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What is Ingalls Archaeological Supply?
Ingalls Archaeological Supply is a small, specialized maker of digging tools for archaeology and similar fieldwork. Its signature products are handpicks (also called patiches), walking picks, cane picks, and Viking mattocks, all designed specifically for archaeological use rather than adapted from general gardening or construction lines. The company has been making these tools since 1985 and describes them as professional-quality, offered in four sizes based on hoe width.
What it actually sells
- Handpicks and patiches — the core digging tool for shovel-testing, unit excavation and careful soil removal.
- Walking picks and cane picks — longer-handled or walking-stick-style versions, useful when you want reach or a lighter carry.
- Viking mattocks — heavier chopping and grubbing tools for roots, compacted soil and tougher ground.
- Two books by Bill Ingalls — Snakes, Rain and The Tet Offensive, a Vietnam War eyewitness account with the author's own photographs, and Addicted to Love, a fantasy romance.
The page notes that detailed specifications live on the separate Handpicks/Patiches and Viking Mattock pages, so that is where to look for exact dimensions and head weights.
Who it is for
The main audience is field archaeologists, CRM crews, students on excavation, and avocational diggers who want a tool built for controlled, repeated use in a trench rather than a mass-market hoe. If you are equipping a single person for occasional garden or trail work, these are more specialized than you need; if you are outfitting a field school or a survey crew, the size range and the archaeology-specific geometry are the point.
A practical next step
Decide first between a handpick and a mattock based on your ground and your digging style: a handpick suits fine, one-handed work in a kneeling or seated position, while a mattock gives you two-handed force for harder or rootier soil. Then choose handle length — short for packability and close control, walking or cane style if you cover distance between units. Check the dedicated product pages for the four width-based sizes before ordering, and note that the site also promotes these tools as gifts, which tells you they are compact enough to ship and store easily.
For comparison shopping on field tools generally, Forestry Suppliers and Ben Meadows carry broader outdoor and survey equipment lines, though not this specific archaeology-focused design.
What sizes of handpicks and mattocks does Ingalls Archaeological Supply offer?
Ingalls Archaeological Supply describes its handpicks and Viking Mattocks as coming in four sizes, distinguished by hoe width. The site does not list the individual measurements in its overview text; it directs readers to the separate Handpicks/Patiches and Viking Mattock pages for detailed product specifications.
What this means in practice
- Four sizes, one variable: Because the sizing is based on hoe width, the choice is mainly about how wide a swath of soil each swing moves, not about handle length or head weight.
- Match the size to the task: A narrow head concentrates force and is easier to control in compact or rocky deposits and in tight units. A wider head moves more soil per stroke, which suits larger open-area stripping where precision matters less.
- Match the size to the user: Students and volunteers new to excavation often do better with a smaller, lighter-swinging tool, while experienced crew members on a long open-area job may prefer the wider option.
- Check the spec pages before ordering: Since the overview gives a count rather than dimensions, confirm the actual hoe width on the product pages so the tool fits your unit size and your crew's preferences.
The same four-size, hoe-width-based scheme applies across the handpick and Viking Mattock lines, so a field kit can be built consistently around one sizing convention.
What are the differences between a handpick, walking pick, cane pick, and Viking mattock?
The four tools share one job—breaking and lifting compacted soil with a controlled, one-handed or two-handed swing—but they differ mainly in handle length, head geometry and how the user stands while working.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Typical stance and grip | Head shape and use |
|---|---|---|
| Handpick (also called a patiche) | One hand, short handle, kneeling or bent over | Small head with a pick point and a hoe-like blade; fine work in tight units, profiles and delicate features |
| Walking pick | Longer handle, used standing or slightly stooped | Same pick-and-hoe head, but the extra reach lets you work a trench or large area without kneeling |
| Cane pick | Handle extended to walking-stick length | Light pick head for probing, loosening and lifting in small test pits and shovel-test units while standing |
| Viking mattock | Two hands, full swing | Wide, heavy blade on one side with a pick on the other; for clearing roots, breaking hardpan and moving bulk soil |
Ingalls Archaeological Supply states that its handpicks and Viking mattocks are made specifically for archaeological use and come in four sizes based on hoe width, so the size you choose matters as much as the tool type. Pages for the handpicks/patiches and the Viking mattock carry the detailed specifications.
How to choose
Match the tool to your working posture and the scale of the deposit, not to prestige. If you spend a day trowelling a burial or a floor, a handpick gives the control you need. If your units are deep and you are constantly standing up, a walking pick or cane pick saves your back and knees. If the obstacle is a root mat or a cemented layer, reach for the Viking mattock and accept the loss of fine control.
A practical next step: before ordering, measure the widest hoe blade you can comfortably swing in your excavation's unit size, then confirm the head width on the manufacturer's own product page rather than assuming a size from the name.
Are Ingalls tools suitable for professional archaeological fieldwork?
Yes. Ingalls Archaeological Supply explicitly builds its Handpicks and Viking Mattocks for archaeological use, and the page presents them as professional-quality tools with four sizes based on hoe width. That positioning matters because field archaeology asks for a specific kind of tool: light enough to swing all day in a unit, narrow enough to work around features without destroying context, and tough enough to cut through compacted or rooty soil. The Ingalls lineup is organized around that job rather than around general gardening or construction.
What makes a tool field-appropriate
A professional field tool usually needs:
- Controlled penetration. A narrow head lets you remove thin layers and feel changes in sediment.
- A handle length matched to posture. Short-handled tools for kneeling in a unit; longer ones for standing work in a trench or on a slope.
- Durability under abrasive soil. Forged or properly tempered metal holds an edge through gravel, clay and repeated screening.
- Repairability and familiarity. Archaeologists often prefer a tool they can rehandle or sharpen rather than replace.
The Ingalls page points to dedicated Handpicks/Patiches and Viking Mattock pages for detailed specifications, which is where you would confirm head width, weight and handle length before buying for a crew. The four size options based on hoe width are the practical decision point: a smaller width suits fine excavation around features and fragile deposits, while a larger width moves more spoil in test pits or shovel-testing programs.
Where they fit, and where they don't
These tools suit academic field schools, CRM (cultural resource management) crews, museum-affiliated excavations and avocational archaeologists who work in the same conditions. The Viking Mattock is the heavier option for breaking compacted ground, cutting roots or working through tough strata; the handpick is the everyday unit tool. Neither replaces a trowel for final feature definition, a shovel for bulk removal, or a screen for recovery.
One practical caveat: a "professional-quality" claim is a starting point, not a guarantee. Steel hardness, handle grain and finish vary between production runs, and personal swing style affects how a tool wears. If you are equipping a large crew, order one of each relevant size first and test them on your actual site soil before committing to a bulk purchase.
A quick comparison for choosing
| Situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Fine work around features, fragile contexts | Smaller-width handpick |
| Standard unit excavation in loam or clay | Mid-size handpick |
| Compacted ground, roots, heavy overburden | Viking Mattock |
| Standing work in a deep trench | Longer-handled option |
| Final definition and cleaning | Trowel, not a pick |
Next step
Check the Handpicks/Patiches and Viking Mattock pages on Ingalls Archaeological Supply for the specific head widths and handle lengths, then match them to your site's soil and your crew's working posture. If you are buying for a field school, a mixed set of two or three sizes usually covers more situations than a single size bought in quantity.
What are the books 'Snakes, Rain and The Tet Offensive' and 'Addicted to Love' about?
Ingalls Archaeological Supply describes two books by Bill Ingalls. Snakes, Rain and The Tet Offensive is an eye-witness account of his experience during the Vietnam War, and it includes photos he took while serving in the army. Addicted to Love is a fantasy fiction love story.
The pairing is unusual: one is personal wartime memoir, the other invented romance. If you are browsing the site for digging tools, the books are a side interest rather than part of the archaeological line. A reader who wants firsthand historical testimony would choose the Vietnam memoir; someone looking for lighter fiction would choose the novel.
Where can I buy Ingalls handpicks and mattocks as gifts?
Ingalls handpicks and Viking mattocks are sold directly by the manufacturer at Ingalls Archaeological Supply. That is the primary place to buy them, and the site itself notes that handpicks and Viking mattocks "make great gifts any time of year," so ordering a tool as a present is clearly an intended use.
What to know before ordering a gift
- Buy from the maker. The site presents itself as the source for these tools, which matters for a gift because you are getting the archaeological-grade version rather than a generic garden hoe.
- Pick the size deliberately. The tools come in four sizes based on hoe width, so if you are buying for someone else, find out whether they do close-quarters trowel work or heavier digging. A wrong-width head is the main way a well-meant gift misses.
- Consider the books as add-ons. Bill Ingalls also wrote Snakes, Rain and The Tet Offensive, a Vietnam War memoir with his own photographs, and Addicted to Love, a fantasy romance. Either can accompany a tool order for a gift that feels more personal.
A practical scenario
If you are buying for a field archaeologist, a mid-size handpick plus a copy of the memoir makes a coherent present: one item they will use on site, one they can read between projects. If the recipient is a hobbyist or a gardener who works in tight beds, a smaller head is the safer choice.
Next step
Check the Handpicks/Patiches and Viking Mattock pages on the site for the size options, then order the width that matches the recipient's usual work. If you are unsure, ask what width their current tool has — that single question prevents most gift returns.
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