How to sharpen a spade

Excerpted from Garden Tools and Equipment by Best of Fine Gardening (Taunton Press, 1995)

Spades work better when sharp. A close-up of a blade before sharpening shows a nicked and rounded edge capable of cutting through sod and roots only with great effort.

Several passes with a bastard mill file give a bright clean edge that will cut with less effort and yet resist wear and nicks.

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