Topic: HAND TROWELS

[ACE]

Which is the best? Somebody must know of a good sturdy make.
We have just opened up two new herbacious borders, the sunny one is 4mx75m and the shady one is 4mx50m both have soil that is a bit on the heavy side but that should improve after a couple of seasons.  But I have gone through 3 trowels this last month and have only planted 1/3rd so far.

I have used the posh ones from the shows and the cheap and cheerful at the local cut price shop both last about the same time. They either bend at the blade or snap off at the weld and these new fangled carbon fibre jobbies are too thick in the blade to get them into the ground. I am seriously thinking of making my own one piece trowel out of sheet steel.

[BAGGY]

The best one I have had was from poundland.  Wooden handle an steel spoon bit.  Never seen 'em since.  Should have got a few for the lotty.

[Derekthefox]

Mine was from Wilkinsons, pressed steel construction, rubber handle, stove enamel green. Cost 99p as I remember. Had it 4 years and looks almost new.

[Doris_Pinks]

Don't use a trowel, use a um err, thingy from wolf, a sorta long bladed thing! Seems to be tough as old boots and has a replacement guarentee on it!

[Derek]

Thanks for that Heritage...I got through three last season and I thought it was me being heavy handed.

They obviously don't make 'em like they used to

Derek

[ACE]

That thingy from wolf can you by them in cockfosters

[Garden Manager]

I still use one that has been in the family for over 20 years. Clearly well made it has put up with a lot over the years particularly in my current garden.. The handle is now starting to split lengthwise and fell apart the other day but was easily repaired.

It used to have  a fork counterpart but this became lost some years ago.

We tried for years to find a decent 'sucessor' to no avail until a couple of years ago, when i was given a really nice set of trowel and fork for christmas. Made (i think) by spear and jackson, they have a tough rubberised plastic handle and the 'working end' is stainless steel. Not sure where they came from but it could have been from Robert Dyas. A worthy sucessor to 'old faithfull' indeed.

[Muddy_Boots]

Glad I'm not the only one who has struggled with a duff trowel for too long!  Just treated myself to a stainless steel one.  I think half the problem is that, when we get gardening, we don't realise how much strength we have, especially when dealing with pesky weeds.  As has been said, they don't make things the way they used to in the old days when things were built to last rather than be replaced next season.  Doesn't anyone bother catering for those of us who can't afford new gadgets every five minutes!

Very lucky really, for several years have been using reclaimed tools rescued from a skip at the local village hall when they had an annual clear up for the 'Villages in Bloom' competition.  Still using the rake and hoe - think they must have been from the 1940s and still going strong!  Have to confess buying a new fork and spade though!

 :D :D :D

[Merry Tiller]

Most of my tools are fairly newish stainless jobbies, birthdays & Christmas come in quite handy at times but my favourite tool of all is my old brass syringe, it's probably an antique but there's nothing better for cooling down the greenhouse on a hot day or giving the runner beans a squirt to help with pollination and it's very satisfying to use :-\

[ACE]

my favourite tool of all is my old brass syringe,

Sorry about this,  but colonic irrigation springs to mind :-X ;D

I have just got a spear and jackson which has a good garantee, mind you it cost a fortune. Another tool I seem to get through is spades so I also got a kingfisher stainless with a lifetime garantee it was cheaper than the trowel.
 
  Also talking about spades they seem to eat the bottom of my boot away because there is no step on them nowadays just a straight edge,
when I got some new boots I mentioned this to the owner who said they were not meant for digging in! So I said well give me some that are, they do not make them was his reply and this was a shop that only sold safety gear. What I need is a strap on plate that goes under the boot I have seen them years ago but cannot track one down at all now. Any ideas?

[SueM]

I agree with you about spades, Heritage. I use my grandfather's, which has a roll-over top to the blade. Dread the day when it breaks and I have to get a new one. Used my sister's 'modern' spade and nearly cut my foot in half!

I had a stainless steel trowel and fork set given me about 20 years ago, which called itself a rockery set. The trowel has a sort of twisted blade all in one piece with the handle (handle covered in plastic). The fork had only two thin tines and I've always loved it. Lost it a few years ago - disaster.... Couldn't find anything like it anywhere, but recently they seem to be selling them again (at enormous price), calling them Jekyll forks or weeding forks.

My son gave me a stainless steel set for Christmas with a two-tine fork, so I'm a happy bunny again. I love hand-weeding, and these forks are great for winkling weeds out of crevices and getting between plants without disturbing them.

Sue

[Garden Manager]

Most of my tools are old 'inherited' ones either from parents or grandparents. My main digging spade was a wedding present to my parents 30+ years ago. Had plenty of bashing and still as good as new.

I once had a lovely lightweight border spade which was my grandfathers, but unfortunately the handle snapped. I was then given a nice stainless steel border spade but its too nice and too new and i hardly use it.

The one tool i sem to go through a lot is forks. on my chalky/flinty soil the tines tend to bend really easily. Once this happens of course the thing is near useless. Its better if the tine breaks off then i can use the remainder. I have a small border fork with only 3 tines that this has happened to. Still perfectly servicable.

Just cant seem to find one tough enough and have decided to replace u/s ones with really cheap one s that might not last long but wont cost much to replace each time. My current one cost only £4.99 from B&Q!