You wouldn't think there'd be much to making a decent mini-shovel to handle your small digging jobs around the yard...but when's the last time you used one that didn't either a) bend, twist, or buckle under just the slightest amount of pressure, or b) grow a lovely orange coat of rust the first time you left it out in the rain or in the damp grass?And therein lies the real beauty of this Corona trowel (and the three-tined hand cultivator also in their "Comfort" line): the tool is a single casting of beefy, rust proof aluminum, with metal thick and sturdy enough to easily stand up to normal wear and tear, not to mention abnormal wear and tear like unearthing bricks or foot-ball sized rocks from the yard (and on both counts, I know of which I speak!). The red rubber handle is thick enough to get a firm grasp on, with a surface texture that will always give you a solid grip, in a bare or gloved hand.
Putting a polished finished on an aluminum garden tool may seem like a needless extravagance, but Corona deserves a kudos for the treatment they've given this small shovel: the super smooth blade surface means less dirt sticking, and it's easier to clean and keep clean. Even better, the edges and corners of the blade are so nicely rounded that you can actually slip the diminutive digger right into your back pocket with absolutely no worries about dicing your dungarees or piercing your posterior!
Of course, the flip side of it's rounded edges is that it won't cut through hard ground or thick grass quite as readily as a sharper-edged hand shovel would, but in my opinion, the trade-off is well worth it to get a tool this durable. And also remember that this is cast aluminum, not stamped steel - if you push it beyond its limit, it will break like a cracker, not bend like a piece of beef jerky.
The great thing about the Corona Clipper Company: they understand that there is a real need for and benefit from using quality materials and elegant design in every tool they manufacture...even something as simple as a five dollar hand shovel.
