Found my original shovel from 2014 behind the shed

I was clearing out some overgrown brush last week and found the first shovel I bought when we moved into this house three years ago. The handle is cracked and the blade has a chip from hitting a hidden rock back in 2021. It got me thinking about how much I've learned about grading and drainage since then. Anyone else keep their old beat up tools as a reminder of early mistakes?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elliot1mo ago

@jade517's inner tube idea is solid but I'd add a layer of duct tape on top just to be extra safe. That rock probably made a nice garden ornament somewhere or it's still hiding in the dirt laughing at us. Maybe we should start a support group for people who've lost arguments with buried rocks.

jade5171mo ago

You ever try sharpening the blade on that chip or just retired it completely? I've got a trowel from my first year landscaping that's held together with duct tape, still use it for tight spots. Keeping those early tools around is smart, they remind you how far you've come from hitting rocks and guessing grades. I'd say if the handle isn't split all the way through, you can wrap it with some old bike inner tube and get another season out of it. What's the chance that rock you hit is still buried out there causing trouble?

quinncarr1mo ago

That blade's been through more rocks than a geologist's hiking boots.