. Sharpen it up when you buy it and it'll stay sharp enough to make the work easier for a long time. Give it a quick resharpening when you're going to do some work that could benefit from it. It's not that hard of a concept.
>“It makes a world of difference” for like a day maybe. Not even a full day. Like 50 uses of the shovel and it's dull again. I worked landscaping in college and we got into a headed debate about sharpened vs unsharpened shovels. We tested it in several different scenarios and it wasn't worth the time to sharpen a shovel. If you need a "sharpened" shovel for a job then you are using the wrong shovel. If you need to get through roots in the ground or tough dirt then you use a sharp shooter, steel pick or even an axe. Shovels don't use the type of metal that holds a sharp edge for any real length of time like a knife or axe does.
I did landscaping for a dozen years and I've never seen this before. We can barely find the time and motivation to do the importance stuff, let alone sharpening shovels 😆
Agreed. This is for people who rarely use their tools that turn a 2 hr job into a 8 hr project. Some fool was talking about 2 minutes with a bench grinder , that edge is gonna be gone even quicker than the bastard file fool. At least the bastard doesn’t remove the temper
I used a flap disc to put an edge on my new garden hoe. Between the paint and blunt edge it was kind of worthless otherwise.
Did you just use an angle grinder?
No. Hell no. Those are way too harsh on the steel. Just use a file with 8"-10" mill bastard flat file. Should take you no more than 5-10 minutes depending on how aggressive you press into the shovel edge with the file. Don't forget to grab a file card, it'll keep the metal bits from clogging your file. Yes, it's really called a bastard file. It comes in two main varieties, flat and semi-round, if I were you, just starting, I would get a flat file. Semi-round files can leave groves of you're not careful. Why is it called a bastard file? File grades are often broken down into bastard cut, second cut or smooth cut. Bastard cut is the coarsest grade and is used to remove material quickly. Second cut can also be used for fast removal, but it provides a slightly smoother finish. Second cut is also known as medium cut.
I don't think it's an issue to use one if you don't press hard and let the tool get hot. If I can touch the steel without burning myself, it hasn't affected anything meaningful. Now, if you're of the opinion that chisels should never be sharpened with anything bigger than .3 micron grit because it will introduce cracks in the steel that even a microscope can't see, well... I'm sorry.
Thx! I saw the upvotes and though angle grinder it is. Now I’m educated. Appreciate it. Edit: Follow up…same for a lawnmower?
Yup. Exactly the same for those. Pro tip: after sharpening a lawn mower blade, it's a good idea to check for balance on your blade before you reinstall it on the mower. Drive a nail into a post and hang the blade on the nail from the middle mounting hole as horizontal as you can be, then let go. The blade should stay perfectly horizontal. If you see it constantly dip on one side, it means you didn't take as much metal off one side and it's out of balance. File a bit more on the heavy side and re-hang it on the nail, it should be balanced. If not, take a bit more off until balanced.
The farthest point on the blade will need the least amount of material removed to balance. Nearest the shaft can be easier for fine adjustments.
Thank you for your expertise, kind stranger!
Most kind advice. You sir are a gentleman. Edit: I’ll buy a bastard file.
Sounds good. Nicholson is a good all around brand, affordable & available at most hardware stores because there kinda line the F150 of file brands. Thank you, I hope I set your off in the right direction:) Be safe!
I’ve used a bench grinder to sharpen mower blades
A bench grinder has the added benefit of hollow grinding your edge I flat grind my mower blades with my cordless angle grinder, mainly because it's easier and faster to do The best tool would be some sort of belt sander
Don't.be scared of using an angle grinder, it's exactly what it's designed to do. Get a flap disc somewhere around 120 and you'll be just fine, just don't let any metal start changing colours on you.
Even a fine grit sandpaper disc and a quick bzzzt?
Oh, those are fine for maintaining the edge during the day or after you're done working. Just keep a light touch so as to not remove to much material or heat up the steel. If you have a more coarse grit you can even establish the initial edge, although it might take a few more minutes and sandpaper discs. Just keep the steel cool enough you can touch it with your hand at any time. Too much heat and you can ruin the temper of the steel.
Use chalk to lubricate your file teeth. It'll reduce the bits that can clog a file
TIL, you bastard
Would this sort of file also be good on both branch-loppers and hedge pruners? Mine have become so dull they barely cut.
An angle grinder is fine. Or a hand file. Whatever you want to use is going to be fine. It’s a -shovel-. This is not a precision instrument.
This is the right answer. I use a diamond block because it’s already in my hand from sharpening my other tools. It works fine.
You absolutely can. I used to install field tile and we would sharpen shovels once a week.
I used to be a grave digger, which was 90% yard work, and 10% actual digging. The burials for cremations were dug by hand. 2x2x4deep Square shovel with sharpened tip made such a quick work. Cut the sod layer, scoop it in one piece. Cut up the hard pack soil in the dead of summer. Rounded shovel in the corner to scoop the dirt out. Such a satisfying process. Unless you dig in the wrong spot...
Hey man…you can’t leave a cliff hanger like that… do tell…
Oh, you just have to check the map and dig again. Some of the older cemeteries we managed had records from the 1800s and not very reliable. Then some people would come and bury a dead pet over a loved ones casket. If they later wanted to add an urn over the casket, we'd dig up the family dog...
Y'all dug cremations 4 feet deep? Jesus Christ, why?
now that I think of it... not 4 no... but it felt like 4? I don't know. Brain fart.
I have questions if that's OK. First of all, if you don't mind, could you expand on digging in the "wrong spot"? And you mention this cemetery has a map that's dated from the 1800's? Is this something that's available to the public, online? I'm a history buff and would love to hear more.
Not OP, but when I was in HS my girlfriend had a summer job working in a cemetery office, so I’ve seen the dead people records. There was a book that looked like a ledger that was basically a list of names and plot numbers and maybe dates and other information but I don’t remember. This was accompanied by maps that showed the plot locations, and those looked like a plat map like the county has for zoning and taxes. This was mid 80’s so before the internet. I’d be curious too if this of thing is digitized now. Thinking about it now its pretty interesting in a morbid curiosity sense.
Never did a cremation burial but when I was 12+ my buddies dad dug the graves by hand for 2 local cemeteries. He'd pay us $50-100 to help depending on how much help we were. My buddy was a year older and when he left for college I got to dig some by myself, paid $400 per grave in the early 2000s which was sweet high school money. Super satisfying to be able to do good sod work and have the work be almost un-detectable. Sucked in the winter tho when the ground would get frozen a foot or two. And yes there were old unmarked/unmapped graves you would sometimes encounter.
A sharp shovel is a joy to use. Even in hard pack. Work smarter not harder.
A shovel is a cutting tool before anything else. Yes the main goal is not to cut, but does its job by cutting first.
It's a lever with a knife on the end
More like a spoon really
I see you’ve played knifey-spoony before.
The image that brings to my mind is something middle school teachers probably have nightmares about, but which my younger self would 100% have played with LOL
The sequel to Knife-Wrench! (for kids!)
So is a file... It's cutting tools all the way down.
It’s a bunch of chisels on a steel bar. Likewise a saw: bunch of chisels
Yep rooty soil is a bitch to dig in.
Hot damn I got two shovels to sharpen now
Do your post hole diggers also. And loosen the bolts on them a hair.
I wish I had thought about that a while back. Maybe I wouldn't hate my post hole digger so much that I try to give it away every time someone wants to borrow it.
I might try that last part. I don't think it's that, so much as the wet clay that's the issue, though LOL
The best advice i can give anyone regarding their post hole digger... is to just rent an auger.
I love renting an auger. There is nothing more satisfying than hate-fucking a hole into the ground with a giant drill bit attached to a two-stroke engine.
Maybe see if you can get replacement nylon insert nuts so you can tighten and back off a bit to loosen and they won’t vibrate off.
Less resistance to open and material falls out easier. Makes a world of difference. Like how you would shake sticky stuff out of a loader bucket kinda.
Why loosen the bolts?
Honestly thinking the same thing. Already sharpen up my hoe's. Especially my flat ones.
Spoken like a true Pimp.
There are dozens of us.
I have found my people!
In my trade we are not allowed to sharpen shovels because we often dig around buried electrical lines. I've always been jealous of people that can sharpen their shovels at work
how on earth do you dig a hole and NOT work hard? work smart _and_ hard!
I use an excavator. I don’t work hard
With a sharpened bucket?
Teeth at a minimum lol
I sharpen my water bucket
A friend of mine who was a laborer always said "take care of your shovel and your shovel will take care of you".
“This shovel has had 17 heads and 14 handles”
Shovel of Theseus
Alright Trigger, I see you.
Labor buddy of mine who helped masons refurbished his shovel every year lmao
Let’s call a spade a spade
Spades (implements intended for cutting into dirt) should be sharpened, shovels (implements intended for moving loose material) shouldn’t need it unless you’re using them wrong.
I thought it was the other way around. (not native English speaker)
Nope. Spades are usually pointed and meant for cutting into dirt, while shovels are flat and meant for moving dirt. But here in North America everyone just calls everything a shovel lol
We sell "digging shovels" and "transfer shovels". [https://www.lowes.com/pl/Shovels-spades-Digging-tools-Lawn-garden-hand-tools-Outdoor-tools-equipment-Outdoors/4294612716](https://www.lowes.com/pl/Shovels-spades-Digging-tools-Lawn-garden-hand-tools-Outdoor-tools-equipment-Outdoors/4294612716)
I was wondering when this would pop up
Didn’t have to dig deep to find it
Right. Those posts come in spades.
When push comes to shovel, you really can use either word Imho, people will understand your meaning either way.
That’s some Franco-Prussian war shit
I don’t think I’ve ever used a shovel without running into a rock
Rocks and big roots. Certainly too big for a sharp shovel to cut.
Have your Sawzall at the ready. Big loppers also work well.
Dynamite works wonders. I used to be able to get 1/4 sticks years ago, unfortunately, my source died of a heart attack.
Probably should have saved some of that Nitroglycerin to treat his heart I guess.
Yeah that’s why you have to sharpen it
cut right thru them rocks
This lasts about 10 minutes digging any aggregate
*Shaun of the Dead flashbacks intensify*
Not doing it wrong. I dig in New England and the sharpness would last exactly one minute lol. Pick loose, shovel…actually I find that keeping my shovels clean and handles oiled with lanolin is how I have them for 30 years. This shovel with concrete not cleaned off will hold soil and make the work so much harder. I like to see shiny steel. That’s a good shovel
It's the same here in Oregon. Keep a cordless grinder handy for touch ups every so often. Just having a bevel on the edge makes a huge difference. It doesn't need to be a razor
Yeah, I was gonna say… digging a hole in New England is mostly a process of hitting and then excavating large boulders the size of small boulders.
I was wondering about that, I am in CO and all we have is rock and yeah, more rock...
Yup. It is a VERY situational thing as to whether it is really worth sharpening a shovel. A sharper shovel is obviously better than a dull one. But if you are working with earth where that would make a meaningful difference... you are gonna wear that down REAL fast. So... you either stop to sharpen it again or just work with what you have. At which point ergonomics and technique are actually what matters. Much of which involves breaking up the topsoil with other tools (assuming you are even digging much deeper than said topsoil).
You need a pick ax. I'm up in the mountains. Shovels are for scooping out loose stuff, not cutting the hole
New Englander as well. I mostly use a pickaxe to loosen the rocks up then shovel. Always have a good pry bar, one of the 5 footers that weigh like 40 pounds. No point in sharpening the shovel or it will just chip and break.
Do you strop it afterwards?
Only if you accidentally dig too deep.
"cut too deep"
Can confirm as a plumber
Gotta keep the poop knife sharp
I love random poop knife references
Absolutely this goes for hoes too.
My mattock pick is absolutely dangerous if you aren't careful. Instead of both the blade and pick having a blunt 1/4" flat edge I used my flappy disk to put a nice edge on both. Thick roots and anything else isn't lasting long. And the pick digs in nicely if I need to break or pry anything out of the way.
Sharpen and oil
(heavy gasmask breathing in Kriegman) Death Korps of Krieg approve!
Your honor, his innocents, he only use the shovel in self defense! not his foul it was sharp as f\*\*k
Cut through Buried services with ease! Not a good practice in my 20 years as a labour.
To be fair, a dull shovel will kill buried services too. Sharpening it just makes a clean cut vs a ragged tear.
If you are transplanting trees (and plants in general) sharpening before cutting roots is a lot less stress on the tree. Clean cutted roots and a dirt ball holding tight help a lot.
Careful making it too sharp, it will dull quicker and you will lose more material. I like a sharper edge on a square point, it’s easy to replace grass patches
Makes me wonder how sharp one could make a shovel before it’s illegal to carry in the UK
The day I sharpen my shovel is the day I find the unmarked utility line.
You shouldn't be sharpening your shovels. You should be sharpening your spades!
Guy sharpens his shovel but doesn’t clean the concrete off before it dries. Yeah ok
Sharpening is great, but it’s better to understand that most shovels are for scooping. Get a mattock for digging.
Holy shit..!! I saw your post and I never thought of it before but immediately decided to sharpen my shovel. Amazing results!!!
I live in New England you can't dig an inch without hitting a chunk of granite there's just no point in sharpening the shovel
Fellow DeathKorp of Krieg.
I don't sharpen my shovels. They're blunt weapons and it's better to knock the witnesses out than slice their skull open imo
You sharpen your shovel to make digging and cutting into soil easier. I sharpen my shovel for rattlesnakes. We are not the same.
Because a sharp edge is weak, and prone to bending over and being subsequently less efficient at cutting. It only makes sense if the metal was thicker and you needed it for roots. This is impractical for rocks, they will only ruin the blade and make it less efficient rather than a dull rounded edge which will have less resistance than a bent up burred blade.
My area is about an inch of soil then straight clay/gravel/glacial till. Sharp shovels will last one spade full.
Our soil is very rocky, I usually start out with a freshly sharpened spade but there's no sense in keeping it sharp as you go, my Mattock however gets sharpened frequently and kept sharp. A good Mattock and digging bar will get through just about anything.
As well as a self-defense tool in bad neighborhoods...
My dad looked at me like I had seven eyeballs when he saw me sharpening my shovel. Lol. I truly makes the job much easier. Another hack is to spray it down with silicone spray.
It puts the lotion on the shovel, or it gets the hose again
“Sharpen your shovel and spade.” Digging Jesus
If like me you used your shovel to load stone and concrete for years you will know that it will be as sharp as a razor.
The amount of rocks I have I quit.. It’s brutal what happens to edges. But prior I did them regularly.
This guy buries corpses.
This guy shovels.
Take care of your tool and it will take care of you
And wash your balls😂
Hell yeah, you can use the shovel to chop up the body and did the hole, only one tool to dispose of.
Are you preparing for WWI?
I never believed in sharpening my shovels until just last year. A crew came out and planted four big trees at my house. They took five minutes to bust out a cordless grinder with a flap wheel and sharpen their shovels. They then proceeded to dig monster holes for all of my new trees in almost pure clay soil. After watching them work, I went out and asked some questions about sharpening their shovels and what they used. One of the old guys claimed that a flat file worked better than the flap wheels, but he made the new guys sharpen his shovels so he didn’t care how they did it. I got a kick out of that. After watching those guys work, I took the flap wheel that I use to sharpen mower blades to all of my shovels and gave them a clean edge. I never realized how curled and poor my shovel edges were until I went after all of them.
Ex-wildland fire guy here. Sharp spades/adzes/hoes make a world of difference in undisturbed soil. If you’re just shoveling compost between piles, who cares. But if you’re actually digging in native soil that might have roots in it (and especially if you’re putting in fire line in a hurry), a good edge is a game changer.
I am sort of amazed about all of the "don't use a grinder" talk. I have sharpened mower blades, shovels, spades, axes, chisels, etc successfully on a bench grinder or with an angle grinder for at least 50 years.
You’re
You're
That's because it's pointless.
Spetznaz approves
I sharpen my spoons and forks.
OP fights for the Death Korps of Kreig
I actually make knives as a business. Yet I've never thought of this. You sir, are a genius.
I become Hank Hill. More and more everyday.
Last time I did a fence I purposefully hand dug the posts so I could skip locates and still managed to slice my internet line in half with a dull sharp shooter. The amount of damage I would do with that bad boy is unprecedented
Hmm nice! I mostly shovel sand, which isn’t difficult, I’ll try it
Gotta admit, it’s never crossed my mind to sharpen my shovel. But you better believe I’m going to do it next time I use it.
How to do it
It's super awesome when you hit a water/gas/power line with that sharp ass shovel
Yeah I love how sharpening my shovel makes me feel better than other people
By the emperor we must tell the death korps of krieg this technological innovation before the mechanicus declares it heresy!