I think I mentioned before, we use a round nose and cut off the tip. As you can see from this "field song" we can get quite attached to our shovels --and to shovel skimming!
http://archaeology.about.com/o...
One advantage of the long handled shovel is that it gives you momentum when you lunge forward, so you are using your legs and back as a source of power, rather than just the biceps. And this, together with a razor sharp shovel edge, allows you to work in a sustained fashion clearing surface vegetation for hours at a time.
Even you could do it, Sharon!