Talk:Shovel

Big Shout, Such Dad
I am not a Wikipedia editor, I just really wanna acknowledge one of the best dad jokes I’ve seen: “The later invention of purpose-built shovels was a ground-breaking development.” — Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.115.117.29 (talk) 04:08, 22 July 2023 (UTC)

Serrated Edges??
Since when do axes have serrated edges...?

However: missing sides or edges don't necessarily seem to make a spade.

Regards, Frank W ~@) R 08:37 Mar 6, 2003 (UTC).

Hmm. So what is the definitive difference? Or is there just a spectrum of things that some people call "spades" and others "shovels"? The Anome

Ok, let's try this: Is that right? The Anome
 * flat blade => spade
 * blade with sides or concavity => shovel

No! Ask a gardener. A spade is used primarily for spading - breaking up dirt so that there are no clumps, prior to planting. As such they require a point (just like you see in the "spade" in a deck of cards). Shovels are for shoveling - moving material. As such, shovels have a flat edge, so you can slide underneath the material. Chas zzz brown 20:51 Mar 11, 2003 (UTC)
 * It's true that a spade is primarily for spading (and usually has a point) and that many shovels have flat edges, but it is not universally true - some shovels have rounded blades. I'm pretty sure that the technical distinction is that a spade is designed to be pushed into the ground with the aid of a foot. The problem is that there are lots of compromise and cross-over versions of the tools that try to serve both needs yet we only have the two words. And (at least in the US) they're all sold as "shovels" regardless of their real purpose.  Rossami 21:36, 12 Apr 2004 (UTC)

As far as I know, a spade is a rounded, triangular, often metal blade attached to a handle used for digging or breaking earth. A spade shovel is a shovel handle (usually longer than 30 inches) with a larger rounded triangular blade at it's end. If someone walked up to me and asked me for a spade, I'd probably end up handing them a trowel, which is a smaller version of a spade shovel -- it has a thinner blade and a short (hand-sized) handle. The problem here is similar to the difference between an icepick and a pickaxe. -- Oceanhahn 00:09, 15 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Hmmm, I think that if I asked someone for a spade & they handed me a trowel, I'd be dumbfounded to say the least. I'd expect something like that now pictured in the article. Then to confuse things, there's the spading fork-- Elf | Talk 00:44, 15 Sep 2004 (UTC)

More: Here we go, per M. Webster: A spade is "a digging implement adaapted for being pushed into the ground with the foot." A shovel is "a hand implement consisting of a broad scoop or a more or less hollowed out blade with a handle used to lift and throw material". (Compared to a pitchfork. :-) ) Elf | Talk 00:49, 15 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Then it must be a regional/dialectic problem I'm expriencing. Please refrain from asking me for spades in the near future. -- Oceanhahn 08:06, 15 Sep 2004 (UTC)


 * LOL! I'll try to restrain myself.  Elf | Talk 14:58, 15 Sep 2004 (UTC)

What Does This Have to Do with Shovels?
"Unfortunately, despite Taylor's valid insights about the possibility for applying science to manual labour (including shoveling and the lifting and carrying of heavy objects) and his valid insights about the inequality of talents between individuals, he did not really respect the human dignity of all workers, and tended to be contemptuous of people with low intelligence."

This seems to have gotten a bit off topic! GeneCallahan (talk) 19:27, 2 October 2013 (UTC)
 * I've removed the sentence, plus another below it that seemed to contradict itself. I'm surprised that the sentence you quoted remained intact for so long, apart from the removal of "Unfortunately" at the beginning which violates WP:EDITORIAL. DesertPipeline (talk) 12:57, 30 December 2020 (UTC)

Ergonomic Use of the Shovel
Most people use their arms and trunk muscles during the use of a shovel (i.e., during the lifting of a shovel and its contents), which is quite straining on the body and tiring on the person. However, there is a method of using a shovel in such a way that the knee is used as a lever during the lifting of the shovel and its contents. The use of the knee in this manner helps support the major weight of the shovel and its contents during the lifting process, thus making the lifting process significantly less straining and tiring on the person using a shovel.

I do not have a source to include because this idea is based on my own personal experience during the years when I was farming and performing construction work. Joozoon (talk) 01:16, 10 May 2023 (UTC)


 * No original research is permitted. If our readers can't verify the claim for themselves it doesn't belong in an article. Cabayi (talk) 08:33, 25 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Dear Carlos,
 * I understand what you are saying. However, my proposed addition is NOT really an original research. I did not discover or create this method. I learned it from other people practicing it. I really think it can benefit humanity, so that's why I would like to add it to this article. So, please reconsider.
 * Thank you!
 * Neema 76.178.109.210 (talk) 16:13, 26 September 2023 (UTC)