English Carbon-Steel Spades & Forks

These products are no longer available.

For years we have been selling stainless-steel forks and spades made to the British standard for strength and quality. It has become painfully obvious that many of our customers are not British standard customers. Apparently, some are retired Sumo wrestlers.

Accordingly, we have added a line of tools that substantially exceed the British standard. They are not unbreakable but they do require a determined effort. To quote from a recent customer letter, "I'm sure I have wrecked at least two garden forks over the years trying to uproot small saplings or take out small boulders".

Frankly, forks and spades are not designed to do that kind of work. Our tests show our English line to have about double the strength required by the British standard but we still don't recommend using them to pry boulders, even small ones.

Comparative Strengths of Tools:   Tool Type Digging Border British Standard 121 lb 88 lb Lee Valley Stainless 150+ lb 150+ lb Lee Valley English 200+ lb 200+ lb

These tools are forged from a single piece of high-carbon steel. The American white ash handle is well buried in the socket for strength and the D-handle is a traditional wood/steel combination.

The digging tools (with approx. 11" x 7" heads) are perfect for heavy digging, double digging, ground preparation and harvesting. The border tools (with approx. 9" x 5-1/2" heads) are smaller, making them more suited to lighter digging or for gardeners with less strength.

The rabbiting spade, with its narrow curved blade (10-1/2" x 5-1/2" head), permits digging and transplanting in close quarters without disturbing surrounding plants. Although it was originally used in England as a hunting tool for opening up rabbit holes when a ferret (used for flushing out the rabbits) went astray, it makes a much better gardening tool.

All the spades are treaded for comfortable digging. Each tool weighs about 5-1/4 lb. Overall lengths are in the price lines.

All are guaranteed for 10 years, although they could easily last a lifetime.

Made in Great Britain.