Razor-Back Open Back Shovel with Wood Handle Review
- Tempered, industrial-gauge open-back blade with a round point
- Extended tab socket designed to reduce handle breakage
- Premium 48-inch Northern White Ash handle
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A round point digging shovel with a tempered industrial blade and a 48-inch Northern White Ash handle. Here's what its blade, step and socket bring to hard digging.
Quick verdict
This is a classic contractor's round point. The tempered, industrial-gauge blade is shaped to pierce soil, a forward-turned step gives your boot somewhere to push, and an extended tab socket guards the joint where lesser shovels snap. A 48-inch Northern White Ash handle keeps the feel traditional. If you dig holes, trenches or planting pits in mixed ground, it's a strong, simple choice.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Round point pierces hard, dry and rocky soil more easily than a flat blade
- Tempered industrial-gauge steel blade built for excavation work
- Extended tab socket is designed to reduce handle breakage
- Forward-turned step gives your foot a solid platform
- Northern White Ash handle, the traditional wood for strong, springy handles
What could be better
- A round nose is slower than a square point for scooping loose piles
- Wood handle needs dry storage and occasional oiling
- The open back can trap sticky clay behind the blade
Key features, explained
Round point for digging and excavation
Razor-Back pitches this shovel for digging and excavation in various soils, and the round point is why. A pointed, curved nose concentrates your weight on a small area, so it slices into compacted, dry or stony ground where a flat blade would skate. It's the shape to reach for when you're setting posts, digging planting holes for shrubs and small trees, or opening a trench.
Tempered, industrial-gauge open-back blade
The blade is industrial-gauge tempered steel. Tempering is a heat treatment that makes hardened steel tougher and less brittle, so the edge resists chipping and the blade is less likely to bend when you pry against a root or rock. It's an open-back blade, meaning the back is left uncovered where it meets the socket rather than closed with a plate. That keeps weight down, at the cost of a pocket that can collect wet clay.
Extended tab socket
Handles usually break right where they enter the blade, especially when you lever a load out of the ground. Here the socket extends up the handle in long tabs, which, per the maker, reduces handle breakage. It's a feature you mostly find on professional shovels, and it's one of the main things that separates this model from light-duty round points meant for occasional garden use.
Forward-turned step
The top edge of the blade is turned forward to create a step. That gives the sole of your boot a broader, flatter surface to drive the blade with, which is easier on your foot and lets you put more body weight behind each cut. On hard ground, where you might stand on the step several times per spadeful, that comfort adds up over a day.
48-inch Northern White Ash handle
The handle is premium 48-inch Northern White Ash. Ash has long been the standard wood for striking and digging tool handles because it's strong and has a little flex to absorb shock. Overall length is about 58.25 inches, and the shovel weighs around 4.3 pounds. Store it out of the rain and give the handle a coat of linseed oil occasionally to keep it from drying out.
Razor-Back Open Back Shovel specs
| Brand | Razor-Back (Union Tools) |
|---|---|
| Model | R248S (part 760-45520) |
| Type | Round point shovel, open back |
| Blade | Tempered industrial-gauge steel |
| Blade material | Alloy steel |
| Step | Forward-turned |
| Socket | Extended tab socket |
| Handle | 48-inch Northern White Ash |
| Overall length | About 58.25 inches |
| Weight | About 4.3 pounds |
| Color | Tan handle, black blade |
| Prices change often. See the live price: Check Price | |
Who should buy it?
Great for
- Digging post holes, planting pits and trenches
- Contractors and landscapers who dig in hard, dry or rocky soil
- Anyone who prefers the feel of a traditional ash handle
Skip it if
- You mostly move loose material, where a square point is faster
- You want a fiberglass handle that can live outside in the weather
- You need a short D-grip shovel for tight spaces
Frequently asked questions
Is the Razor-Back Open Back Shovel a round point?
Yes. It's a round point digging shovel with an open-back, tempered industrial-gauge steel blade, intended for digging and excavation in various soils.
Does this shovel have a wood or fiberglass handle?
The specs and description call for a 48-inch Northern White Ash handle, and the brand's product photo shows an open-back blade on a wood handle. Listing details for this model have varied, though, including mentions of a closed back and fiberglass, so check the photos and the handle material before you order.
What is the difference between an open-back and a closed-back shovel?
A closed-back shovel has a plate covering the back of the blade where it joins the socket. An open-back blade leaves that area uncovered, which saves weight but can collect sticky soil.
What does an extended tab socket do?
The socket runs further up the handle in long tabs, supporting the wood where it enters the blade. Razor-Back says it reduces handle breakage, a common failure point on digging shovels.
How long and heavy is it?
The ash handle is 48 inches, and the shovel measures about 58.25 inches overall. It weighs around 4.3 pounds.
Final verdict
The Razor-Back Open Back Shovel with Wood Handle sticks to a proven formula: a tempered, industrial-gauge round point blade, a forward-turned step and an extended tab socket, all on a 48-inch Northern White Ash handle. Nothing about it is flashy, but each feature targets a real wear point on a digging shovel. For posts, planting pits and trenches in hard or mixed ground, it's a dependable, traditional digger worth keeping on the truck.
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