Clueless about those pesky picks.

[Tom Emery]

I've noticed different people using different picks for prospecting. Is there a best pick ? Different designs for different conditions? Wood handles vs. Metal? I'm gearing up. I want something stout... lightweight would be good, but durability is paramount.
Any suggestions or opinions are are appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

 

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[oldkoot]

Hello Mr. Nugget,
I just went to the Bunks site and ordered a Hermit pick. He only wants to ship the "head", not the handle, due to excessive freight charges. I'm okay with that. I'll go to one of the old timey hardware stores and pick up a hickory ax handle and then whittle it to fit into the head and then start digging to China.

Dont think you will have any regrets with purchasing one

I dont know if bunk includes a rare earth magnet with just the head I would call and ask him to include one with your order I know mine had a rare earth magnet installed on the end of the handle when I recieved it the rare earth magnet allows the pick to attach any metal particles and separate them from the rest of the material, i have seen some of the bunks picks with the magnet attached to the digging head and others attached to the end of the handle like mine was, I would have preferred it to be attached to the digging head

 

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[Lanny in AB]

That thing LOOKS like it will bust up rock. Little pricey but should last for years.

Not sure if my reply got through. Looks like a dedicated rock pick. Does anyone sell them through this website?

Don't know about that, bought my at a prospecting supply store a million years ago, still going strong--steel handle that allows you to pry when you need to as well, tough pick that gets you down through packed material in short order. Gets you into crevices in the bedrock as well, and because it has a narrow end (not the pointed end), it's great for scraping material out of bedrock cracks and depressions.

But, I'm not sure which application you'll be using it for the most, dry areas or areas with packed clay, packed stones and moisture.

Prospecting picks are like any tool--get the right tool for the job they're best suited for.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Tom Emery]

Dont think you will have any regrets with purchasing one

I dont know if bunk includes a rare earth magnet with just the head I would call and ask him to include one with your order I know mine had a rare earth magnet installed on the end of the handle when I recieved it the rare earth magnet allows the pick to attach any metal particles and separate them from the rest of the material, i have seen some of the bunks picks with the magnet attached to the digging head and others attached to the end of the handle like mine was, I would have preferred it to be attached to the digging head

We've got a store here in San Diego that sells all kinds of used electrical stuff. They have a huge selection of rare earth magnets. Let me know, I'll pick you up a couple.

 

[oldkoot]

We've got a store here in San Diego that sells all kinds of used electrical stuff. They have a huge selection of rare earth magnets. Let me know, I'll pick you up a couple.

thanks for the offer Tom i cant weld any longer so i would never get it mounted on my pick i do not get to go out detecting for gold much any longer due to having covid and it destroying part of my lungs most i can do anymore is take short walks until i can maybe build my lung capacity back up
again thank you for your offer

 

[Tom Emery]

thanks for the offer Tom i cant weld any longer so i would never get it mounted on my pick i do not get to go out detecting for gold much any longer due to having covid and it destroying part of my lungs most i can do anymore is take short walks until i can maybe build my lung capacity back up
again thank you for your offer

Man, that sucks. Just when you reach a time in your life when you can afford to go out and do the thing that you really have been looking forward to and whammo. I know from personal experience. My wife and I were going to share the prospecting experience and whammo, she died. I hope you recover soon.
I doubt you will have to weld these magnets on. These are tough little buggers. I bet a couple drops of five minute epoxy plus their natural magnetic strength will hold them on.
I'll let you know if I have to go that route. If that doesn't work then chiseling the end of the handle and gluing it there should work as the shock load is a lot less.

 

[oldkoot]

Man, that sucks. Just when you reach a time in your life when you can afford to go out and do the thing that you really have been looking forward to and whammo. I know from personal experience. My wife and I were going to share the prospecting experience and whammo, she died. I hope you recover soon.
I doubt you will have to weld these magnets on. These are tough little buggers. I bet a couple drops of five minute epoxy plus their natural magnetic strength will hold them on.
I'll let you know if I have to go that route. If that doesn't work then chiseling the end of the handle and gluing it there should work as the shock load is a lot less.

the one that is on my hermit pick is attached on the end of the handle it was like that when I received it from Bunk and I did not know at the time when I ordered it I probably could have requested it to be placed on the head itself so I have been using it for 4-6 years the way it was delivered to me, even after using it as long as I have it still shows no sign of wearing anywhere and I have dug a lot of hard rocky ground with it

One other thing I am sincerely sorry you lost your wife,in some ways I can relate to you as I lose a little piece of my wife each and everyday because of her Dementia, its just really sad and if you have never seen a adult 62 year old man break down and cry it is not a pretty sight believe me

 

[Vance in AK]

Ok thx. Just wondering because you said they had great prices.

 

[1LWiL15]

I've noticed different people using different picks for prospecting. Is there a best pick ? Different designs for different conditions? Wood handles vs. Metal? I'm gearing up. I want something stout... lightweight would be good, but durability is paramount.
Any suggestions or opinions are are appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

XP ORX all the way. Get it w/ the 9.5"x5" elliptical coil, which gives you a frequency of 80 kHz, which is great for gold. Minelab GPZ 6000 and 7000 are also great detectors, but the price is much higher.

 

[1LWiL15]

I've noticed different people using different picks for prospecting. Is there a best pick ? Different designs for different conditions? Wood handles vs. Metal? I'm gearing up. I want something stout... lightweight would be good, but durability is paramount.
Any suggestions or opinions are are appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Oh never mind this is about pickaxes IMAO

 

[oldkoot]

Oh never mind this is about pickaxes IMAO

no big deal we have all been confused at one time or another wait till you hit 62 if you want to know what confusion is LOL

 

[1LWiL15]

no big deal we have all been confused at one time or another wait till you hit 62 if you want to know what confusion is LOL

Haha Cheers!

 

[Tom Emery]

the one that is on my hermit pick is attached on the end of the handle it was like that when I received it from Bunk and I did not know at the time when I ordered it I probably could have requested it to be placed on the head itself so I have been using it for 4-6 years the way it was delivered to me, even after using it as long as I have it still shows no sign of wearing anywhere and I have dug a lot of hard rocky ground with it

One other thing I am sincerely sorry you lost your wife,in some ways I can relate to you as I lose a little piece of my wife each and everyday because of her Dementia, its just really sad and if you have never seen a adult 62 year old man break down and cry it is not a pretty sight believe me

We're all in this together, whether we realize it or not. Seems pretty stupid to be waging war and being ugly when we all check out after a very brief time. I realized this a long time ago and live my life like tomorrow I'm outta here.

 

[Tom Emery]

Oh never mind this is about pickaxes IMAO

That was a good recommendation though. I picked up a goldbug2 and a GPZ7000. That should cover my bases.

 

[oldkoot]

We're all in this together, whether we realize it or not. Seems pretty stupid to be waging war and being ugly when we all check out after a very brief time. I realized this a long time ago and live my life like tomorrow I'm outta here.

not sure what you are referring to being ugly Tom, I like you decided money was not everything my wife and I saved for years and then her dementia got really bad and she continues to decline every day so I try to live everyday like there is no tomorrow because you sure cannot take it with you and I refuse to leave it to people that do not care like my wifes kids.

 

[1LWiL15]

That was a good recommendation though. I picked up a goldbug2 and a GPZ7000. That should cover my bases.

Well, keep us posted w/ gold finds!

 

[Tom Emery]

Don't know about that, bought my at a prospecting supply store a million years ago, still going strong--steel handle that allows you to pry when you need to as well, tough pick that gets you down through packed material in short order. Gets you into crevices in the bedrock as well, and because it has a narrow end (not the pointed end), it's great for scraping material out of bedrock cracks and depressions.

But, I'm not sure which application you'll be using it for the most, dry areas or areas with packed clay, packed stones and moisture.

Prospecting picks are like any tool--get the right tool for the job they're best suited for.

All the best,

Lanny

Thanks Lanny,
Someone suggested that all-metal picks and metal detectors don't go hand in hand, hence the wood handles. I never thought about that aspect. Do you use yours alongside a detector?

 

[Tom Emery]

not sure what you are refering to being ugly Tom

Ugly to other people.

 

[Tom Emery]

Ugly to other people.

Mistreating people.

 

[Tom Emery]

not sure what you are referring to being ugly Tom, I like you decided money was not everything my wife and I saved for years and then her dementia got really bad and she continues to decline every day so I try to live everyday like there is no tomorrow because you sure cannot take it with you and I refuse to leave it to people that do not care like my wifes kids.

I hear you buddy. I have 2 sisters and a brother. These poor souls mistreated our mother rather badly. I think they were subconsciously trying to get even for a childhood that wasn't all lollipops and hot fudge sundaes. I could tell you stories, but suffice to say, she got even in the end. She left a million dollar estate to me and expressly told me not to give them a penny. Nobody should be rewarded for bad behavior.
They don't talk to me...or each other.

 

[49r Relics]

I've noticed different people using different picks for prospecting. Is there a best pick ? Different designs for different conditions? Wood handles vs. Metal? I'm gearing up. I want something stout... lightweight would be good, but durability is paramount.
Any suggestions or opinions are are appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

I made a really informative video about this, not sure if you've seen the video already but definitely worth checking it out.