Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire When did shovels become "throwaway tools"?

I have a few shovels and hard tine rakes with broken handles and noticed a replacement handle is more expensive than a shovel.

I have a post hole digger and a sharpshooter that have 1.25" 16ga steel tubing handles so I don't throw the tools away but I am sure a lot end up in landfills.

So what's behind the cost, lower demand for handles due to cheap throwaway tools?

Same thing with wheelbarrow handles - 15-20 bucks each, and you can't buy a set.

We live in a mass produced cheap unit price throwaway society. If you factor in the value of your time to replace a handle, you've saved money by just buying a new tool and getting back to work.

That’s white collar thinking.

This drives me nuts. I don’t know why replacement handles are so pricey.

I must live under a rock. I have been using tools all my life and have never heard of a "sharpshooter" tool . WTF, over?

Yep. Same for sledge hammers and axes. Got a few handles need replacing.

There is your answer....

When Ace Hardware stopped saying it was place wity helpful hardware "man" (now it's folks) so that is politically accepatable

Also when Suzanne Somers got too old for their commercial spots.

😄

Sort of all went to crap after that.

I am going to take a guess that they are figuring the average shopper is just going to buy the replacement handle and not notice they are getting screwed. They are doing it on purpose just to make more money.

Fancy marketing name for a trenching shovel or spade.

Also I pick up spare tools at garage sales. I have two or three of everything for just a small fraction of their retail cost. That’s a great way to get your replacement handles.

Yours may be, but I skulk about at swap meets and garage sales looking for old English made shovels and then re-haft them with good oiled hickory handles.


And God help any sob that dares to look cross-eyed at any of my tools.

Simple one word answer, China. They've flooded this country with shoddy tools of every kind, I buy American even if it's used tools from garage sales.

Many of my wood handled tools are shorter then designed, due to being refitted, rather than retired. Several long handled shoveled have become D handled as well.

I have a lovely light English shovel here that I picked up at the town dump, now I am looking about in an attempt to source one of the older style handles with the curve in the wood rather than being straight like all those damned chinese handles are.

If it irritates me enough I shall make one.

Steam bend one.

Sharpshooter

There is a fellow that makes the old style out of blue-gum, I shall see what he has to offer.