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What's your top tool?


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Monkey strainer

Whether you like the root breaking power of a mattock or the mysterious many uses of fencing pliers - everyone has a tool they love to use.

The Weasel asked some OCV volunteers what their favourites were and why...and here they are in no particular order:

Paul: Monkey strainer - "Because it doesn't come out very often, and because of its potential lethalness."

Emma: Billhook - "Because it is multifunctional and it looks pretty like a toucan bill. It is a polite machete."

Lydia: Billhook - "It has the highest sense of user satisfaction. It is lethal but when you use it well it gives you a real sense of achievement."

Beth: Pickaxe - "Because it makes me feel manly."


Mell

Jo: Mattock - "Mattocks forever! It has a high destructive power."

Andy: Mell - "It's a tool I can actually use properly, plus you get to hit things with it and not get shouted at."

Sony: Net for catching sheep - "I can catch all the cute lambs and then I can keep them."

Nim: Loppers - "They're just fun."

Renato: Pickaxe - "I like smashing the ground and bashing things."

Michelle: Slasher - "It has a cool name and is basically a blade on a long stick - what's not to like?"

Inigo: Fencing pliers - "Because every time I use them I find something new I can do with them."

Frank: Pickaxe - "Because it's so cool. You get to swing at stuff and hit things as hard as you can, which you don't usually get to do."

Steve: Billhook - "Because it seems like a proper traditional tool, and it's quicker than loppers."


Billhook

Tim B: Mattock - "Just because."

Tim E: "I'm the tools officer so I can't show any favouritism."

Chris: Billhook - "It's very versatile and you can do most things with it - you can even coppice with it in an emergency. Plus it is one of the few conservation tools I own and I'm getting better at sharpening it."

...so the traditional, craftsman-like billhook wins out over the more destructive, manly power of the mattock and pickaxe!

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