Saturday, June 10, 2006

The Entire Hoe Collection!

The Entire Hoe Collection!


American Standard - An Old Standby



Pointed American Hoe – Red, White and Blue



Plow Hoe, From Poland



The Winged Weeder – A Super Hero Hoe!



Grub Hoe, When You Need a Hardworking Hoe!



Collinear Hoe – Sharp!



Putter Hoe, But Not For Golf



Gooseneck Hoe Coming After You



Push Hoe – When You Are Tired of Pulling



Half Moon Hoe on a Foggy Morning



Rogue Hoe Dog - Sharp, with a nose for weeds!


Scuffle Hoe - For the indecisive - do you push it or pull it?


The Garden Hoe - A Gardener's Best Friend, and A Weed's Greatest Foe


Three Old Hoes


Stirrup Hoe - Cuts down weeds like a true champ!


A Ro-Ho Gardener, a unique hoeing machine!


A good American hoe, well-used, but still very useful.


The Cobrahead, no weed is safe from it's quick strike.


The Circlehoe, runs circles around weeds.


An old Asian hoe, reminds us of the timelessness of gardening and gardening tools.


The Deck Digger, because even decks need to be hoed on occasion.


This old grub hoe has a secret past!

The Let-Us Weeder... good in the lettuce patch and any patch!

The Hooke ‘n Crooke™, it's more than "just a hoe", it does everything!



The hoe●dag®. As handy a hoe as I've ever used. It digs, dugs, dags, and I love it!


The Fork Hoe, perfect for moving mulch and cultivating the hard-packed soil!



The Corona® Garden Hoe. Red-handled, professional quality, a good hoe for any garden.


The DeWit Pull Spork Hoe from Garden Tool Co. When you can't decide "fork" or "hoe", you can't go wrong with a spork hoe!

The Rake 'n Hoe. It's a hoe... and a rake!

The Corona oscillating hoe. It works on the push and the pull so you can weed twice as fast.

The Broot Garden Weeder. As tough a hoe as you'll find among stirrup type hoes.


From time to time, I get a few questions about my hoes, and a request or two to show them all in one post rather than in individual posts. Well, here you go, for all to see, my "hoe collection" on display.

Does anyone have a favorite hoe that isn't like one in my collection? If so, let me know, I'd love to hear about it!

Yes, I've got a few hoes on my "want" list, like any good collector who has a collection.

Yes, these are mostly working hoes. I do use them, some more than others.

Oh, and how did I get the hoes posed like they are? I used a "MacGregor Tool Butler" of course!

(This post last updated May 16, 2009, with my newest hoe and a few links to sources.)

Happy Hoeing, Everyone!

62 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the hoes! How fun.

Taracotta said...

Hi Carol...stopping by your blog, LOL@the hoes.....WOW...didn't realize that their are so many of them out there...I only have one and wouldn't even know what to do with half of those. LOL I'll be checking out more of your blog after I have my breakfast and do a bit of house work. Take care.

Taracotta

Anonymous said...

How about making a "Ho Ho Ho" trellis???

Rae Ann said...

I LOVE them! How cool! I'd like to link to this post if it's okay.

Rainypete said...

That puts my "gardeing with a screwdriver" approach to horticulture to shame!!!

~~ Melissa said...

I suddenly feel so hoe-less. The only one I have is an antique one from an auction that got tossed in with some other stuff. I want a real one now.

Stuart said...

I heard about your "hoe"post through some other blogs and thought I had to check it for myself. Awesome collection Carol.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol, living on a farm I have many hoes; and they are not all my girlfriends!!!

Anonymous said...

That's quite a collection of hoes. I have just become the proud owner of an Ibis hand hoe, as used all over the Far East. It has a similarity to your Polish one but is curlier. Can be used to dig holes for planting as well. Yesterday I harvested 2 potato plants with it without harming a spud.
I had been looking for one for months and then came across an Australian website called Gundaroo Tillers who directed me to their London seller and sent me one at the cost of £12.50.
I have his details if you want to add to your collection.
Anne

Anonymous said...

I think you missed a few hoes. Better get some more. To a non-gardener like grandmainazoo, it looks like too much work. But she admires someone like you who make this world a little greener & attractive. Couldn't do without you

Anonymous said...

The Grub Hoe makes me think of the Hoe I was forced to use during my stay in a Jap camp durin WW11 in what is now Indonesia> I would like to obtain one about 7" wide by 9 or 9.5 high. Can you direct me to a dealer that can supply me with one. Many thanks. W van G

Carol Michel said...

I currently like the hoes at Rogue Hoe (www.roquehoe.com). They have an Ag Hoe that isn't exactly like my grub hoe, but it is close.

Kathy said...

I recognized the MacGregor tool butler right away! Love that Lee Valley Tools.

Are you familiar with mallows, such as Zebrina? If so, what hoe would you recommend to use to remove a zillion malva seedlings?

Greg C said...

Carol, I love your blogs. This one on the hoes brought a smile to my face. I met two ladies last year that have a company called "Two Ladies and a Hoe" I just love plants and plant people.

Unknown said...

Carol,

wonderful page, we love the gooseneck!

nina and rhiannon

lisa said...

That's the best-looking group of hoes I've ever seen! ;)

kate said...

Now I've seen your hoe collection! It is impressive. Some of those hoes are completely new to me.

Sweet Home and Garden Carolina said...

A great collection, Carol. Do you have the oldest metal garden tool which is considered by many horticulturists to be the finest in the world ? It's the Korean hoe and you can find it at Acrossthegardenfence.com website.

Just what you need, another hoe !

Unknown said...

Hi Carol,
My mother inherited a hoe from her
aunt it is pointed on one side of handle and flat edged on the other. IT IS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS! It is very similar in structure to a mattock, only smaller head with a longer handle.
Do you have any idea where I can purchase one of this style. I hate to keep borrowing hers.
Thanks!

Carol Michel said...

Ace... try Lee Valley Tools for your hoe. Maybe it is this one
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=44737&cat=2,44823&ap=1

Karen and Ralph said...

Hi Carol,
What a great collection of hoes. We have several different shapes also. One of my favorites is a very old hoe that someone made by hand. It has a blade like a Cobra head on a long handle.It's great for making little trenches for planting seeds in our vegetable garden. I'll bet you have your favorites too. I think of hoes like knives in the kitchen. You don't use the same knife for every job. Have you heard of the circlehoe? It's a new shape designed specifically for weeding and cultivating close to your plants. My husband is the inventor of the circlehoe which has received rave reviews from gardening experts. I'd like to invite you to check out our website at www.circlehoe.com and tell me what you think.
Thanks,
Karen

Carol Michel said...

Karen, I am all too happy to check out your circle hoe, as I am always interested in new designs.

Anonymous said...

wonderful collection! I like the oldies but goodies.. seems like the tools you can buy today just do not hold up! I can't tell you how many rakes alone I have gone through!

Anonymous said...

What a great collection!

I bought my hoe from a Ozark hillbilly; had to replace the rotten handle. It looked very much like one in your picture of three old hoes. He called it a rabbit face hoe.

Kylee Baumle said...

So Carol, I have a Smith & Hawken putter hoe which is going on eBay soon, because I have used it or rather TRIED to use it and can't really figure out what it's good for. Enlighten me?

Diana said...

Carol - I love your hoes. They're so interesting and different. Who knew?! Not me, I have a hoe. One. Just one. Now, I'm thinking it must be very lonely. And it doesn't get to live in a beautiful garden like yours. It's relegated to a large clay pot in the garage. I feel remiss!!!

Anonymous said...

I really appreciate hoes and didn't see a rounded boomerang scuffle hoe. These are the best hoes I have ever used. Where the hell do I find one of those?

mshostas said...

A hoe bunch of good hoe information Thanks

m.

MA said...

As I told you in Austin, u dah 'hoe da culture! get it, horticulture!!!!!

So good to spend a weekend with you. Hope all grows well in your garden.

Anonymous said...

Great hoe collection. I collect old sprinklers, and old sprayers. I also like antique odd-ball implements that seem to have some connection to old farming and gardening techniques. I've got a fantastic ash-sifter, which I affectionately call my ass-shifter!

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol,
I met a gentleman from the U.K. using a English hoe but then said it was really a French hoe. It was the push hoe you posted. Any ideas where I could get one? It was even self sharpening.

Carol Michel said...

Lorilie... I got that push hoe from Lee Valley tool supply (www.leevalley.com)

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol!

I happened on your blog as I was tracking down a garden tool I really need. Now I "need" many more :)

I have a suggestion for a tool, and a question about one that's here:

Question: where did you get the Polish Plow Hoe? I really do need one of those! Brilliant, but I've never seen one anywhere (including Lee Valley!)

Suggestion: The "Ho-Mi" digger--an ancient Korean tool. It was what I was looking for, but couldn't remember the name of. Lee Valley has it as a "Ho-Mi" digger, but not in the hand tool or weeding section of the website, which was confusing! I had to find the name of it before I could find it on the site. West Coast Seeds (the Canadian version of "Territorial," though an independent company) carries it as the "All Purpose Easy Digger." It's either very close to or the same as an ibis hoe, and possibly a kana hoe . . .

Anyhow, if you have a source for the plow hoe, I'd be really grateful!

Anonymous said...

Carol, my link is broken here. I can do a photobucket link if you would like. Just let me know by dropping me a note on my profile page at blotanical. I'm not blogging now-just reading. Thank you so much for letting me participate in the Hoe Collection. I got lots of nice complements about it.
Anna--FGG

Anonymous said...

I've heard about a hoe called Weedivator but can't find a source to buy one. It looks like it could be a favorite if found...have you added it to your collection yet? If so, where did you purchase it?

Anonymous said...

You will never know the pleasure of hoeing until you have owned a "Shuffle" hoe,and NOT Lee Valley's model!

Anonymous said...

Re; The "Shuffle Hoe" did a search & found the exact model I am referring to. It has apparently other names including the "Wiggle hoe". What is not clear from the attached article is that the cutting blade is hinged & wiggles back & forth as you use it. Bought it 25 years ago $10, and have used it extensively every year since, servicing it with a drop of oil on the hinge from time to time. Reach for it 95% of the time. Wilkinson make some good hoes at 10 times the price, but not nearly as pleasant to use as the Shuffle.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cornucop/con051254015844.html

Anonymous said...

Re; SHUFFLE hoe

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/
forums/load/cornucop/
con051254015844.html

For some strange reason this post will not contain the full URL! I have rearranged it into 3 lines.

Anonymous said...

Re; WEEDIVATOR

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.weedivator.com/Weedivator_files/four.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.weedivator.com/&h=258&w=142&sz=7&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=s7TGgaPkyzEc4M:&tbnh=112&tbnw=62&prev=/images%3Fq%3DWeedivator%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff

Looks very handy to me, even has a scuffle hoe option although it does not appear to be hinged!

Anonymous said...

What made you become a hoe collector????

Kate and Crew said...

Hi Carol...thought you might be interested that I gave your hoe collection a shout out on my little gardening blog . I'm so impressed with it that I had to pass it along! You are the Queen of Hoes!

Kate

Unknown said...

This is both truly impressive and really funny. Who knew there were so many kinds of hoes and that one person could own all of them. Would you say that you collect hoes like the fashion conscious collect shoes?

And your Ro-Ho should have a pirate theme.

Campo Girls Gardening in Spain said...

LOL loving the hoe post, funnily enough our forum is called "campo girls and hoes" so I posted your blog post onto our forum so our members can come and have a look, I thought it was great :)

Anonymous said...

Dear Carol, I am starting a garden this year. I lokked up your cobra hoe on line and it is offered for sale at Thodes (Floral shop) in LaPorte IN and my mother in lawpicked on up for me half price. Hopefully no weed will be immune from the deadly strike. Ha! LK

LeatherneckJoe said...

Very nice hoes! Have you heard of the Rogue Pro Hoe? It claims to be the strongest garden hoe and is made out of recycled agriculture steel. http://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/category/rogue-prohoe-the-strongest-garden-hoe

ryan said...

That's a great collection. A few I'd never seen and am not really sure how to use.
When I worked on trail crews we had a few hoe-like tools that you don't see in gardens much. The cutter mattock is the one that you do most often see. Is often described to people as a really beefy hoe crossed with an axe. Another favorite tool is the McCleod, again, not exactly a hoe, but often described as like a hoe. And the Pulaski, a double-bitted axe twisted to have a hoe-like blade.
Anyways, love the collection.

Brigl said...

I really like your collection. I have been expanding my vegetable garden over the last few years into what seems like a never ending weeding nightmare. I use several different sizes of the traditional American hoe and I have purchased a stirrup hoe (action hoe) from sears that works a lot more efficiently. Would you recommend a higher quality stirrup hoe like yours or something different. I currently have about 20 200ft long rows that are built up high. Thanks

weedevil said...

I love the hoe collection I have kept my hoe affair quite for a long time and now thanks to you I can come out of the garage with it...THANKS for setting me free...Rolling with Laughter!!!

Vetsy said...

Carol I can see that I'm going to learn a lot by reading your blogs.

I had never seen such a vast and unique variety of hoe's like yours.

Home depot, Lowes and some of the garden centers have several in which to chose from, but none like these.

They appear to be some fun to work with garden tools. Wow I would love to have some of those.

By the way.. is that a Red bud tree that your cobra head hoe is leaning against? I love Red buds I think that they are so pretty.

Kaarina said...

this is just a crazy amount of hoes! Do you use every single one of them? Very impressed and had no idea there were so many different kinds. Thanks for all the hoe knowledge.

Anonymous said...

hey Carol-
I'm starting a new green/organic gardening business in Indianapolis and wanted to get some feedback:

would anyone be interested in getting their Mom a garden for Mother's Day?

How it works: we till, and plant an organic vegetable garden in your backyard. Maintenance of the garden is also available.

Let us know what you think by posting a comment

Carol Michel said...

I'm sure there are people who would like someone to plant their garden for them. For those who want to maintain the garden themselves, you can include a hoe in the package.

Sean said...

I have several hoes in my garden tools collection, but I've got a couple that I can't identify. One seems pretty much like a colinear, but has two points of connection instead of a single rod in the middle, while the other has a triangular leading edge with serrations on it.

The first works quite well for cutting up patches of grassy material and small weeds, while the serrated one seems to do a number on the woodier root stalks (such as wild radish).

Anyone care to identify:
http://www.professional.org/snaps/index.html?dirname=gardening/tools/

I'd like to identify them so that I might be able to find replacements should they ever break.

Bazarwa Lazarus said...

Hi, your hoe collection is amazing and it is exactly what am looking for as i prepare to enter into gardening iommediately after my University education. I wish to get your recommendations on the type of hoe favourable for Ugandan soils in Africa.

commonweeder said...

I came to examine your hoe collection to try and find a name for the favorite hoe of a friend. His hoe looks like a combination of your winged weeder and collinear hoe - But I find collinear hoes have different blade shapes. I like a scuffle hoe and I'm going to sharpen up my push hoe. I need to learn more about sharpening.

Unknown said...

Alex Leiw said...
I'm sturding a herbs course and came across your website, as you have nice pictures of all the collection of garden hoes and that's fantastic..
Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I work a 30X60 plot at the Community park in Garberville California. The hoe that works for me the best is the shuffle hoe. I have used many and it nails weeds the best. The circle hoe looks interesting though.
Blessings and Peace
Kevin Mc Grath

Tigger's Mum said...

You don't seem to have a torpedo hoe - we use 'em in NZ and it is only since trying to buy one in UK that I discover they might be confined to NZ and Aus. In fact I didn't know they were called torpedo hoe until I started trying to find one. They possibly have most in common with your scuffle hoe.

Michael Matthew said...

thanks

Daniel said...

Awesome post!! I learnt more from this post!!! Thank you very much for sharing your tools And your experience!!!!! Your Hoe collection is really appreciable. Thanks.

Jaro said...

It is November and I am trying to purchase a hoe, but no luck. I came across your post and had fun reading it. Good, fun way to learn how many kinds of hoes there are. I will look for plain pointed american. :)
Thank you.

BaileyG said...

This is such a FUN read!! I love seeing the photos too.