What do you think of your Deuce of Spades?

It's better than I thought it would be. It's a pretty red color. It's light and seems remarkably strong. Haven't tried it out yet but, our water is out at our house with a plumber working on some re-piping so I just might soon have to go outside and give it a try……

Got mine today too. I got the blue. It weighs 16.8 g, or 0.592 oz! I agree that it feels quite rigid, and it fits rather comfortably in my hand. I went in my back yard and dug a hole with it. Mostly soft dirt, but there were some roots, and even some glass that I dug out. The trowel went right through it. I did have to pay attention as to how I used the handle when actually digging so the edges didn't dig into my hand or palm, but it wasn't too bad. I am sure that I will get the hang of it after I use it a few more times…

Anyway, I am happy with it. It is the first trowel that I have ever bought, and I am happy that this one was it. I think I will have it for quite a while, and at this point, I see no reason to need to replace it…

Also, I had intentions of wrapping some cord around the handle, both to take away the edges on the handle, and to have as my spare cord, however, after using it, I don't think I will do that. It is long enough to dig the required size hole, so I could see lots of dirt getting under/around the cord and being more hassle than I wanted… So, I will keep it as it is…

Edit to add: The Kickstarter is over, however, you can still buy these. I think that he is planning to sell them for around $22 or so, however, we got a nice little note in the mail that says that if you will email Mike and mention my (or any other KS backer) name, then you can also pick one up for $13 plus $3 shipping… that is a total of $16… only $1 more than what we paid on Kickstarter!

Me likee.

I got the yellow, which really is more of a gold color that I like. And weighs in at 0.59 on my scale. Can't wait to try it out.

Aw C'mon JR. I ordered the yellow and was dazzled with the gold hue.

De gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum.

He said 'that I like', not "than I like"….I read it that he preferred the gold color.

Yes, I like the gold.

"De gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum."

Why did you start the thread then?!

;-)

Yep, I misread that/than. I'm with JR, then.

Why did I start the thread? Curious whether people are finding the Deuce comfortable to dig with. Wondered if its thinness would cause issues for people, but it appears not, so far.

Is that OK with you, Ivo, if I start a thread for that purpose? Or do I owe you an apology?

I love it! It's super lightweight, and feels pretty durable. Can't wait to go take a crap in the woods!

I had 11 feet of leftover Zing It (coated spectra cord) from a recent project so I wrapped that around the handle. It's definitely more comfortable to hold now. Chad makes a good point about dirt though, so we'll see if I keep it that way. The Spectra is pretty slick, it should stay a bit cleaner than other types of cordage would.

Weight with the cord is 1 oz even.

Pics or it didn't happen:

Picked one up at the GGG So Cal a few weeks ago. After a couple days of pudding and pie, and 5000mg of sodium infused dehydrated meals, I needed a big hole. Worked like a charm in the DG I was digging in. Mind you, the area had been pulverized by gophers. Looked like the lunar surface under that manzanita. :-) Really though, I was impressed. As light as it is in your hand, I made serious progress on that hole in less than 30 seconds.

Mitchell, I look forward to hearing how you like it with the cord on it after you have used it a few times… :)

I went to the http://www.thetentlab.com website but don't see how to order them. Advice?

See Chad's post…3rd from top

Steve, you may have to send him an email at this point. He just sent out his stock to fulfill the KS backers. I am not totally sure, but I figure he will eventually put up an order page for them now that the KS is all done and fulfilled. He seems to be a pretty responsive person though, so I would shoot him an email for now and go from there.

@ Delmar:

You missed my point entirely, but you are forgiven…

Which was that one either honors the Latin quote you brought up to not dispute tastes and colors – or one starts a thread aiming to dispute them.
Why else would one start a thread on the Deuce?

I didn't miss your point. I didn't ask about the Deuce to debate or discuss aesthetics. I was curious if people were having difficulty digging with the thin profile, as I am. That's not taste or color, that's function. The quote was my way of saying, "Leaving color aside, which is not debatable…" But, like a joke where you have to explain the punchline, having to explain how I used the quote, ruins the effect.

However I am always pleased to be forgiven, because: "Use every man after his desert, and who should 'scape whipping?"

I own the Big Dig Titanium trowel and now own the Deuce of Spades. They both weigh exactly the same, however, the Deuce is much more rigid and therefore more effective.

I wrapped a piece of a LightLoad towel around the shaft and that substantially helped the comfort/feel of the thin edges of the trowel against my hand. Also seems like a single layer of duct tape down the edges of the shaft and onto the shoulder of the spade would help for only a couple of grams.

Now add this bit of information with the new excavating device and the story should be complete.

GO HERE

Randy, that is interesting… I have wanted to pick up one of QiWiz's trowels for a while, just never got around to dropping the $$ on it… I am pretty happy I think with the Deuce of Spades, but was still wondering how it compared to the the Little/Big Digs… Thanks for sharing!

Top to Bottom:
Sea to Summit Nylon Pocket Trowel, $12.99, 91 grams.

Homemade from SMC Snow Stake, $3.50 (I had the cork, glue, and electrical tape laying around), 35 grams.

QiWiz Big Dig, $36.00, 18 grams.

Deuce of Spades, $22 expected retail, 17 grams.

The Deuce is exceptionally wide for a mini packing trowel. That's good for soft earth, I'd think.

Price: $12.00
WEIGHT 1.3oz/36.85g
GO HERE

Hi Delmar,
I was wondering if you had tried the Deuce upside down yet? That should quadruple the ground force versus using it the normal way. I also notice that the edges get better with wear: rounding and texturizing makes it much friendlier on the hand.
Your thoughts…
Best,
Mike