Marquette;

I find that the edges on spades, shovels.. even fork tines stay sharp through use. The act of shoving them into soil/sand etc. acts as a sort of sandpaper that sharpens them everytime you use them. So I don't think you need to do anything special in this regard.

Nope.. really all you need to do is keep them clean (brush the dirt off), store them where they will be dry. And, most importantly, talk to them and tell them you love them.

Okay.. your mileage may vary on that last one ;)

Use a 25/75 turps/linseed oil mix on wood handles

WD 40 or engine oil on metal parts, can sharpen with a file at about a 45% angle

In regard to metal/steel care I do as Byron does. In regard to wood handles, I don't have any tools with wooden handles anymore. I get tools with synthetic handles as they are lower maintenance and don't put splinters into my hands ;-)

I do two quite different sorts of things. I've a couple cheap hand tools from WalMart I just leave in raised beds where I use them.

If the tool is quality I scrape off the dirt and spray the metal with WD-40 and put in a shed.

If you like wooden handles, the trick is to keep them from drying out and getting splintery. If Byron's turpentine/linseed oil is too stinky for you, get a chunk of beeswax and rub it well into the handle. Just the plain brown lump, like for use in sewing, is fine. Some people like to melt it a bit in a tin can, then rub it in. (Don't use your good pot for this, use only low heat, and pay attention to what you're doing, as any wax is a burn and fire hazard).

You can brush dirt off the metal parts, and keep an old oil-dampened handtowel in a covered coffee can for wiping the metal with a thin protective coat of oil. This is esp a good idea if you live in a humid area, like here in the Pacific Northwest.

All this applies to your spading forks, shovels, etc, too.

Sue

I'm terrible about it, Marquette. We really should hang our tools. The handles of my shovels, rakes, etc. bend from leaning against a wall. If I was to toss them on the ground, they'd probably be in even worse shape.

Splintering of wood handles can be a problem. I've broken a hoe handle across my knee just out of sheer anger and frustration from driving a splinter into my hand. One lesson here is to wear gloves - the other is enjoying the out-of-doors is part of anger management.

And, speaking of my most hated tool, hoes really need to be sharp. Haven't we all heard the saying, "dull as an old hoe?"

A good bench-mounted sharpening wheel is close to being essential for hoe sharpening unless you enjoy working with a file. I have hoes that have been ground down to a thin blade. In some ways, they work better at that stage.

Despite my negligence, I have a not-too-bad and often used garden rake that is over 30 years old. I've replaced a wheelbarrow of a similar age because it grew too large (funny how that happens ;o).

Steve's digits

ÂAnd, most importantly, talk to them and tell them you love them. Esobofh, I did, but they weren't impressed, probably due to my neglect of their maintenance, not to mention the loss of two of their friends (two very good long-handled tools), a shovel and a spade. Just can't locate them, so they probably got left somewhere out of sight. To prevent further loss, I've begun to wrap orange surveyer's tape on the handles and am thinking of painting all wood handles orange. But, with sanding/priming/painting that'd be pretty time consuming. (The little tools, I tote around in a bucket to prevent loss.)

My husband's grandmother painted the wood handles of all her tools pink, believing that no one, except she, would be seen with pink tools. I think she meant to prevent sticky-fingers..... Sorry, rattling on.....

Byron, Justaguy, and Albert, thanks for your excellent suggestions. Many years ago, I heard of filling sand into a tub and adding engine oil. Then sinking the metal part (of tools) into this mix and leaving the tools standing there for the winter. Good/bad idea? What'ya think?

Belgianpup, you're right on re. splintery handles, and I like the bees' wax remedy. And the oil cloth sounds great also.

Digit, you crack me up with your bent-wood-handles and breaking Âa hoe handle across [your] knee just out of sheer anger and frustration. Your knee didn't splinter, right?

Thanks for all your much-appreciated humor (and suggestions), and happy tool'eling around this winter.....

Years ago, when my kids were small, every fall my leaf
rakes would mysteriously disappear. Seems they got
dragged to a friends house to help make a big leaf
pile for jumping in and after that, the rakes took up residence in the neighbors shed. Well I went out and bought 2 high quality leaf rakes and painted the entire handle with spiral stripes of red and yellow. I never lost
another rake. I found out years later that the kids
never took them out because they were too embarassed
to use them.

I wonder about the wisdom of using used engine oil on tools that will work the soil. Used engine oil is pretty toxic stuff and some comes off into the soil when it makes contact. I know that the quantities released into the soil are probably pretty small but I believe it would be better to use uncontaminated oil.