They don't make hoes like they used to

Yesterday I filmed a video showing the difference between crummy modern hoes and an old classic hoe head:



There's a rather touching song at the end, after the credits.

Over the years I've figured out that if you buy the heads with the all-in-one socket, they're the best. No one makes them new anymore, though.

Today, along those lines, I decided to look up old hoe heads and "good hoes" and I came across a really good post by Gene Logsdon.

Good Hoes/Bad Hoes

It feels good to have come to the same realization as one of the greats.

In related news, I picked up four more vintage hoe heads on ebay this morning.

Mama always warned me to watch out for bad hoes.

Estate sales/auctions are a gold mine for old good stuff

I like Dutch hoes, but the cheap nasty one we took to Portugal with us when we left the UK has worn out and I wanted a replacement.  It seems they don't exist in Portugal, so I asked my friend to rummage around in his barn to see if he could find one.

At first he couldn't, so he made me one to suit my needs - 4" wide to fit between the plants in my raised beds, a nice sharp edge, 2mm steel which should be adequately strong for me but not too heavy.  It's welded rather than one piece but as it was made specially for me he used quality materials so I'm not expecting it to fall apart in a hurry.

Then he stumbled on an old 5" cast one, rather elegant and beautifully made but possibly a little big for my needs.  I haven't got them home yet but I'll fit handles and give them a good work out when I do.

Thanks I took your advice and found three forged light duty hoe heads here on the ranch. I did one yesterday for my son's 39th birthday tomorrow.
He had listened when I was talking about your video a few weeks ago and said, "I need a good hoe." I hope this is what he meant, lol!

I went through many many hoes until I ordered one from Mexico. It was the best hoe I ever owned. Mexican hoes are stronger, more durable, and heavier. Down there they make them the right way still, for serious daily use. After 4 years of being basically the only hoe on a five acre vegetable farm this hoe just wouldn't quit. Try and find one with an open hole on the end for the big end of the handle instead of the sleeve type thing that the wood handle goes into.

Winston Greene wrote:I went through many many hoes until I ordered one from Mexico. It was the best hoe I ever owned. Mexican hoes are stronger, more durable, and heavier. Down there they make them the right way still, for serious daily use. After 4 years of being basically the only hoe on a five acre vegetable farm this hoe just wouldn't quit. Try and find one with an open hole on the end for the big end of the handle instead of the sleeve type thing that the wood handle goes into.

Yes, we call those an eye hoe. We had a few for forty years and recently the handle busted in half. The guy using it claims it was fine before he threw it in the trailer, I  don't know maybe that was the case. Either way I haven't found a handle locally. I was thinking I could make one from Douglas Fir as it is our densest wood available. I am giving serious thought to building a shave horse. Anne of all trades homepage