I have been buying standard shovels (grain scoop, 24" pusher, plastic)
and adding a SERIOUS wear bar. Suitable wear bar is 1/8" x2" steel strap
with 2 or 3 passes of abrasion resistant weld bead. It doesn't need to
be perfect to start with, a few passes down the driveway and the high
spots will be ground off. After a couple of years, the leading edge will
be really sharp, should be good for another5 to 10 years.

Of course, now that the edge is good, you have to worry about buckling
the rest of the blade. My big pusher shovel has a large aluminum
triangle to support side forces as well as several repairs (and gussets)
at the handle to shovel stress point.

I may start over and do a 30" pusher with an aluminum blade, billet
interface block, and a heat treated wer blade but..................

Ignoramus8020 wrote:
I recall seeing professional snow shovels, that were I think made of
some nice aluminum, with almost straight blades, that worked
great. Made for large apartment building owners.

I do not mean the crap that they sell in stores these days, either
trashy plastic or very thin aluminum. These do not stand up to a man
shoveling large amount of snow.

I would really like to buy a sheet of suitable metal and make a most
perfect snow shovel, that would be usable forever. Any suggestions as
to what gade, thickness etc of what metal to buy?

I do not mind regular carbon steel, as well.

What I do not want is a shovel that would be either too heavy, or
would bend when it hits some object, and does not crack from long term
use.

i