Misconception about public perceptions :twodetecting:

[Ray-Mo.]

It should go without saying that the recovery method is of utmost importance.Leaving a site better than we found it should be the norm.
Also no need to get defensive and if you are satisfied carrying a small butcher knife on public school property go right ahead.Maybe ask someone in a position of authority if they will allow it while you are carrying it on said property.Just do not expect any sympathy from me when they arrest you on felony weapons charges.
One of the things my 85 year old father has a hard time with is the fact that he has done things a certain way for over 40 years and never had a problem.It is not about what has been ok but more about preventive measures before we create a problem possibly because of non-detectorists ignorance.
Our location can make a lot of difference in what is OK or acceptable but when we post on a public forum many folks do not take that into account.

 

[tippyhound]

I guess it was a mistake posting pictures of my digging tool on the forum. No harm was meant. Just wanted to show people a way to recover targets with out making a mess of the property, as that's always been a big priority of mine, and I will check with police to make sure there is no problem with using the knife to dig with. Like you said old habits are hard to break. By the way what digging tool do you recommend for us old fellas that have problems pushing these new broad tools into the ground, and is it OK to sharpen them to make cleaner cuts so as not to leave the ground to much of a mess?

 

[sandnsea49]

to help me get up after kneeling down for a target and my holes are no bigger than they would be if I were using a hand held digger.

 

[Bell-Two]

Yes I use the shovel but again only in field sites, never in a public setting, I just do not want to cause any problems or concerns. When in the public parks and generally any place else including private yards I use a Lesche 85 Digger. To help me get up I carry a walking stick. If you have seen some of my videos my hunting partner's 7 year old son will tag along with me and he carries for me what he calls my "Old Man's Stick" !

 

[tippyhound]

I know what you mean about needing help with getting up and down. In the last 4 to 5 years the arthritis in both of my knees has gotten so bad I have had to have something to hold onto to get back up. I started out with a cane or walking stick when it was just my right knee, but both have gotten so bad in the last year that during warmer weather my wife digs for me. Now that the weather has turned colder her arthritis in her hands limits how long she can stay out even when she wears gloves.
I have this year went to dragging a light plastic sturdy lawn chair behind me to help with getting up. It doesn't interfere with the detector, and gives me a place to rest when my knees get tired enough I have to set down. I'm sure it looks kind of funny, but it beats staying home in the old rocking chair, and I'm not ready for that yet. Years back when the detectors weighed in at 5 to 6 lbs I used to hunt for 10 to12 hrs a day but these days with the machines weighing in at 21/2 to 31/2 lbs , 2 to 3 hrs is my limit. By the way I have read where some people complain about the E-Trac being so heavy, and to be honest I haven't noticed that at all. The machine is well ballanced and does little to tire me. The arm rest is a little inconvenient when your wearing a coat as it is hard to get your arm through the band. Will be looking for a solution for that also.

I've been looking at the Lesche digging tools today. Unlike my Mine Lab digging tool it is a 1/4 " narrower and the serrated edge is on the right side instead of on the left as on my Mine Lab which would make the digging easier and would not tear up the grass so much when cutting the holes. I'm going to order one and give it a try.

Rick (IL)

 

[Bell-Two]

I sympathise with you on your arthritic knees, it does creep up on us as we get a bit older! I can still get by with the walking stick and I use knee pads as well and I found they help quite a bit in my case. They have cushion that sort of springs me up a bit and I can turn a bit on them easily to get my leg in the best position to get up with. An interesting point on the Lesche diggers made by Predator tools as opposed to the other ones, the Predator tool one can be ordered in left hand or right hand version, in right hand version serrations are on the right hand side as you are looking down on it. The one in the picture is a right handed model. I hope your knees get better.

 

[Deep Digger]

The idiot jab was a strong one. Granted it is your opinion, which is what everyone else is giving.
Size makes a difference to those people who like to find things that bother them.
A small shovel looks like a small shovel, and a lesche digger looks like Rambo's weapon of choice.
The people who are scared by a shovel are the same people scared of a lesche and are more
than likely scared of a guy in the park with a screwdriver.
A small cutting tool in your hand is just as "scary" as a big one to some. I think the hobby
gets a lot of attention (good and bad) based on what people see, what people think, and what us as
detectorists do. Carry what you want, people (for the most part) have already made up their minds!
Deep Digger

 

[tippyhound]

Bell Two - Thanks for the reply. Your information about the Lesche digger was a lot of help. My Mine Lab digger has the serrated edge on the left side which means I was given a left hand digger and I am right handed which explains why I was having so much trouble using it. Know anyone who needs a left handed digger I know where he can get one real cheap. I will be ordering a new right hand digger right away, should solve my digging problem.

As far as the knees are concerned I had my right knee operated on a couple years ago, I walk better with it but the knee is still stiff and it is pain full to get up and down on. The left knee is more of the same, but the Doc. says it's not bad enough to operate on yet. Of course he's not living with it.

I guess I should have given up on metal detecting a while back but I love this hobby as much today as I did when I was 22 and just starting out. As long as I can find a way to get out there I will.

Thanks again. Rick (IL)

 

[Ray-Mo.]

I do not think there is much wrong with your knife as a digger other than at sites where it would be considered an illegal weapon. The sharpened lesche type diggers are going to cause the same issues in that respect.For school property a trowel type digger is about all that will be allowed because of all the new laws the government has instituted for our safety Even a sharp screwdriver will be frowned upon.
I did not mean to sound disrespectful toward you either and want you to know I always do my best to respect my elders.Hope you are able to get in many more years of hunting,Ray.