We're talking about a "trowel", and yes, it looks like a small shovel. I prefer to use a narrow-bladed trowel for digging weeds or digging small holes for planting bulbs or setting out bedding plants in our compacted clay soil here. There's less drag and effort. This is a trowel I've had for several years....
Choose a wide-bladed trowel for scooping up loose potting soil or sand - it won't deal with heavy compacted earth.
For a more a precise cutting-action when weeding or planting try a Japanese gardening knife, a "hori-hori" or literally a "dig-dig". This one has a serrated blade and comes with a scabbard. The hori-hori cuts easily through heavy soil and roots. It is my go-to favorite.
Also when you're using a trowel make sure to crouch down or squat close to the earth: bending over may strain your back. An expert gardener told me that she held the trowel away from her body and drew it towards her in the earth - and that was more efficient than the more usual opposite motion that of digging away from you. She said that when you are older and have arthritis that digging towards you can really help lessen the strain on your wrist and hand. So even with a simple hand tool like a trowel experiment to find ways to optimize for both efficiency and your own well-being.
Trowels take a fair amount of load leveraging the soil - and with compacted heavy soil the handle can break or the trowel blade bend. So, when buying a trowel or two, look for ones in quality metal. Note that carbon steel is stronger than stainless steel. Trowels can be cast in one piece with the handle shaft - or at least should have handle firmly attached. Kids of all ages - whether or not they know the tool's name - usually enjoy using an adult-size trowel.
Next week: I'll look at scoops...
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