During excavations in Nederweert (the Netherlands) by the Archeological Institute of the VU (Free University) of Amsterdam an undamaged, very well preserved oak spade from the first century A.D. was found (De Telegraaf, December 1, 2001). Apart from the fact that this spade is made out of one piece of oak (and consequently has a wooden blade), in shape it properly doesn't differ from the spade still available everywhere today. That means in fact that the technical development designwise has been at standstill for about 2000 years or more. It is not so much because this is the most practical shape (it namely isn't), but because this shape is easy to manufacture. Another reason is the conservative attitude of the people who use the spade. Innovations in the agricultural sector go slowly, and come usually from people outside the agricultural sector.

In 1999 Dutchman Fons Schirris tried to improve the traditional spade. With the bicycle pump as model he had made a prototype with a rectangular space between the blade and the handle fitting, to put the foot in. On the upper edge of the blade a footrest of about 2 cm wide is welded. This prototype has three disadvantages :

• Because the vertical handle is in the middle, the knee can't be put straight over the foot, but has to go alongside the vertical handle, so less force can be placed.
• The connection between the blade and the vertical handle in this prototype is very delicate.
• The footrest welded onto the blade prevents sticky soil from sliding upwards, thus causing accumulation.

This spade has not been heard of since. Fons Schirris has, concerning banktransfers, but that has nothing to do with spades.

I, Arie Appel, born 1950, have been a dedicated amateur gardener ever since 1976, and I have been working with a common spade quite a lot, in heavy soil, with rubber boots. The sharp edge on the corner of the blade cuts a notch in the rubber sole, getting deeper and deeper until the sole practically breaks in two. Also the foot frequently slides off the edge of the blade. I then got the idea to put the foot not alongside one vertical handle, but between two vertical handles, but just an idea doesn't bring it any further. When I saw the spade of Fons Schirris I thought that my idea was better and I started to work on it. I had a spade blade made, with two pieces of pipe welded on each side, and put wooden handles in them. I connected those handles with a crossbar on top and one somewhat above the blade. The blade had a footrest, made by bending square the top edge. This spade was good to work with, but still had some disadvantages :

• Due to the footrest sticky soil accumulated during spading.
• The lower crossbar (between the vertical handles) hit my shin.
• During turning of the soil the lower crossbar made my wrist twist and bend (as in a common spade).
• The upper leg didn't have enough room between the two parallel handles.

The first disadvantage I solved by uncoupling the footrest from the blade by placing the footrest somewhat higher up, between the handles.

The second and third disadvantage I solved by replacing the lower crossbar by a halfcircular handle.

The fourth disadvantage was solved by placing the vertical handles in an angle, creating more room on top, and giving the blade a more elegant shape.

The part of the spade above the halfcircular lower handle was originally planned of wood, because metal would be too heavy, I thought. After a careful calculation (considering that wooden handles would have to go into the tubes over a certain length) it appeared that a completely metal spade would be only 400 gram heavier than a spade with wooden handles. Also the metal version would be cheaper, because wooden handles require four joints, giving extra costs, but will also loosen as years go by.

After a long search I found a manufacturer who could produce a complete prototype with which I was able to work. However, because the blade was too flat and the blade fittings too short, the blade slightly bended backwards by use. An improved prototype was made that proved O.K., and this was the model for the first edition of 100 spades.