A Tool for All Jobs

Everywhere we have traveled in India, we have seen the tool shown below, a combination hoe and shovel. We have seen it used for digging, trenching, shoveling, mixing mortar, you name it and it's probably been done. When we came out of church last Saturday after Institute, there were some men digging for some type of utility work and since Sister Tanner had the camera, we recorded the "tool".

I have actually used one of them and it doesn't take long to get the hang of it. When our neighbor's cat was run over last summer, I borrowed one from the construction guys down the street and dug a grave in front of our house with it. Well, I got the hole partially dug before the neighbor's guy insisted on taking the shovel/hoe from me and finishing the job.



The pick was for the asphalt, but the rest of the hoeing and shoveling is done with the "tool".









As a hoe or broad pick ... I have no idea how long my back would last doing the job the same way this young man is doing it. Yes I do, about 10 minutes. I guess my neighbor's help did me a big favor.

As a shovel ...