Topic: How to use an azada?

[caroline7758]

We're going to protugal next week- will have to avoid looking at prices if we see them there! Is it ok to bring something like that back, as long as it goes in the hold?

[gregbaka]

Hello neighbors,

My name is Greg and I run the business that sells azadas in the US and Canada, http://www.easydigging.com    Allotments 4 All kept popping up on my reports as a place that visitors were coming from, so thought I would come say Hello. I can’t sell my tools to Europe so I hope nobody sees this as an advertisement, I just like talking to others about these tools!

England is fortunate that your gardeners now have a few years experience using azadas. The US and Canada is still pretty unaware that the tool even exists. But I'm working on that  ;)

The comments here have been pretty accurate from my experience.

One person mentioned having problems pulling the chunk of soil back after chopping in with the azada - that is the result of too big a bite. The azada is most efficient with small rapid bites rather than a few large bites. From my How To Use page, http://www.easydigging.com/Tool/how_to_use.html
  "Think of it this way, you can use a shovel to move a single 4 lb chunk of soil or
you can use two quick strokes of a digging hoe to move two 2 lb slices of soil -
with less strain, less pain, and in less time! It’s the easy way to dig!"

Another mentioned the issue with too light tools needing to be swung so hard (often from overhead) to chop effectively. That is indeed an issue. Before opening my business I researched azadas from around the world and surveyed the studies that have been done on azadas and the ergonomics of their use. From what I found, the tool head weight vs width, the angle of the blade, and the length of the handle all make a big difference.

Blade Weight and Width: A good rule of thumb I found is to divide the weight of the tool head by the width – tools with a weight/width ratio of .5 lbs/inch or more will dig through grassy sod great, tools less than that are best used only for cultivating existing garden soil that is already somewhat loose. This one reason you don’t see 8” or 10” digging hoe heads, they would have to be TOO heavy to be effective diggers (though they can be good cultivators at that width). 6” is the best digging width I found. See the bottom of my Tool Selection page for more info on this at http://www.easydigging.com/Store/pick_azada.html

Blade Angle: This one is pretty much common sense; the closer to a right angle (70-80 degrees) the better as a digger, while the closer to 60 degrees the better as a cultivator (like a common weeding hoe)

Handle Length: This is the area with most disagreement. I recommend long handles, with the handle being as tall as your armpit/shoulder zone. A lot of agricultural studies in Africa and India have recommended the same because it lets a person work longer with less back and muscle strain (more ergonomic) – but this change has been slow to happen in these country because of cultural habits. More info on the ergonomics and links to these studies at http://www.easydigging.com/Ergonomic/Long_handled_tools.html   

I do understand the attraction to a short handle – it lets you produce a powerful swing just like an ax, sledgehammer, pick or mattocks – but that is not what an azada is all about. Short handle tools like a sledgehammer or mattock are designed for a few heavy blows to break, fracture, or cut something. An azada is for steady large-area digging of soil – and for that you need good ergonomics to be able to do it for a longer length of time.

By making an azada handle too short you make it into a mattocks or grub hoe – which is useful for the few times you really need a mattocks – but then it’s not really an azada anymore. When I talk to folks who REALLY feel they need a short handle that they can swing hard I tell them to get 2 azadas then cut one down as short as they wish and keep the other the proper shoulder height. Then they can work their soil from an efficient upright stance until they reach a particularly compacted or root filled area - which they can hack through with the short handled tool – before going back to the gentler full length tool.

I’d be interested in hearing your experiences or knowledge of azadas, and am willing to share what I have found.

Greg

[caroline7758]

Interesting stuff, Greg. I'd love to see a video of someone using an azada- wonder if you have any links?

[Kea]

I bought one a few weeks ago and it is great. As I said before I'm still breaking in parts of my plot after it was ploughed but not cultivated further. That mattock is better for this initial work but the azada is better on the ground i've already broken in. I used a spade today for the first time in ages to dig a trench for my raspberries (another lot!) and mostly I use the spade to load my wheelbarrow with manure, I don't dig with it!
I walked around my allotment site today and the italians were using their azada's on their well cultivated sites no overhead movements going on and they were using the full length.
Thanks for all the fantastic stamps Greg. :)

[wilko]

Just use it the same as you would a Tescada or Sainsburada.  (Sorry)

 ;D ;D ;D I've just got it  tee heee  :D :D

[GRACELAND]

Ok sounds Good But ,,,,

     I like to dig a good spade deep will i still get that depth ?

       

      Thanks  :)

[cornykev]

Wilko do keep up.   ;D ;D ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Where can I get a long handle? I have mine on a pick handle, and I agree it's too short.

[gregbaka]

Graceland asked: "I like to dig a good spade deep will i still get that depth ?"

...not all at once. The spade and shovel are very different tools. If your spade depth is 8" (excuse my units - I'm metricly cahllenged) and that's how deep you want to dig, then with an azada you would chop 4" deep and move that are toward you and out of the way - then chop an additional 4" deep and pull that soil towards you. Much like the double digging technique but not near as deep. There is a link on my site to a guide to double digging using just the straight azada and a forked azada (Canterbury fork) that would give you some ideas.


Robert Brenchley wrote: "Where can I get a long handle? I have mine on a pick handle, and I agree it's too short."

Since I'm not in England I don't know. But Simon at get-digging.co.uk has 48" handles to fit his tools.

The trouble with azada (eye hoe) handles is that all the eyes have different tapers and diameters. My Brazilian handles have a long slit sawn in the end that a wooden wedge is hammered into to expand the end and lock the handle to the tool. There are lots of pictures on my site on the "handle" pages. So you could get a nice long wooden dowel rod that just fits into your azada head, then saw a long slit in the end (4" I think, I'll check if you want) and use a common axe or sledgehammer wedge to lock it all together. Pick a tough yet flexible wood like ash if possible.

If you do find a tapered handle to purchase locally be sure to take your azada head with you to compare - and figure you may have to whittle the handle down a bit to match the tapers. The Chillington tools are notorious for all having a very different diameters and tapers.

till tomorrow,

Greg Baka

[Larkshall]

Give it a fancy name and advertise it well.

Why not buy the original British Made item
www.chillington.co.uk/

For a longer or thicker handle go to a farm where they have Ash suckers in the hedges and get them to cut one for you. Strip the bark off and let it season, you will have a better handle than any turned handle you buy in a shop. Soak the handle with paraffin or turps substitute regularly and you will keep the woodworm away.

[caroline7758]

There don't seem to be any prices on that site- any idea what they charge?

[emmak]

21.50 delivered for the canterbury hoe

[gregbaka]

Larkshall wrote:
"Why not buy the original British Made item  (Chillington)
For a longer or thicker handle go to a farm where they have Ash suckers in the hedges and get them to cut one for you. Strip the bark off and let it season, you will have a better handle than any turned handle you buy in a shop. Soak the handle with paraffin or turps substitute regularly and you will keep the woodworm away."

  The Chillingtons are good tools (I sell their fork and pointed hoe at EasyDigging.com). From my e-mail conversations with them I believe they sell about 6 versions by mail order in England (they have about 100 other versions used only in Africa, Asia, etc.)

http://www.get-digging.co.uk has a similiar line-up of tools made in Spain (I think)

Your ideas for making handles sounds pretty good. A friend from Africa told me that their farmers do basically the same since manufactured handles are not really available there. Whittling a proper taper on the end of the handle to fit the socket of the azada (eye hoe) would be the tricky part.

Here is quote from another site that tells how to make an eye hoe handle and socket fit so tight it will probably never come loose. The site also has some good insights on using an azada, and gardening and homesteading ideas too...
http://journeytoforever.org/at_hoe.html
HomePage:  http://journeytoforever.org/

ENJOY!

Fitting handles and stocks

In humid weather wood absorbs moisture and swells, when the weather's dry the wood dries out and shrinks. So the stock that was tight and solid in the wet season suddenly loosens when it's dry. Stand it in water overnight, and it will tighten again. Better, stand it in linseed oil. Best of all, use biodiesel.

If you fit the stock to the tool in the first place using Alexander Weygers's method, it will never come loose, rain or shine.

"Heat the handle socket to the point of scorching the wood, then quickly clamp the shovel in the vise and hammer the handle home. If you do not succeed on the first try because the handle does not match the socket curve well enough, you may have to preheat the end before hammering it into place. You can easily accomplish this heating by dipping the curved end in water and holding it in the flame until the water has evaporated and the wood begins to scorch. Repeat this operation maybe four or five times. Between the steam of the evaporating water and the heat of the fire, the entire curved end becomes heated to the core, momentarily making the wood limp. At the same time the handle socket should be heated to the point of scorching wood. Then quickly clamp the blade in the vise and hammer the limp handle into the socket. It will easily follow the curvature of the socket under the hammerblows on the other end of the handle. Following the curvature of the socket, the limp end flexes as if it were made of rubber." -- Alexander G. Weygers, "The Complete Modern Blacksmith", Ten Speed Press, 1997, ISBN 0898158966

[sand]

Caroline,

I don't think there are any kind of restrictions on bringing an azada back in your luggage - bearing in mind they are heavy! 

We also bought back a mouli from Athens (for pureeing vegetables) as they are far sturdier and cheaper than back here.  As our hold luggage was packed we bought it back as hand luggage.  When it went through the scanner the surly young man was very concerned about it and I thought we may have to leave it behind, until a female middle aged greek customs officer scolded him with words that included 'patatas' or something like that.  He then became a very red-faced sullen young man - and we were very smug.

It's been brilliant at making passata and soups.

sand

[simon404]

I bought a chillington hoe (same as an azada) a few years back, the only use I've found for it is for earthing up potatoes. Digging took me twice as long as with a spade and didn't turn the soil over; I suppose it's what you're used to.  :-\

[sazhig]

Where can I get a long handle? I have mine on a pick handle, and I agree it's too short.

I was at our local Countrywide store today & noticed that they had a couple of bins with a good assortment of wooden handles.
http://www.countrywidefarmers.co.uk/

[timelady]

I don't think an azada is always about speed. I found it while looking for something to solve my back paint. Using a fork or spade was/is very painful for me (my back) with heavy clay soil not moved in years (and the cursed couch grass). So for clearing and digging initially it's purely a anatomical choice for me if that makes sense. :) While I can now fork the areas I have already turned over, I still find the azada easier because I can stay pretty upright using it, and not have to lift soil.

Tina.

[telboy]

Timelady,
I think you have a point on this issue.
'Horses for courses'
I still dig with a shovel, I shift earth at an alarming rate, but I have good back & i ain't young by any stretch of the imagination.
But then the rotavator has to come out in the spring /like now/with the wind turning the clods into rocks.
And believe me that's hard work!
I love the pain - like sex backwards!