They’re back again: The lightest cathole trowels on the planet ! Titanium, two sizes

Congratulations, Rob! That's a lot of trowels. You should be proud of what you've created. A lot of us are truly digging it. When you become famous, don't forget us little people that made you great! I can't wait to see what other contraptions you come up with…

We need a sticker for the bear canister or car.:) Just need a catchy saying.
Duane

In response to Bryan's question, it would not be difficult to make a more pointy trowel. The advantage is maybe better digging of really hard or compacted soils (personally I try to avoid these situations, but sometimes you have no other option). The disadvantage is that the pointier the trowel, the harder it is to remove loosened soil from your cathole. A tent stake or hiking pole is a good example of this disadvantage in its most extreme form. I tried to send a PM to Bryan to discuss his needs but he does not have PM set up. The bottom line is that I can remove material from the tip of an Original or Big Dig to make the profile more pointy; I just need to know how pointy you want it. Bryan or others with this need can email me a description or a photo of a drawing of what you want. Can you dig it?

I'll have to think of a decal idea. There's probably someone out there with a decal cottage industry I can use. Leave No Trace has one I like saying "Leaving Your Mark is Overrated". How about . . .

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SPECIAL OFFER UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER 2011:
Any past or present trowel purchase gives you 10% off
($5) the price of my newest creation, the "Little Buck" saw:
15 inch blade, about 4 oz! – You know you want one ; )
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Watch for Little Buck post with full description, coming very soon !!

Just sent a payment for a Big Dig. Thank you!

A couple folks have jumped on the special offer, still good till the end of October, and gotten a "Big Dig" UL Trowel AND a "Little Buck" UL Saw shipped to them for a measley $80. If you can't CUT IT, can you DIG IT?

Payment sent for 1 Big Dig and 1 Orginal. Thanks!

Q: Now that Halloween has come and gone, many BPL'ers are wondering
"What should I get that special someone for Christmas?"
or maybe . . .
"What should I ask that special someone to get ME for Christmas?"

A: What could be better than a featherweight trowel?
You decide – "Big Dig" or "Original" – you just can't go wrong!

Can you dig it ?

As it gets colder, you may be sayin' . . .
I think I'll use a WAG bag rather than digging a cathole, but . . .

Q: How are you gonna get those stakes out of frozen ground in the morning?

A: With my trusty Original or Big Dig trowel, of course!

I started off the holiday season by giving away my Original on the last BPL group hike I went on! My Big Dig trowel has found a happy place in my backpack every time I leave the house!!

Robert, is it possible to cut one of the side edges of the BigDig into a sawtooth pattern, making it a multipurpose… DigSaw?
Not sure if you have the working tools necessary to do something like that, but I'd pay a few extra bucks for it. Whatever you think the time is worth.

I could file serrations into one edge of a trowel. However, the trowels are thin (0.016" thick), so I don't think they would work as a wood saw. They probably would work as a serrated knife. If this interests you, email me or PM me and we can work out an arrangement.

I gave it a try, and found I could create sawtooth edge with 3 teeth per inch. It actually cuts wood! I could improve it by bending the teeth outward a tiny bit alternating the direction of the outward bend. Still not sure how useful this would be, but users can be the judge of that, not me. I could also make the saw side longer by not rounding the digging tip much on that side. Anyway, if anyone wants this new option, add $9 to the price of a Big Dig ($45) and I'll get one out to you. Let me know if you want the less rounded digging tip. Here's a closeup of the saw edge teeth:

Might also be useful for cutting snow & ice. Who knows.

I wonder if it might be more robust if the teeth were slightly less deep, given the thinness of the material. But it looks pretty good!

I'm also tempted to ask what you think might happen if the whole trowel was then curved with a flatter, less U-shape, to facilitate cutting through thicker material without jamming up. Would it compromise the strength too much?

Anyway, seeing as I asked for it I'll be the guinea pig :) Expect a payment shortly. Thanks for doing it!
Just give it your best guess as to what you think would work and what wouldn't; I'll trust you and won't complain either way.

OK; its getting mailed tomorrow morning and here's what it looks like. I altered the trowel shape a bit to maximize the saw edge component. Also reduced curvature a bit and tinkered with saw teeth to flare them slightly right and left. How well it will work as a saw remains to be seen. May depend on what you try to saw with it.

Cool, thanks Robert!
I'll report back on its efficacy once I get a chance to use it.

With the new year, many ultralighters are seriously looking at their gear list for that upcoming trek, wondering where they have missed a gram here, and a gram there.

Look no further. If you don't have an Original or Big Dig in your kit, you don't have one of the lightest trowels on the planet! Available nowhere else. Can you dig it?

Meanwhile, the Little Buck 2G saw has been officially unveiled and there's a thread about it on this forum.
Even made a neat little video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M36rgcDWoQY

Happy Digging!

Excellent video!

Robert, would you mind reposting the trowel prices frequently so we don't have to search through all those pages of posts in this thread to find the latest version? Thank you!

I will be ordering a Big Dig later this month. I have the Original which works fine for me, but my grandkids need something a little bigger for effective digging.

If you look at the very first post on this thread, I always have updated information there on prices, availability, special offers, and any other pertinent information.

It's great that BPL allows post editing for as long as they do (thanks moderators!). But to answer your question, for the foreseeable future:

Prices are still:

$36 for the larger Big Dig, 0.6 oz, about 7.15" long
$29 for the smaller Original, 0.4 oz, about 6" long

If I need to ship your trowel outside the continental USA, add another $2

Make PayPal payment to me at robkelly54 at gmail dot com
Use this same gmail to email me with any questions you have

I'm interested in getting both the saw and trowel.
since it's on the original post, can I assume that the $5 off deal is still effective ?

I wonder if the bigger is worth the extra weight/expense.

For that matter I wonder which one is most in demand.

When you are in need
And even in hurry
An UL trowel can speed
Your digging in a flurry

Thru hikers on both coasts are dreaming of
their AT or PCT hike and getting their gear
list together. How about you?

New website with trowel and saw info: QiWiz.net

Includes the ability to order by just clicking a button!
Special offer available!
Pictures!
Video!

More enhancements planned . . . stay tuned

Can you dig it?

There once was a guy from PA
Who was constantly losing his way
Then he lost his trowel
And said with a scowl
"I better get another today!"

Don't you be this unfortunate.
You know you want another one . . .

She smiled and said "How do you do?"
I said, "Excuse me, I'm taking a poo…"
"Well yes, I can see,
But that trowel, well gee!
It's increased your cool factor by two!"

So get a trowel, and get the babes…..