Pointy Spades.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Blighty
Posts: 413
Pointy Spades.
Bear with me.
In US made TV and films, whenever I see a spade, it's a long straight handled thing with a pointy end. In the UK it's a flat blade and usually with 'D' handle on the end.
Why?
In US made TV and films, whenever I see a spade, it's a long straight handled thing with a pointy end. In the UK it's a flat blade and usually with 'D' handle on the end.
Why?
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Falkland Islands
Posts: 157
Originally Posted by Hydromet
The UK one is a spade. The long-handled one is a shovel.
As far as I understand it, shovels and spades can both have pointed front blades, or straight front blades. The difference is that spades are for cutting into solid ground, and have a flat(tish) blade, where shovels are for moving looser material, and have upturned sides, to contain the material from falling off the blade.
Either can have a point; that just helps with making the insertion into the ground or the loose material easier.
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 65
AILERON SPADES
Later model Pitts S-2A and model S-2B have a flat rectangular spade with sides turned up for stiffness.
Newer designs typically have a pointed front so it has the properties of a delta wing - effective to higher angles of attack from the aileron deflection.
Later model Pitts S-2A and model S-2B have a flat rectangular spade with sides turned up for stiffness.
Newer designs typically have a pointed front so it has the properties of a delta wing - effective to higher angles of attack from the aileron deflection.
See and avoid
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 591
If you look at a card deck, the spade is pointy.
I suspect the one with a flat edge is often referred to as a shovel.
Shovels also tend to be wider and sturdier so that they can heave a lot more dirt, whereas spades are designed to go through clay or some other difficult soil.
Snow shovels are very wide. I have never heard of a snow “spade,” although I have used a hoe to chop ice.
I suspect the one with a flat edge is often referred to as a shovel.
Shovels also tend to be wider and sturdier so that they can heave a lot more dirt, whereas spades are designed to go through clay or some other difficult soil.
Snow shovels are very wide. I have never heard of a snow “spade,” although I have used a hoe to chop ice.
Thought police antagonist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,178
Originally Posted by longer ron
I agree with Ant -
a shovel is lighter metal for shifting loose material such as coal/snow/loose earth.
a shovel is lighter metal for shifting loose material such as coal/snow/loose earth.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Reading, UK
Posts: 13,928
Originally Posted by Hydromet
The UK one is a spade. The long-handled one is a shovel.
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Japan
Posts: 1,041
Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
Apropos of which, I've never understood the logic in having those spades/shovels with ridiculously long handles, which don't appear to offer any mechanical advantage whatsoever.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: There and here
Posts: 2,495
Apropos of which, I've never understood the logic in having those spades/shovels with ridiculously long handles, which don't appear to offer any mechanical advantage whatsoever.
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Down Under somewhere not all that far from YPAD
Age: 77
Posts: 511
Apropos of which, I've never understood the logic in having those spades/shovels with ridiculously long handles, which don't appear to offer any mechanical advantage whatsoever.
https://www.totaltools.com.au/16606-...-shovel-640001
A crowbar is the other tool needed in this task. In my earlier lifetime I dug countless post holes using this combination in the fencing jobs that needed to be done. In time, mechanical post hole diggers came into the inventory making things much easier, but the post hole shovel still had its place.
A second reason is to be found in adventure off road driving where getting bogged seems to be part of the fun, and indeed, in some circles, a badge of honour. The extra length of the long handled version may be needed to reach under the vehicle to remove material if the driver has excelled in this strange art form. People who are serious in achieving this strange status will have the shovel mounted on the roof bars or a holder on the back of the vehicle. I don't understand this but it happens.
Shovels and spades are different utensils with different uses - it's useful to have both in the garden shed. The purpose of the pointy nose shovel has always eluded me. I've never had one or used one. Perhaps the pointy cutting edge makes it easier to penetrate the earth in some applications. I've lost interest in these sorts of activity these days.
Tabs please !
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Biffins Bridge
Posts: 757
Originally Posted by N707ZS
Shovels also usually have the D handle as an aid to stop letting go of it when shovelling coal into a fire box.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Bedford, UK
Age: 68
Posts: 1,297
Having had to shift a heap of 20mm gravel it became abundantly clear that a standard shovel is no use as it makes it too difficult to dig into the heap ( apparently the trick is to spread it on a board). Never thought about it but i imagine the narrow pointy shovel affair seen in the US might work better. Wonder why they haven't caught on here. My wife seems to like digging ( veg patch and typically 30 odd trees a year into our recalitrant boulder clay). Please be non-judgemental.
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Japan
Posts: 1,041
Orcadian peat-cutting tools.
https://shetland.betweenislands.com/peat-cutting
And... from Denmark.
http://www.euro-t-guide.com/See_Phot...ug_2012_20.jpg
https://shetland.betweenislands.com/peat-cutting
And... from Denmark.
http://www.euro-t-guide.com/See_Phot...ug_2012_20.jpg
