Tools for Digging Out and Recovering Treasure

Your fancy new metal detector will tell you where the treasure is, but it won’t dig it up for you.
It is up to you to retrieve that long lost piece of treasure, and in order to do that you are going
to need some recovery tools.

I won’t cover the art of recovery itself, and believe me there is an art to carefully recovering your treasure. This is simply to inform you of the different types of recovery tools.

Next to your metal detector, your recovery tools will become your most important tools. Get the best recovery tools that you can afford. Your body will thank you later.

Shovel

A basic shovel will help you unearth all types of treasures. Your basic shovel will work fine, but there are some better options out there. You may even decide to make your own specialty shovel after looking over these options.

Specialty Shovels

There are several types of shovels that have been specifically designed for metal detecting. Choosing the right specialty tool for the job will depend on where you plan on metal detecting. For instance, if you plan on hunting the beach, then a beach scoop is a must. If you plan on
searching for relics deep in the woods, then a relic hunting shovel is the right tool for the job.

There are a few brands worth looking at, and almost all of the metal detecting vendors that I
listed above will carry them. Lesche makes some great recovery tools, and Sampson does too.

Hand Digger

This is a small hand held shovel that has been designed specifically for metal detecting. Most
hand held diggers look kind of like a knife. Some of them feature a serrated edge for easy digging and plug cutting.

Probes

Using a probe takes some serious skill. A probe is similar to a screwdriver, and it allows a
person to remove a coin from the soil without digging a hole. Check the recovery methods for details.

Pinpointer

A pinpointer makes finding your buried piece of treasure so much easier. It is essentially a small hand held metal detector. You may not see the need for one of these right away, but they sure do come in handy when you start trying to locate deep items.

Hoes & Picks

If you happen to be hunting in an area where the soil is tough and full of rocks, then a pickaxe is a must. It will make recovery so much easier.

Small Hand Held Folding Landscaping Saw

This one is something that a lot of hunters don’t carry with them. I didn’t until an old friend of
mine told me just how valuable these little saws can be.

There is a good chance that you will encounter plenty of roots that will prevent you from
recovering your piece of treasure. A small hand held saw like the Silky Folding Landscaping
Hand Saw will make quick work of these pesky roots that always seem to get in the way.

Strong Magnet

A strong magnet can be an invaluable tool for helping you retrieve items that may be just beyond your reach. Attach the magnet to your pick axe, and you can easily use it to reach places where your arms can’t quite go. The magnet is also a great way to determine if an item is iron or not. You may even be able to use the magnet to pull the buried item out of the ground. A good, strong rare earth magnet can do this without any problems at all.

Having the right recovery tools not only makes it easy to retrieve deep buried targets, but they
also help you retrieve the target without doing any damage to it or the surrounding area.

As you spend more time metal detecting, you will slowly start to increase your metal detecting
recovery tool arsenal.