What Tools Do You Use To Dig?

[strataman4]

Hello All,

I am new to bottle digging and wanted to get some opinions on what tools are best to dig with out in the field. I figure anything that is metal when it comes in contact with a bottle underground it would surely break it. Does anyone know how to prevent this problem? I am currently working this dump site and I basically use a crow bar end and pick to clear the hard dirt in between since bottles pop up here and there and are not all in one pile where I can just go really slow and find one bottle after another. Any suggestions would be helpful. Let me know what your guys approach is to digging a site and with what tools. Thanks Again.

- John

 

[Tandy]

Hello, strataman4,
I personally use an ordinary garden fork and a V ended shovel. I would also recommend a probe. Good luck with your digging.

 

[bottlerobin]

Hi John
My digging buddies and i use shovels,forks and sometimes a heavy pick if metal or to clear an overhang.
But remember that if your digging deep please have someone with you.
Good luck on your digs.

Robin

 

[LaidBackJack]

The real deal fanatical diggers I've met around my area will often have a specialized home-made digging tool made out of deer, or even elk antler. They'll use these whenever they think they're near some paydirt & they want to work more carefully. The horn won't scratch or crack glass it hits, and you can make a pretty rugged implement using it. Everyone has their own shape and size, no two are the same, but basically just a good stout length of antler with a tapered tip works well for the finer work when you're not just mass excavating. I sometimes use one that I made in about 5 minutes, from a rack I found out in the woods. Primitive but safe & effective. For a probe, it's proven fruitfull to cut some small horizontal notches along it's length, with a chisel, which will act as soil samplers as you pull your probe up. The notches should flare out a bit on the down side, and be angled slightly downwards. That way they'll pick up the sample as you pull them back out, and you can tell how deep they are. Sometimes when looking for an old outhouse site, you'll pull up white stuff on a notch, and that is a good indication that there's lime or wood ash down there, & you've found the old honey pit. It's worked for me here in the west, another tip from the oldtime local bottle diggers I've met. It's handy to have a wire brush or something similar to clean the grooves between probes. This probing procedure might sound silly, but it works, & it can save a whole lot of time in certain situations like when searching for old outhouse sites.

 

[woody]

I use a three prong cultivator made out of spring steel.
Snow and Nealy makes it.
The steel is about the size of a coathanger.

 

[Flaschenjager]

John - Welcome to the forum,
I have a page that lists the basics that I carry to most, but not all digs. Check it out and hope you find what's best for you.

http://members.aol.com/meechuta/tools.html

 

[deepwoods]

You DEFINATLY want to have something to clip roots.

 

[IRISH]

One of the best digging tools you can get is made by getting a four prong stainless steel garden fork and cutting off the outside two prongs while leaving the bit for your foot to press it in, it's good for turning soft tip gently and can still be used for ripping through clay/rust/tin. also a good shovel/spade with as little an angle as possible on the head (in relation to the handle). There are many things you can make that may make life a bit easyer in some spots but the above two tools with a good probe is all you need to dig most sites.
If you think you can get away with it a backhoe or a Cato/JCB or the like is good to bring along too [] [] .

 

[Bill D.]

Here's my arsenal of tools

Don't use them all every time out, but generally keep them with me just in case. You just never know what you might need.

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[Monsonant]

Bill D , Looks like ya got it pretty much covered !!!! Using socks to protect some of the better finds is a great idea and a new one for me . I see that you use a screen . Screening can turn up some great small stuff that is easily missed like coins and marbles. I always bring a small , tough , water proof pad to kneel on(The one I have used for years is from a child's toboggan ) and lately have started using Rubber knee pads when the ground is dry and those hard plastic ones when its not. For the actual digging I use a small garden cultivator , three prong , spring steel that I customized (after it broke ) by adding a 24" hardwood handle and a 4 prong potato hook . The tines on both these tools are well worn with rounded points and seldom scratch. Dave A PS A Japanese style razor saw is great for cutting roots and fits into a pack easily.