• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • Pearl Sutton
  • paul wheaton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Anne Miller
  • Nicole Alderman
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Maieshe Ljin
  • Benjamin Dinkel
  • Jeremy VanGelder

Favorite hand tool

 
Posts: 3
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Favorite hand tool; it has a strong pick and bright color so I find it easily where it drops.  Very useful in rocky or rooty areas, for all kinds of digging and prying.  I also use a wood-handled one with two (out of three initial, the middle one broke off) tines that also has an adze.  That one gets lost easily.  BB
20210410_161146.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20210410_161146.jpg]
 
pioneer
Posts: 598
Location: Oregon 8b
219
monies dog forest garden fungi foraging homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
A regular ol' garden hoe (properly sharpened, of course) is probably my most used tool. Behind that, a grub hoe and a scythe make the short list.
 
master steward
Posts: 7368
Location: southern Illinois, USA
2675
goat cat dog chicken composting toilet food preservation pig bee solar wood heat homestead
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Long handled fishing net .  It catches chickens, baby pigs, and goats of all ages.  
 
Steward and Man of Many Mushrooms
Posts: 5605
Location: Southern Illinois
1608
transportation cat dog fungi trees building writing rocket stoves woodworking
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
16” all forged steel Estwing Axe.  It can be used equally well one or two handed.

Eric
 
pollinator
Posts: 76
Location: zone 4 Wyoming
33
dog hunting foraging chicken food preservation medical herbs
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I'm so boring.  I love my fencing pliers.  They hammer, pull, cut, squeeze, twist, pry, and have rubber on the handles.  Cannot live without them.  I have one in all vehicles, outbuildings and my ranch coat pocket.  During our farm store's summer sale they cost 5.99 so I usually stock up on them.  Good stocking stuffers, too.  
 
pioneer
Posts: 284
63
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I'd like to try the Fokin hoe. I have a lot of Fokin weeds in my Fokin garden. Just the other day I was talking to the wife about them Fokin weeds.
She was telling me about the Fokin grass that was taking over the Fokin walk path. Then, she got onto the Fokin weeds in the fence. Fokin hell!
I'm about to pull my Fokin hair because of all these Fokin weeds. I need a Fokin tool that will take care of all these Fokin jobs! The Fokin hoe is the tool for that Fokin job!
 
Posts: 108
Location: Branson, MO
34
homeschooling kids forest garden trees books
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Here in the Ozarks, you need to be able to put some power behind a tool or you'll just bounce off all the rocks in the ground. To that end, my most-used tools are probably my Meadow Creature all-steel broadfork and my Bully Tools shovel.
 
Michael Dotson
pioneer
Posts: 284
63
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I know what you mean about those rocks, Matt. I have piles and fence rows of rocks that were moved there to make way for berries. There used to be huge fields of berries up here. They've all been replaced by cedars, but the rock piles are still there. They make great places for copperheads and rattlers to hunt.
 
Posts: 158
Location: Prairie Canada zone 2/3
70
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I know at various times, I've threatened to paint all the tool handles hot pink, due to tool losses.  I don't think I could pick just one favorite tool, myself.  I have favorite tools for specific jobs, though, for sure!
 
Rusticator
Posts: 8963
Location: Missouri Ozarks
4801
6
personal care gear foraging hunting rabbit chicken cooking food preservation fiber arts medical herbs homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

John F Dean wrote:Long handled fishing net .  It catches chickens, baby pigs, and goats of all ages.  


Yes! I do this, too!
 
Re' Burton
pollinator
Posts: 76
Location: zone 4 Wyoming
33
dog hunting foraging chicken food preservation medical herbs
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Jess Dee wrote:I know at various times, I've threatened to paint all the tool handles hot pink, due to tool losses.  I don't think I could pick just one favorite tool, myself.  I have favorite tools for specific jobs, though, for sure!



I have had to do this in the field (oil and gas patch) since the boys seem to like 'borrowing' the closest tools and don't use their own.  I switched to pink buckets, pink camo tools and I paint everything pink.  they got wise to me and brought a can of black spray paint to go over my pink.  Now I just lock things up.  I didn't mind them using them, but when they'd dropped my 2# sledges down the 'hole' more than 3 times, I got over having to supply that subcontractor any more tools.   It definitely was easier to find my tools in a snow storm though.  
 
Jess Dee
Posts: 158
Location: Prairie Canada zone 2/3
70
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Remelle Burton wrote:

Jess Dee wrote:I know at various times, I've threatened to paint all the tool handles hot pink, due to tool losses.  I don't think I could pick just one favorite tool, myself.  I have favorite tools for specific jobs, though, for sure!



I have had to do this in the field (oil and gas patch) since the boys seem to like 'borrowing' the closest tools and don't use their own.  I switched to pink buckets, pink camo tools and I paint everything pink.  they got wise to me and brought a can of black spray paint to go over my pink.  Now I just lock things up.  I didn't mind them using them, but when they'd dropped my 2# sledges down the 'hole' more than 3 times, I got over having to supply that subcontractor any more tools.   It definitely was easier to find my tools in a snow storm though.  



I had a particular brand of (very expensive) hammer that was really nicely balanced for me.  I "lost" several of them on various construction projects at friends' and colleagues' houses (and garages).  That's when the pink handle threat started.  At the time, tools that came with pink handles from the store were not good quality.  Things have probably gotten better since then.
 
Carla Burke
Rusticator
Posts: 8963
Location: Missouri Ozarks
4801
6
personal care gear foraging hunting rabbit chicken cooking food preservation fiber arts medical herbs homestead
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Jess Dee wrote: At the time, tools that came with pink handles from the store were not good quality.  Things have probably gotten better since then.


Unfortunately, not so much.

I'd like to throw another option out there. A cheap wood burning tool is easy to use, and if you burn deeply, it's very difficult to sand off, and even under heavy paint, the changed texture is difficult to hide. A cheap engraving tool can do the same on solid metal tools
 
Jess Dee
Posts: 158
Location: Prairie Canada zone 2/3
70
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Carla Burke wrote:
Unfortunately, not so much.

I'd like to throw another option out there. A cheap wood burning tool is easy to use, and if you burn deeply, it's very difficult to sand off, and even under heavy paint, the changed texture is difficult to hide. A cheap engraving tool can do the same on solid metal tools



That's too bad.  At this point, I rarely do work at other people's places, and equally rarely have outside help here, so it's not really an issue anymore.  I would still be tempted to use hot pink paint, though.  Easier to 'see' the tools wandering off, if you know what I mean.
 
Carla Burke
Rusticator
Posts: 8963
Location: Missouri Ozarks
4801
6
personal care gear foraging hunting rabbit chicken cooking food preservation fiber arts medical herbs homestead
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Absolutely! I've been SERIOUSLY considering using multiple tricks, on mine - both high-viz & the deeper methods. High-viz also has the advantage of being easier to find, when you drop it, yourself - or in my case, when it falls off the tractor, because I got careless and drove off, without putting it back in my tool bag!
 
gardener
Posts: 391
Location: Zone 7a
264
6
kids rabbit chicken food preservation fiber arts
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Jess Dee wrote:I know at various times, I've threatened to paint all the tool handles hot pink, due to tool losses.  I don't think I could pick just one favorite tool, myself.  I have favorite tools for specific jobs, though, for sure!


I bought my last folding knife with a pink handle at least partly for this reason. It has saved me a couple times.
 
Hang a left on main. Then read this tiny ad:
Learn Permaculture through a little hard work
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic