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Shovels and Spades: What's the Difference

Shovels and Spades: What's the Difference

Shovels and Spades: What's the Difference

By Jeff Kocan

In prepping for this post, I did a little informal research and asked some friends and neighbors if they knew the difference between a shovel and a spade. Every one of them said the same thing: spades are the ones with a pointed tip. I used to think the same thing too! I’m guessing the confusion is caused largely by garden spades—which do tend to be pointy—and good old-fashioned playing cards and their classic spiky black spades. The truth is, shovels and spades can both have pointy or flat blades—the real difference is in their intended function. And it’s a pretty big difference!

It's not the front edge that determines whether a tool is a shovel or a spade; it’s the depth of the tool itself—the curve (or lack thereof) of the face of the implement. This greatly affects the way the tool will handle and which jobs it will be suitable for. Put very simply, a shovel is for moving material, while a spade is primarily for cutting soil and digging holes.

With a flatter, shallower face, the spade is meant for digging, piercing, cutting. It’s an edge tool, first and foremost. If you need to cut soil or dig precisely—particularly for things like straight edging on garden beds—it’s the tool you need. Need to break ground? Grab a spade. They’re essential tools for anyone who spends a lot of time doing gardening, landscaping, or building. Of course, the shape of the spade is dictated by the work to be done. Need to dig deep through tough terrain and tangled roots? A pointed spade is your closest ally. Working to a tight line to create a garden bed is made much easier, however, with a flat-bladed tool.

Sold out

Where a spade is made for digging, a shovel, with its greater curve and a deeper “bowl,” made for scooping and moving large amounts of material, from dirt to gravel to concrete. Quite simply, a shovel is built to hold and transport far more material than a spade. As with the spade, of course, the job determines the best shape: dig out holes or piles of rough soil with a pointed shovel, but use a straight-front shovel to scrape material off of flat surfaces like pavement. (Imagine your favorite snow shovel then imagine trying to use a pointed one.)

It might seem basic, but this is good information for all of us to know. Our beloved decks of cards have been causing too much confusion for too long! Although it’s worth noting that in some parts of Europe, the suit of spades goes by a different name. In parts of Germany it’s Schüppeor Schippe, while the Swiss use the term Schuufle, meaning ... you guessed it ... shovels!

In prepping for this post, I did a little informal research and asked some friends and neighbors if they knew the difference between a shovel and a spade. Every one of them said the same thing: spades are the ones with a pointed tip. I used to think the same thing too! I’m guessing the confusion is caused largely by garden spades—which do tend to be pointy—and good old-fashioned playing cards and their classic spiky black spades. The truth is, shovels and spades can both have pointy or flat blades—the real difference is in their intended function. And it’s a pretty big difference!

It's not the front edge that determines whether a tool is a shovel or a spade; it’s the depth of the tool itself—the curve (or lack thereof) of the face of the implement. This greatly affects the way the tool will handle and which jobs it will be suitable for. Put very simply, a shovel is for moving material, while a spade is primarily for cutting soil and digging holes.

With a flatter, shallower face, the spade is meant for digging, piercing, cutting. It’s an edge tool, first and foremost. If you need to cut soil or dig precisely—particularly for things like straight edging on garden beds—it’s the tool you need. Need to break ground? Grab a spade. They’re essential tools for anyone who spends a lot of time doing gardening, landscaping, or building. Of course, the shape of the spade is dictated by the work to be done. Need to dig deep through tough terrain and tangled roots? A pointed spade is your closest ally. Working to a tight line to create a garden bed is made much easier, however, with a flat-bladed tool.

Sold out

Where a spade is made for digging, a shovel, with its greater curve and a deeper “bowl,” made for scooping and moving large amounts of material, from dirt to gravel to concrete. Quite simply, a shovel is built to hold and transport far more material than a spade. As with the spade, of course, the job determines the best shape: dig out holes or piles of rough soil with a pointed shovel, but use a straight-front shovel to scrape material off of flat surfaces like pavement. (Imagine your favorite snow shovel then imagine trying to use a pointed one.)

It might seem basic, but this is good information for all of us to know. Our beloved decks of cards have been causing too much confusion for too long! Although it’s worth noting that in some parts of Europe, the suit of spades goes by a different name. In parts of Germany it’s Schüppeor Schippe, while the Swiss use the term Schuufle, meaning ... you guessed it ... shovels!

Written by Jeff Kocan

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