Subject: Re: FAVORITE GARDEN TOOLS

From: [email-masked] (Jen Mayer)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 03:35:00 GMT

RR> Do you have a favorite garden tool?  I sure do:

That'd be my pitchfork. Came home from work one night, put dinner in 
the oven and said, "Honey, I'm going out to buy a pitchfork!" He 
laughed, but there hasn't been a day yet that I haven't used it. It's 
right up there with the wheelbarrow when it comes to the "What did I ever 
do without it?" category. 

 * RM 1.3 01256 * Always be sincere, even if you don't mean it.

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From: [email-masked] (L. R. Fortney)
Date: 1 Mar 1995 16:16:53 GMT

My favorite garden tool is the "Swoe" (I think that's the right
spelling).  I have two of the nicely molded originals made by Wilkinson
Sword.  It is the best stand-up weeding tool by far.

-- 
Lloyd Fortney ---Opinions, just opinions---

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From: [email-masked] (Bob Batson)
Date: 1 Mar 1995 00:26:25 GMT

[email-masked] wrote:

: Do you have a favorite garden tool?  I sure do:

: A narrow-bladed shovel; specifically, a 4" trenching spade. Mine has a
: maplewood handle, and cost about twenty five dollars (U.S.).
: Although it's made for digging narrow trenches (for pipe, wires, etc.),
: it's incredibly handy.  Note: it's a full sized shovel, with a long
: narrow blade at about a 30-degree angle to the handle, and is very
: sturdily built.

			[MUCH DELETED]

Where did you purchase your trenching spade!? This sounds a lot like a
spade I own that's beginning to show its age. Mine is about 5" wide at 
the top of the blade and tapers to 4" wide at the bottom.

--
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Bob Batson				L 39 12 14 N  94 33 16 W
[email-masked]			Kansas City
[email-masked]			USDA zone 5
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Under the most controlled conditions, the experimental apparatus will
do exactly as it pleases.

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From: [email-masked] (Steven M. Begley)
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 14:37:40 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] writes:
>Subject: Favorite Garden Tools
>From: [email-masked]
>Date: Sun, 26 Feb 95 22:21:12 EST

>Do you have a favorite garden tool?  I sure do:

>A narrow-bladed shovel; specifically, a 4" trenching spade. Mine has a
>maplewood handle, and cost about twenty five dollars (U.S.).
>Although it's made for digging narrow trenches (for pipe, wires, etc.),
>it's incredibly handy.  Note: it's a full sized shovel, with a long
>narrow blade at about a 30-degree angle to the handle, and is very
>sturdily built.

	Your spade sounds a lot like my AP tool. I have a thing called a nursery 
spade. It's about 6" wide, "D" handled, with steel reinforcing all the way up 
the handle to the grip. 
	This type of spade is used in commercial nurseries for 
balling trees. It is sensational for moving perennials and small shrubs. You 
just make several cuts around the perimeter of the root area and then pry the 
plant out of the ground. The reinforcing on the handle means in a "test of 
will" the root ball looses the contest every time!
	I would love to hear more about the two handed trowel, though. 
	Thanks for bringing up such an interesting subject.
Steven.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 28 Feb 95 20:25:43 -0600

> the top of the blade and tapers to 4" wide at the bottom.

Try the AM Leonard catalog, 1-800-543-8955.  They've got Ames drain spades
(ash or fiberglass handles) in the $45-50 range, and (imho, the best
spade I've used) their D-2 Florida design full strap spade for about
(gulp!) $78.  However, that one is capable of getting soil samples
from frozen ground!   Leonard also has replacement handles (straight
and D-handles) for spades and shovels that are beginning to show their
age...

Boy, if I had to pick just *one* tool, I guess it's my old heavy-duty
spading fork I wouldn't part with.  Or maybe the lopping shears.
Or possibly  my hoe....  The teaspoon I used for transplanting?
AARGH!  Looks like I'm gonna be hauling lots of gardening equipment
with me this time, yet again!

Kay Klier   [email-masked]

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From: Donald Kackman <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 22:34:04 GMT

> : narrow blade at about a 30-degree angle to the handle, and is very

My favorite tool is definately my Black Tiger spade. It's got a carbide blade
and a fiberglass handle. Its the best balanced spade I've ever used and the
fiber glass handle is very strong and very flexible.

Running a close second is my Felco hand pruner. I would recomend this pruner
to anyone. Very comfortable and durable.

Don Kackman

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From: [email-masked] (David Kolasa)
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 15:25:55 GMT

I've found a Japanese gardening knife that I got from Smith and Hawkins a few 
years back to be indispensible now. Usually Smith and Hawkins is way out of my 
price range but this knife was about $7. It is very sturdy, about 8" long and 
1 1/2" wide and one side of the blade is serrated. It's great for working in 
small tight spots and digging down deep to get hard to extract roots. I've 
seen one like it for sale at Walmart.

A few of my friends have seen it and say its scary looking . . . tho' I think 
the wide blade and serrated edge make it look like a tool not a weapon.

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From: Donald Kackman <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 22:34:04 GMT

Don Kackman

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From: [email-masked] (David Kolasa)
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 15:25:55 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (Bob Klebba)
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 20:47:12 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (David Kolasa) writes:
>From: [email-masked] (David Kolasa)
>Subject: Re: Favorite Garden Tools
>Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 15:25:55 GMT

>years back to be indispensible now. Usually Smith and Hawkins is way out of my 

I stopped at a garden center when I was last in Japan.  I couldn't believe how 
different the selection of tools is!  (Unfortunately a lot of the 
digging-type tools require bending over, so I can't recommend them for their 
ergonomics.)

Robert Klebba
Nicolet Instrument Corporation
5225 Verona Road
Madison WI 53744-4495 USA
tel: +1-608-276-6374
fax: +1-608-276-6324 or 273-5046
inet: [email-masked]