Spade

[1] Early spades were made of riven wood or of animal bones (often shoulder blades).

With a metal tip, a spade can both break and move the earth in most situations, increasing efficiency.

Noting that the term "garden spade" is attached to certain sharp-edged but square ended tools suited to cutting through sod.

A sharpshooter is a long, narrow spade - sometimes with thick flanged treads extending beyond the width of the blade to allow for a boot to fit on - for getting into tight spots or for cutting post holes.

The fishtail spade has a flared triangular blade combining the versatility of the dutch hoe and power of the common round point shovel into a multipurpose tool.

[4] This suited the moist climate of Ireland as the trenches formed by turning in the sods providing drainage.