I use my garden spade a bit like a hoe.I us it to scrape up the weeds ,mostly between the beds and I then cart away and compost what I have got up.
The thing is ,I have to keep sharpening the edge of the spade every 30 or so minutes of use so as to keep it sharp ( because of course the ground is rough and a knock from a stone takes the edge off very sharply)
Over the years I have preferred to work with a soft steeled spade as these are easy to sharpen quickly (I do the sharpening with a hand held hacksaw as a rough but sharp edge is good enough) but find it impossible to buy those spades any more .
Does anyone have any advice as to whether I might be able to buy or get made a spade that would keep its edge even in the conditions I am using it ,or failing that where I might get a soft steeled spade ? (maybe some old gardener fella who has kicked his clogs might have left one lying around the shed and it might end up being thrown out by the family)
The thing is ,I have to keep sharpening the edge of the spade every 30 or so minutes of use so as to keep it sharp ( because of course the ground is rough and a knock from a stone takes the edge off very sharply)
Over the years I have preferred to work with a soft steeled spade as these are easy to sharpen quickly (I do the sharpening with a hand held hacksaw as a rough but sharp edge is good enough) but find it impossible to buy those spades any more .
Does anyone have any advice as to whether I might be able to buy or get made a spade that would keep its edge even in the conditions I am using it ,or failing that where I might get a soft steeled spade ? (maybe some old gardener fella who has kicked his clogs might have left one lying around the shed and it might end up being thrown out by the family)
