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Coal shovels ?


CompairHolman

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5 minutes ago, CompairHolman said:

My small coal shovel I got from Wilco's bent and collapsed in two weeks, does anyone know where to get a proper heavy duty one not made of biscuit tin metal from ? 

find a local blacksmith and have a poper one made, it will outlive you.

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Wha @mrsmelly and @dave moore said. Modern ones are pressed tin and usually fail where the blade transitions in to the curved bit that forms the socket for the handle. I am on my third cheapy one and now look for substantial amounts of metal in this area. A properly forged one would last forever, but would be expensive to get made new. 

 

When shovel No2 fell to bits, I did consider one of these. Proper shovels, made for steam trains, but a bit big!

 

Jen

Just realised, this was my 1000th post! ??

Edited by Jen-in-Wellies
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Look for an old vintage one on eBay, they don't make 'em like that anymore. I bought an old heavy copper skillet a couple of months ago after becoming fed up with the biennial bottom dropping out of the modern version, a whole £10 and it will probably outlast me!

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There used to be a proper ironmongers on Nantwich Road many years ago.  I bought a hand shovel for coal on the boat over twenty years ago.  One piece metal and still in regular use.  I looked at it quite closely a couple of weeks ago and it doesn't show any signs of failing.

However, the way of things is that the shop closed about ten years ago, to be replaced by suppliers like Wilco where price is considered far more important than quality.

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1 hour ago, dor said:

 

However, the way of things is that the shop closed about ten years ago, to be replaced by suppliers like Wilco where price is considered far more important than quality.

Even at higher prices, good quality is not assured. A few years ago I bought Mrs. Athy a trug which came with some small garden tools. The second time she used thetrowel, its blade bent almost 90% towards the handle. I took it back to the shop (a well-heeled looking garden centre) whose employee looked at me gone out and said "They're not meant to be used, you know". After a brief but lively exchange of views, he did replace it by taking the trowel out of another trug set, whose future purchaser would presumably never know that he was supposed to get a little trowel as well as a fork and whatever else was included.

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5 minutes ago, Halsey said:

Proper old fashioned ironmongers - atherstone, rugby, rugeley, others will mention more depending on where you are??? 

For years we have used Johnson's in March, a family-run shop, but I rather think that they have recently closed.

EDIT: just found out that they had their closing-down sale in May last year. Established 1839 apparently - most regrettable. It seems increasingly difficult to find shops which sell things that people actually need.

Edited by Athy
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18 minutes ago, Athy said:

For years we have used Johnson's in March, a family-run shop, but I rather think that they have recently closed.

EDIT: just found out that they had their closing-down sale in May last year. Established 1839 apparently - most regrettable. It seems increasingly difficult to find shops which sell things that people actually need.

Sadly I think we are all to blame in our quest to buy as cheaply as possible on Amazon/eBay etc - I find the hardest thing to do these days is to buy quality items esp "ironmongery" even when you are happy to pay for it - Drill Bits which will actually drill a hole in steel without breaking and good v small screwdrivers which are a good fit and wont "strip" on first use being a recent example.

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27 minutes ago, Dav and Pen said:

Think proper coal shovels were No 9. 3 shovel fulls for 56 lbs if you can still Romberg old money

I don't get the Romberg reference: some sort of test of balance and dizziness, according to t'internet. Er....

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1 hour ago, Athy said:

I don't get the Romberg reference: some sort of test of balance and dizziness, according to t'internet. Er....

Sigmund Romberg,the composer who wrote the music for the operettas,The Student Prince,and The Desert Song among other compositions.

Irrelevant I know,but I love airing my ignorance! 

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32 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

Sigmund Romberg,the composer who wrote the music for the operettas,The Student Prince,and The Desert Song among other compositions.

 

'Cherry Pie'? Oh no, that's the Dessert Song.

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18 hours ago, CompairHolman said:

My small coal shovel I got from Wilco's bent and collapsed in two weeks, does anyone know where to get a proper heavy duty one not made of biscuit tin metal from ? 

Our first one from Wilko did the same. On the second one I took a suitable big of kindling, or sticks depending on where in the country you are, whittled it a bit to give it some taper and hammered it up the handle. Has lasted several years now.

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5 hours ago, Athy said:

For years we have used Johnson's in March, a family-run shop, but I rather think that they have recently closed.

EDIT: just found out that they had their closing-down sale in May last year. Established 1839 apparently - most regrettable. It seems increasingly difficult to find shops which sell things that people actually need.

There’s Thimonnier in Bussière Poitevine, quite convenient for me, but not perhaps the nearest for most members of the forum? The staff still wear those brown cotton coats and will sell you a single nail or everything you need to rebuild your house.

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6 hours ago, Athy said:

For years we have used Johnson's in March, a family-run shop, but I rather think that they have recently closed.

EDIT: just found out that they had their closing-down sale in May last year. Established 1839 apparently - most regrettable. It seems increasingly difficult to find shops which sell things that people actually need.

East End DIY are pretty good. 

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1 minute ago, pearley said:

East End DIY are pretty good. 

....though not so much if you're travelling by car - cramped access and car park. We have used it, but it doesn't have the old-time charm which Johnson'd had.

5 minutes ago, Stilllearning said:

 The staff still wear those brown cotton coats and will sell you a single nail or everything you need to rebuild your house.

Ouvert a toute heure, avec M. Rony Barqueur?

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Cast aluminium flour scoops look interesting for coal. 

 

$T2eC16hHJFoE9nh6qTPpBQm7,e!8p!~~60_1.JP

 

You would have to check the sizes and contents as there are several different ones. Looks pretty durable. This is quite a big one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/58oz-Aluminium-Flour-Scoop-Ice-Sweets-Dry-Food-Cereal-Scoop-Bar-Equipment/192623103723?hash=item2cd93b4eeb:m:mJ2zB-RvD7ZM2Qn6XrJ6XTw

 

 

 

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