I have been using a home-made hickory handled steel scoop for 30 years, and it's been good for "heavy" water hunting, but about 4 years ago, I decided to get a "back-up" scoop from K-co. I think I paid around 70.00 for it, and didn't realize how flimsy it was until I got it. It was just a straight, jointed handle riveted into the scoop, with no stabilizing braces at all. A friend of mine has a metal fabricating/welding business, so I took this to him last week to make a REAL scoop out of it. I was pleased with the results. I explained to him that I needed a steel "strap" around the mesh for foot pressure, and an angle brace attached to the shaft for stability. 25.00 fix. 