Caring for hoes

Keep your hoe clean. If the blade is attached with a tang and ferrule, make sure the ferrule sits tight so that soil does not get in and cause the wood to rot.

Sharpen hoes with a large ‘bastard mill’ file. The bevel varies from about 45º for weeding to 85º for heavier hoes used for opening new ground. Place the hoe in a vice, draw the file away from you at the same angle as the bevel, with each stroke traversing the full width of the blade. Lift the file and reposition for each stroke. Maintain an even and constant pressure as much as possible. Use a few cleaning strokes from the inside of the blade to remove burrs.

Store hoes inside away from the weather, blade up (so you don’t step on the blade and wack yourself with the handle).

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Handles
written by Mark Berndt, October 06, 2011

I always sand the varnish off the handles and treat with boiled linseed oil. You get a smooth, good looking handle and the mud does not stick as well. One of the rainy day jobs is to check and maintain all the handles.

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