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Fred-in-the-sheds Guide to Garden Forks and Spades

Available in the USA

Updated 4th March 2012

I am a UK based garden tool enthusiast , writer, researcher and garden tool inventor. This page is for my readers in the USA to help them find the best digging tools, either from European or American manufacturers.

Garden Forks and Spades are subjected to enormous stresses and strains when used in heavy soil and need to be very robust to survive this use. Most garden forks and spades bought today are of inferior quality and are made in the Far East. They are made to cater for gardeners who don't want to spend much on tools. However, some are made and marketed to look like quality tools to fool the public into thinking they are getting the best.

These tools will not last as long as the "old fashioned" tools that our parents and grandparents used. Luckily you can still buy top quality, solid forged American and European tools and some reasonable quality tools from "the Orient" However you need to know where to look and you need some inside information to avoid the shiny fakes.

Tools to Avoid

The most common fault with forks is bending or breaking of the tines, followed by snapping where the handle meets the tool head.

To avoid this forks in particular need to be solid forged from one piece of near molten metal. This requires high grade steel, and a lot of skill.

The fork shown opposite is pressed from thin steel and welded to the shaft, that's why its bent.

A so called "top quality" Stainless Steel Spade sold by a Top Brand Company.

This product has failed because it is made of 2 pieces of low grade stainless steel welded together (badly).

Stainless steel digging tools are far weaker than normal carbon steel tools and very difficult to solid forge.

Stainless steel digging tools ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR DIFFICULT SOIL CONDITIONS

The broken one shown came with a 10 year guarantee and was a replacement for the previous one that broke. Your, postage costs, time and gasoline are not covered by a manufacturers guarantee.

The environmental cost of manufacturing product for landfill is not covered by the guarantee.

Another piece of landfill from a "leading" manufacturer

Poor quality welding

CASE STUDY - BUYING A FORK AND SPADE

If you try to buy a fork or spade you will find that they range enormously in price, for no apparent reason. Why does that shiny stainless steel spade cost less than that dull and boring painted one?

It could be because one is a poor quality duffer. But which one?

A Bulldog Premier Solid Forged Spade undergoing a bend test at the Clarington Forge in Wigan UK.

My Dad "Big Fred" used this model spade for many years and I can vouch for it's quality. The Bulldog premier forks and spades have been in production for many years without any changes, these are the most tried and tested tools available today.

Unless you do your digging in a grow-bag I would always recommend a solid forged fork or spade. This means that it has been bashed out of one piece of metal and the crystalline structure of the metal is uniform and very strong.

Pressed steel and welded forks and spades tend to do spaghetti impressions in hard soil or snap at the (frog) weld. I favour Ash or hardwood handles although fibreglass can often be even stronger.

Bulldog (Clarington Forge), Ames Tru Temper and Spear & Jackson and are longest established digging tool companies who all sell solid forged tools in the USA.

In the USA the British Bulldog Tools have to be sold under the brand name Clarington Forge and this page is affiliated with the US distributor. To buy Clarington forge Tools and to support this webpage please use the banner link below

BEST OF BRITISH - FRED'S GUIDE TO BUYING British Made FORKS AND SPADES

Twelve stages of forging (bashing) a spade from one piece of steel,

Fred and Bulldog Director at the Clarington Forge

I receive more E mails about broken forks than any other tool, this is because there are so many inferior quality tools of this type in the shops. Also to be fair to the manufacturers some people try to use a garden fork when they should be using a pick-axe or mattock.

If you want really strong forks and spades,my advice is to ONLY BUY FORKS THAT HAVE BEEN SOLID FORGED. Also take care when buying Stainless Steel. Only one company makes solid forge stainless steel and generally speaking this metal is not as suited to making large forks, normal carbon steel is stronger, easier to forge and less likely to break in difficult conditions like heavy soil or when digging near roots.

Solid forged tools are lighter AND stronger as they are made from one piece of metal.

For personal advice on how to buy the right fork or spade e mail me at fred@fredshed.com

The new Shrubbery spade next to a normal size border spade.

(both shown in standard premier colours)

This is an ideal tool for ladies, shorter gents and largish children

The Strongest Garden Fork in the World?

If you want the toughest traditional fork and only the best will do then this Premier strapped solid forged digging fork is hard to beat.

It is solid forged from one piece of hot metal and strapped, which means the metal shaft extends up and around the wooden shaft and is "strapped to it by several large rivets. This gives the strongest join and has been tried and tested over many decades. It is hand made in Wigan UK by craftsmen in the Clarington Forge.

Clarington Forge Strapped Fork 470402820

28inc YD handle

Shaft and handle made from Ash

Practical not Pretty

Clarington Forge

T handled Rabbiting Spade

26" handle

(also known as planting spade)

Clarington Forge Premier Fork and Spade

The classic British gardening tool

Available in 4 head sizes and handle lengths and styles

Irish Shovels and Irish Spades have long handles and narrow heads for digging deeper holes

Children's Digging Tools!

Real Garden Tools For Children

Most garden tools sold for Children are a bit flimsy and do not last very long. Clarington Forge make proper mini versions of their solid forged fork and spade to suit children.

These tools are so well made that your children could pass them onto your grandchildren.

Unique Solid Forged Lawn Edger

This is the finest example of a half moon lawn knife available and the only one I know of where the blade is made from one piece of steel, forged by hand for maximum strength.

Most lawn edgers are made from 2 pieces of steel welded together which introduces a weakness in the tool. As users have a tendency to lever the soil away with the tool many become bent or broken.

This exceptional tool is actually strong enough to dig with (though I don't recommend it) and also has a solid ash shaft with a generous width T handle.

Non solid forged

Stainless Steel Forks and Spades

Stainless steel digging tools look better and are easier to slide into the ground than painted or rust covered tools.

However they are NOT the strongest so take care to only use them in good soil for gardening - and definitely not for construction work!.

I have used a set of these Spear and Jackson Neverbend stainless tools for many years and they are about as good as you can get.

Stainless Steel Digging Tools

USA Made Solid Forged Digging Tools

If you don't want to pay the high prices for the imported British tools then there are some good quality US made options.

Ames True Temper have been making great tools in the USA for over 200 years and are a company Fredshed is happy to recommend.

If you are thinking of buying some expensive tools and want some help, you can e mail me at fred@fredshed.com. Likewise if you have had an expensive tool break then I would like to know. (unless you were lifting paving slabs with it!)

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