I was helping my friend collect some bells to pay off their house loan (not tent) in Animal Crossing New Horizons.
We were making good use of the flimsy shovel until it finally broke.
The weird thing, he doesn't have the DIY recipe for building one.
He hasn't invited Blathers to his island yet, nor is the recipe available for purchase in the store. As far as I know, he hasn't been to any mystery islands either, and still has the Nook Miles ticket from upgrading to his house.
According to the wiki, these are the only ways to get the Flimsy shovel. Unfortunately he doesn't remember how he got the shovel either.
We're in the process now of inviting Blathers to get the proper recipe, but I'm still at a loss as to how the original Flimsy shovel he has was obtained.
Does anyone else possibly know? Thanks!