Sorry about your little buddy. I can appreciate the loss of a well worn, faithful tool. I lost my best nippers this year. I've had them for years. They made the tedious work of beheading thousands of dead blooms in the flower garden seem like fun! Not sure I can replace them with all the cheap imported junk you find these days.

Jack, the only good thing about finally losing an old tool is that it died from wear, not that it was poorly made. I'm constantly explaining to people that while digging forks and trenching shovels may outlast them, trowels and hoes are pretty much consigned to five to ten years of life before they die. Give it a good Viking funeral: if you're lucky, you might know a welder or machinist who might be able to make a new tool from the old scrap.

C'mon, Jack! That's very fixable. Take it over to a real hardware store for consultation & new handle.

I've fixed several tools that met similar fates. I can't tell if part of the old handle is still attached to the "digger," but even if it is, you can still get a new handle. As long as the metal part is good, it still has lots of life left in it.

I stumbled onto a line of gardening tools from a company that usually specializes in woodworking tools. I've had really good luck with the garden tools I've bought from these folks:

http://tinyurl.com/kmadrv

Jack, that's fixable. Do the green thing.

The metal piece bent and broke, leaving some metal in the handle. It would cost more to fix than to get a new one.

I did a somewhat green thing and recycled the metal.

And, the handle could go into your yard debris rollcart.

Jack, the garbage man comes tomorrow. There's still time to retrieve it.

Here's the fix. If your wood handle has no rot, or you have a larger, older unused wood handle-slice the end with a hand saw or jig saw on the wood end and slip it over the metal scoop. Then drill a hole through the wood handle and at the scoop top and install a bolt with tightening washer. Could even apply the correct glue in the groove as you bolt it down. What do you think our grandfathers did , or like my Dad did? Times are tough and you'll impress your daughters.

"Make Due with What You Got". College thesis.

Lee: My garbage went off this morning. I am not allowed to have things like saws and drills. I can't seem to use them without a visit to the emergency room. If I had thought this would trigger controversy, I would have donated the pieces to someone who could rehab them.