This Shocksafe multi-purpose shovel from the Carters range of tools goes by several names, from a Newcastle Drainer to a “grafter.” It features a tapered, narrow, curved blade that lends itself to various applications, including digging deep, narrow trenches for drainage, cables, pipes and other utilities and digging holes for fence posts.

Like all Shocksafe Shovels, this Newcastle Drainer shovel is BS8020 compliant, featuring a shaft with an extremely strong fibreglass core sleeved in a hard-wearing blended polypropylene. This makes the spade suitable for working around live cables carrying up to 10,000V; it is important to remember that some live cables can be buried without proper marking, so you may not always be aware that you are working in an area with live buried wires.

The blade of this shovel is 16” long, tapering down to a 100mm leading edge, and is made from a single piece of forged steel with integrated treads. As such, it is extremely strong and lightweight, making it a pleasure to work with. The forward-facing treads spread the load on your foot, making the shovel more comfortable to apply force to and offer improved precision whilst working.