Razor Edge Gator
shudson
Posts: 108
Most of my tools tend to be on the cheaper side, so I decided to bite the bullet and buy myself something nice and hefty. After taking a look at the Razor Edge Gator on the Kellyco site, I bought one from their eBay psuedonym hoping to get a better deal, but alas shipping to Canada made it all balance out in the end and I paid around $60 in the end.
When I received it I was a little underwhelmed. For $60 I was expecting something a little more impressive then a dull tooth, painted black, hori hori wannabe.
Anyone use one of these in the field? Are the "Razor Edge" Gators supposed to be sharp and I just got a dud?
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Comments
LOL..For that price you could get two SS Hori Hori's..And almost shave with them! ! !
I guess you can just put some sharpening to the gator. ;-)
Jerry
I re-enforced the back, because that is where they all fail...I uses 1/8 " welding rods and beefed it up...The edges are sharp enough to cut the roots of most trees..
<< <i>Razor Edge Gator >>
Yes, please. Thank you for entering me in your generous giveaway.
Seriously, tho', I am still happy with my fourteen year old, duct-taped handle, blunt-as-butter old hori-hori knife, but I wouldn't mind me one o' them Lesche tools or Gator Diggers or Razor edge or whateveryoucallem.
I do most of my sodbusting with a small, short-handled shovel these days- it cuts down on the bending and squatting and saves my knees and back, and yet is not so big and unweildy. I find I can cut a nicer, neater, deeper plug with it, anyway, and then if closer work is required in the sides or the bottom of the hole, I whip out the hori-hori I keep in a hip pocket.
In answer to your question: no, your "Razor Edge" tool is not supposed to really be that sharp. That's just a brand name. Sharpness is (a little bit) overrated. You wouldn't want something with a TRUE "razor edge" because it would never hold up under the wear and tear of digging. And you don't want a sharp point, at all. You just need something capable of cutting grassroots and sod, and whatever really sharp tool you use is just gonna end up getting dulled by wear, anyway. The most important quality in a dig knife is blade strength and rigidity- you don't want something with any bend in it at all. I suspect your new tool is just fine in that department.
For roots, you could carry some snips or a small pocket saw, or, if you're brutal like me, a hatchet. I used to use a drywall hammer that had a little mini hatchet on one side of the head of it, which was a good rootbuster, but I lost it. It's probably just as well- one day I would've "hatchetized" a Barber half and then used the tool for suicidal purposes.
Sixty bucks for a digger sounds horrific, but get some use out of it- it sounds like you still have yourself a good tool that will last a long time.
I have noticed that the sawteeth on some of those things are a bit longer than the ones that used to be on the edge of my hori-hori. I long since rounded them off over time, to where they are nothing but little nubs, now. Were I not using the shovel for sod cutting, I would likely try to get my hori-hori's sawteeth sharpened. If yours has longer teeth, it'll likely keep its "sharpness" longer.
All you need is a little grasscutting ability. Down here where there is tough Bermuda grass, that is especially true. Having something for small roots is nice, too, of course, and your tool may be up to the task, there. The big roots you may just have to work around, anyway.
<< <i>This beast slices through anything! It also has a fishing kit, cable saw, waterproof matches and water purification tablets in the handle, can be used as a hammer and the pommel is highly polished stainless steel that can be used as a signal mirror
Hmmm... clearly you need to upgrade. Nowadays, they come with built-in MP3 players, power bars, and inflatable rubber boats! j/k
I guess I shouldn't complain too much since I haven't even used my Gator yet. Like I said, I was just a little underwhelmed when it arrived but looks can be deceiving I suppose. It's just that I know I'm going to need a really good digger for the soil conditions around here. If you believe all the hype, the Gator is supposed to be the next best thing since sliced bread... I'll let you know how it holds up.