What Is a Mattock? (How Does The Tool Work?)

what is a mattock
what is a mattock

Usually I talk about certain guides or answer specific questions that people tend to have about tools.

But, today I wanted to do something different by telling people about the mattock, a very important tool with multiple uses that lots of people don’t know about.

What Is a Mattock?

using mattock

A mattock is an all-important tool used mainly for prying, digging, and chopping purposes. It’s similar to the pickaxe in its appearance, but that doesn’t mean they’re the same thing.

There are multiple variations of the mattock that differ in appearance based on certain things. I’m going to focus on the simplest form of the mattock, which is one-sided, so that it’s easier to explain its uses.

Mattocks are often referred to as the most versatile of all hand planting tools because of how easy it is to use them for different things.

mattock

You can use them to easily chop into the ground and pull the soil towards yourself. That way, it’s simple to open a slit to plant into the ground.

You’re supposed to use them gently, and not forcefully like you would use a pickaxe. You’re also supposed to sharpen them so that they stay effective for longer periods of time.

The Bottom Line

I hope this brief guide helped you get familiar with what exactly a mattock is and how it helps! You can check out other articles about the tool on this website, or visit Hooked On Tool’s YouTube channel to learn more about it.

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