Spades & Shovels

Shovels and spades are suitable for both digging and excavating soil and sand, making them essential tools for gardening. However, these tools also prove to be helpful in many situations while camping or on survival tours. At Meister Messer, you can find shovels and spades in numerous designs. Find out what to look for when purchasing such gardening or survival tools below.

Spades and Shovels: Explaining the Difference

While spades have a flat blade, shovels have a slightly curved one. The essential difference between spades and shovels is therefore the shape of the blade, which has a significant impact on the functionality of the tool:

• The slightly curved and mostly tapered spade blade is relatively robust. This makes spades particularly suitable for digging and loosening compact materials. The edge at the top of the blade is often reinforced, allowing you to increase leverage with your body weight. In addition, you can also use a spade to cut through fine roots.
• A shovel has a slightly more curved blade, which is also designed on a larger scale. As a result, the tool is particularly suitable for digging, lifting, and removing earth, sand, and other loose materials.

Shovels and spades are available in various designs

There are numerous types of spades and shovels designed for different applications. The following overview will give you a rough idea:

• Gardening spade: This is a generic term for pointed and round spades. The former are very effective on hard surfaces due to their sharp shape. The latter are mainly suitable for soft soils.
• Field spade: This version of the spade is relatively short and sturdy. Field spades are mainly used by the military - among other things, for digging trenches.
• Folding spade: The essential feature of corresponding designs is that their handle can be folded down or collapsed. As a result, folding spades can be transported very space-savingly. Many models are equipped with additional features such as a saw blade. The all-purpose spades prove to be a practical companion, especially in outdoor activities, for example when camping, on survival trips, and on hiking tours.
• Holsteiner Shovel: With its large shovel blade and straight leading edge, the Holsteiner Shovel is ideal for scooping up soil, sand, gravel, and other materials.
• Dutch shovel: This variant is similar to the Holsteiner shovel, but has a front edge with a curved arch. It is designed to dig out water ditches.
• Frankfurt Shovel: The characteristic feature of the Frankfurt Shovel is its round, pointed blade. This shovel shape is particularly suitable for working on stony soils.
• Spade shovel: The tool, also known as a grave shovel, originates from America and is equipped with a narrow blade that tapers to a point. Such a blade shape is ideal for digging holes and trenches.

Buy shovels and spades: These criteria are important

To find the right model, you should first consider what tasks you want to do with the shovel or spade and in which situations the tool should be used. However, there are other important purchasing criteria to consider in order to identify the personal shovel or spade test winner. The variables that appear in almost every shovel or spade test include:

• Total length: The length of the tool can vary greatly depending on the model. In general, the spade or shovel with handle should reach down to the lowest rib arch to be able to use the tool in a comfortable body position. If you are looking for a companion for your next outdoor trip, it is recommended to opt for a compact version instead.
• Material: A wooden handle scores with a pleasant feel. Metal is very robust, but adds weight. Plastic handles are relatively lightweight, but slightly less durable. The shovel or spade blade should be made of high-quality steel - such as carbon steel - and be designed to be as robust as possible.
• Handle: Especially during longer work, it is important that the shovel or spade fits well in the hand. A particularly high level of comfort is ensured by the so-called D-handle. However, the T-shaped handle is still considered a classic, which is even easier to handle. If the tools are used as outdoor or survival tools, they are often equipped with a simple knob handle.

Order spades and shovels online at Meister Messer

If you are looking for a shovel or a spade to be well-equipped for your next survival trip or upcoming camping vacation, it's worth taking a look at the Meister Messer online shop. Our range of products includes models from United Cutlery, Fox Knives, and Cold Steel.

At Meister Messer, you can not only buy shovels and spades. We also offer, for example, axes, tools and multitools, as well as pocket knives – So discover the range now.