Thanks to you all for your suggestions. I did, of course, look at Lowes,
Home Depot, various hardware stores, and farm stores before I got on the
internet to ask about a lightweight mattock. Had to go 70 odd miles for
Lowes and Home Depot. Looked in the Leonard catalog. Nothing. All of
course had the heavy weights but no lightweights.

I also cruised the internet but didn't come up with anything.

Someone named Jim sent a rather odd looking message. Most of it was in the
subject line and not all there. There was an internet address however. For
someplace called Midwest Rake. They have what they call Ugly Tools and a
lightweight mattock.

Thank you Jim, wherever you are.

Pixi

"pixi" wrote in message ...
Thanks to you all for your suggestions. I did, of course, look at Lowes,
Home Depot, various hardware stores, and farm stores before I got on the
internet to ask about a lightweight mattock. Had to go 70 odd miles for
Lowes and Home Depot. Looked in the Leonard catalog. Nothing. All of
course had the heavy weights but no lightweights.

I also cruised the internet but didn't come up with anything.

Someone named Jim sent a rather odd looking message. Most of it was in the
subject line and not all there. There was an internet address however. For
someplace called Midwest Rake. They have what they call Ugly Tools and a
lightweight mattock.

Thank you Jim, wherever you are.


You wanted a hand mattock?

That's what the Ugly Mool mattock is. They have short handles.

counciltool.com makes the Groundhog brand hand mattocks. They
are similar. I own one; it is lightweight and very useful, but it
certainly isn't "waist high," unless a person is about three feet
tall.

J. Del Col

No!! Definitely not. I can't see breaking shale with a hand mattock. I
had not read the description carefully enough. I realized later that it was
a hand mattock. And I sure don't need that. Don't think an Italian grape
hoe would cut the mustard. I need a pick on one end to crack into the
shale. I live in the mountains where the shale is only an inch or two below
the surface and sometimes not that. We order so-called top soil by the
truck load and then remove the shale and replace it with the so-called top
soil. I keep saying so-called because this is clay and the only way it is
different from the rest of the soil is that it has no stone or shale in it.
But it is an improvement over what it replaces.

I was born and raised in Michigan where the real top soil can be 15 or more
feet deep so it is kind of a low blow to try to cope with the land here.
But you can't beat the scenery!!

Going into town after while and try to get a handle for the one I have. I
think I got this mattock at the Vermont Country Store 10 or 15 years ago but
they no longer have them listed in their catalog.

Thanks again.

"Ed Christie" ed@thechristies
"J. Del Col" wrote in message
m...
"pixi" wrote in message
...
Thanks to you all for your suggestions. I did, of course, look at
Lowes,
Home Depot, various hardware stores, and farm stores before I got on the
internet to ask about a lightweight mattock. Had to go 70 odd miles for
Lowes and Home Depot. Looked in the Leonard catalog. Nothing. All of
course had the heavy weights but no lightweights.

I also cruised the internet but didn't come up with anything.

Someone named Jim sent a rather odd looking message. Most of it was in
the
subject line and not all there. There was an internet address however.
For
someplace called Midwest Rake. They have what they call Ugly Tools and
a
lightweight mattock.

Thank you Jim, wherever you are.


You wanted a hand mattock?

That's what the Ugly Mool mattock is. They have short handles.

counciltool.com makes the Groundhog brand hand mattocks. They
are similar. I own one; it is lightweight and very useful, but it
certainly isn't "waist high," unless a person is about three feet
tall.

J. Del Col

"pixi" wrote in message ...
No!! Definitely not. I can't see breaking shale with a hand mattock. I
had not read the description carefully enough. I realized later that it was
a hand mattock. And I sure don't need that. Don't think an Italian grape
hoe would cut the mustard....

I have one of these. It's a great tool, but heavy.

The real name is "Grading hoe." I don't know why Leonard calls it a
"grape hoe"

It is used to establish road grades or to make terraces on
hillsides--which is frequently done in vineyards, so that may be where
the "grape" comes from. It does a very good job of clearing weeds and
leveling ground, but you are correct; it isn't made for breaking up
shale.


J. Del Col