Dibber

The dibber was first recorded in Roman times and has remained mostly unchanged since. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, farmers would use long-handled dibbers of metal or wood to plant crops. One person would walk with a dibber making holes, and a second person would plant seeds in each hole and fill it in. It was not until the Renaissance that dibbers became a manufactured item, some made of iron for penetrating harder soils and clay. ==Straight dibber==

This is the classic dibber. It is anything from a sharpened stick to a more complicated model incorporating a curved handle and pointed steel end. It may be made of wood, steel or plastic. ==T-handled dibber==

This dibber is much like the classic dibber, but with a T-grip that fits in the palm to make it easier to apply torque. This allows the user to exert even pressure, creating consistent hole depth. ==Trowel dibber==

This dibber combines the features of a dibber and a trowel. It is usually forged from aluminum or other lightweight material. One end is for dibbing, and the other end is shaped like a trowel. ==In popular culture==

British comedian Lee Mack donated a T-handled dibber to the British Lawnmower Museum, Southport, and spoke about it on the panel game show Would I Lie to You? (series six, episode three, first broadcast 27 April 2012). In military parlance an aircraft-dropped 'dibber bomb' is an anti-runway penetration bomb which destroys runways by penetrating below the tarmac before exploding, cratering, and displacing the surface, making repairs difficult and time-consuming, during which conventional airplanes can neither land nor take off. ==See also==

• William Bryant Logan, Smith & Hawken The Tool Book, 1997 • Antique Farm Tools •