"Stormin' Norman" wrote in message
...

The company has been replacing the shovels we have broken. I am
simply looking for a better shovel, one that will take greater
punishment. In the past, it seemed we could punish the shovels with
hickory handles far more than we can punish these. It is possible the
older shovels were made with old growth hickory.

+1 on the hickory, old growth or not. White oak might work well too (never
seen a commercial one) as it is both strong and "bendy".