What to use for digging tool

[Nick in NEPA]

I have heard of people digging with screwdrivers, icepicks, and the usual garden shovel. i own at least one of each which would be best to use?

 

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[dahut]

I've been using a rusty beat-up old trowel that I found in my yard...It bends every time I cut a plug with it, and I have to bend it back into shape. Right now it looks like a crumpled piece of paper. ...After reading your posts it will be reverently retired for now....

As it should be. That is what I meant when I advise using purpose built tools. When you consider that you are lliterally breaking new ground each time you bring a target from the earth, you can easily see why cheap, worn out or compromise diggin tools can leave you wanting.

Your average garden trowel is for tilled earth. Most often, that ISNT whats found when detecting.

 

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[bazinga]

Seems like you guys all love to make your digging difficult here!!

I use a simple old hickory handled kitchen knife. They can usually be had at yard sales for a quarter or so. Mine has an 8" blade on it and is exactly 12" long. Perfect for measuring how deep of holes I am digging. Just stick it in the ground and twist it around to make a nice, clean, deep plug. All of the guys I hunt with use them as well. They have all used fancy diggers and I've tried other methods, but the knife is the best one so far. My blade is about an inch and a half across and not some cheap little flimsy blade and the blade continues through the length of the handle.

But for the beach I would recommend spending the money on a GOOD SCOOP so that you aren't wasting it on scoops that will break.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Hickory-Ont...7QQihZ008QQcategoryZ11660QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There is the kind of knife I am talking about. You can buy them on ebay, but yard sales usually have them for dirt cheap.

 

[dahut]

This is where the differences between folks come in. I have tried knives of all kinds and my only comment on them is NO THANKS. Yes they work and what works for one guy may not for another. Im one of the latter blokes, considering them just a ppor compromise.

But whatever works.

 

[Nick in NEPA]

if you have a Lowes home center near you, go there and check out this:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=109355-44675-1065198&lpage=none

I bought this after bending 2 or 3 other trowels and this one has been a tough one. Have not bent it yet and I have come pretty close trying to wedge some big rocks out of a hole. It also had the serated edge for cutting roots and markings on it for depth, in case you want to measure how deep the item was found at.

Hope this helps for you

HH

Funkman

Thanks for this suggestion. I was at Lowe's today with my mom and I got one of these. I also got another without the serrated edge...I think it's a transplanting trowel.

 

[ronald99]

Do like me,the best digging tool,is anyone you can get to go with you,It's amazing what your friends will do if they think there is treasure it that ground.Ronald99

 

[nc-joe]

I would be lost without my Treasure Wise 3 in 1 tool. I got it from my local MD store for $22.00 with the sheath.

 

[hollowpointred]

Seems like you guys all love to make your digging difficult here!!

I use a simple old hickory handled kitchen knife. They can usually be had at yard sales for a quarter or so. Mine has an 8" blade on it and is exactly 12" long. Perfect for measuring how deep of holes I am digging. Just stick it in the ground and twist it around to make a nice, clean, deep plug. All of the guys I hunt with use them as well. They have all used fancy diggers and I've tried other methods, but the knife is the best one so far. My blade is about an inch and a half across and not some cheap little flimsy blade and the blade continues through the length of the handle.

But for the beach I would recommend spending the money on a GOOD SCOOP so that you aren't wasting it on scoops that will break.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Hickory-Ont...7QQihZ008QQcategoryZ11660QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There is the kind of knife I am talking about. You can buy them on ebay, but yard sales usually have them for dirt cheap.

knives like these do work well, but can scare the hell out of old ladies and small kids at the park!

 

[bazinga]

Seems like you guys all love to make your digging difficult here!!

I use a simple old hickory handled kitchen knife. They can usually be had at yard sales for a quarter or so. Mine has an 8" blade on it and is exactly 12" long. Perfect for measuring how deep of holes I am digging. Just stick it in the ground and twist it around to make a nice, clean, deep plug. All of the guys I hunt with use them as well. They have all used fancy diggers and I've tried other methods, but the knife is the best one so far. My blade is about an inch and a half across and not some cheap little flimsy blade and the blade continues through the length of the handle.

But for the beach I would recommend spending the money on a GOOD SCOOP so that you aren't wasting it on scoops that will break.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Hickory-Ont...7QQihZ008QQcategoryZ11660QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There is the kind of knife I am talking about. You can buy them on ebay, but yard sales usually have them for dirt cheap.

knives like these do work well, but can scare the hell out of old ladies and small kids at the park!

Haha, but they also help you out when you are in a ghetto park.

 

[George (MN)]

A digger I haven't used that sounds good is the Comfort weeder. Various online sites sell it for $13-$14 including shipping. The warranty may vary by dealer, at least one offered a lifetime warranty. It's an aluminum alloy tool, witha 7.5" blade that varies in width from an inch or so at top & tapered, & has a soft 6" handle. Just type weeder into a shopping engine like froogle. The advantage of aluminum alloy vs. steel is it's much less likely to scratch your finds. HH, George (MN)

 

[BuckleBoy]

Get one of these!




Here's the link to my post about this diggin' knife, which I've had about 12 years:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,69147.msg503760.html#msg503760

Regards,

Buckleboy

 

[moonshine]

i also use a huge old hunting knife. i do keep it hidden as it would scare the bejeesus out of anyone who doesnt know me. but i have cut countless holes with it. you can cut through anything and make extremely neat holes. its duller than a butterknife now but thats a good thing. i doubt i will ever have to buy a digging tool.

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Heres my digger. Never leave home without it.

Sorry, just could not pass this one up

 

[EDDE]

an old loaf of french bread

 

[ModernDayWarrior]

This is what I use.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I have heard of people digging with screwdrivers, icepicks, and the usual garden shovel. i own at least one of each which would be best to use?

All the above. Be careful of screwdrivers and coin probes as they'll turn a $300 coin into A $3 with a scratch across a good coin. I have one I made of a brass rod epoxied in a gold ball. I use smaller tools in parks and lawns and the heavy artillery in the woods. The blue anodized shovel is an Alfanso Trematerra custom and would crack open Bradley vehicles. One of my favorite diggers is the Camillus Marine Fighting Knife in the lower right. I was "requested" not to carry that at a local park by a nice Sheriff.

I just ordered a Lesche #85 Digging Tool for this season. Treating myself.

 

[Jason in TN]

Lesche Digging tool last one you will ever need to buy !!!!!!!!

http://predatortools.com/

These are the best you can buy