Lightweight Blackberry Hoe

This lighter and smaller version of the blackberry hoe has a thinner metal head (around 1/4"-3/16" thick) with a rectangular socket that fits a smaller and lighter 36" adze handle. The total tool head length is around 12" and it weighs around 5 lbs with the handle. The head itself weighs under 2.5 lbs. The is compared to around 8 lbs total weight for the version you got and around 5 lbs for the head on its own. 

Blackberry thickets are so stubborn in these parts and the ground gets so hard later in the dry summer that the new design is the one of primary use. It will last even under heavy work conditions and some amount of abuse beyond what a normal tool would handle. This lighter version isn't designed for heavy duty work in hard pack soil. It is for more delicate and deliberate work in wet soil. This tool is also best put to use for young growth, right when the blackberry canes are starting to come out.

You can use it similarly to the other hoe, but don't push it too far, because it will bend under too much force. Use the  blade to make initial grid cuts and then follow up with the forked end to pry up the roots.