We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the pack
was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on the
fork bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove some weeds
in a not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever that
may be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking? What's
the best material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not the
lengths of licorice which Stanley appear to be using!

--
F

We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the pack
was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on the fork
bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove some weeds in a
not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever that may
be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking? What's the best
material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not the lengths of
licorice which Stanley appear to be using!

Go to a car boot sale and chose one that's stood the test of time. I gave my
son the same advice when he bought a house with a garden. He came back with
a boot full of garden tools for little more that the cost of one fancy new
fork.

Mike

"Muddymike" wrote in message
om...
We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the pack
was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on the fork
bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove some weeds in a
not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever that
may be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking? What's the
best material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not the lengths of
licorice which Stanley appear to be using!

Go to a car boot sale and chose one that's stood the test of time. I gave
my son the same advice when he bought a house with a garden. He came back
with a boot full of garden tools for little more that the cost of one
fancy new fork.

Yeah, that's that I did, got quite a few for
peanuts and just use the best of them.

On 20/10/2014 11:11, Rod Speed wrote:


"Muddymike" wrote in message
om...
We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the
pack was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on
the fork bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove
some weeds in a not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever
that may be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking?
What's the best material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not
the lengths of licorice which Stanley appear to be using!

Go to a car boot sale and chose one that's stood the test of time. I
gave my son the same advice when he bought a house with a garden. He
came back with a boot full of garden tools for little more that the
cost of one fancy new fork.

Yeah, that's that I did, got quite a few for
peanuts and just use the best of them.
Wish I'd spotted my allotment shed had been broken into one Saturday night.
I might have been able to buy the tools back at the Sunday Car Boot Sale....

"Jim Chisholm" wrote in message
...
On 20/10/2014 11:11, Rod Speed wrote:


"Muddymike" wrote in message
om...
We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the
pack was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on
the fork bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove
some weeds in a not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever
that may be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking?
What's the best material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not
the lengths of licorice which Stanley appear to be using!

Go to a car boot sale and chose one that's stood the test of time. I
gave my son the same advice when he bought a house with a garden. He
came back with a boot full of garden tools for little more that the
cost of one fancy new fork.

Yeah, that's that I did, got quite a few for
peanuts and just use the best of them.

Wish I'd spotted my allotment shed had been broken into one Saturday
night.

We don’t have allotments here, our
gardens are all on our own property.

I might have been able to buy the tools back at the Sunday Car Boot
Sale....

Wilkinson Sword used to do very good ones at one time. the problem today is
that too many well known makes simply brand engineer stuff by others.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Rod Speed" wrote in message
...


"Muddymike" wrote in message
om...
We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the pack
was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on the fork
bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove some weeds in a
not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever that
may be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking? What's
the best material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not the lengths
of licorice which Stanley appear to be using!

Go to a car boot sale and chose one that's stood the test of time. I gave
my son the same advice when he bought a house with a garden. He came back
with a boot full of garden tools for little more that the cost of one
fancy new fork.

Yeah, that's that I did, got quite a few for
peanuts and just use the best of them.

In message , F
writes
We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the
pack was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on
the fork bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove some
weeds in a not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever that
may be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking? What's
the best material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not the
lengths of licorice which Stanley appear to be using!

I would avoid stainless for a *digging* fork. The hardened stuff snaps
and the soft bends. We had a florist outlet here marketing stainless
hand fork/trowel packs. Big pile of returned forks with the middle tine
snapped off!

My working forks are all hardened and tempered carbon steel handed down
from previous generations of gardeners.


--
Tim Lamb

On 20/10/2014 10:43, F wrote:
We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the pack
was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on the
fork bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove some weeds
in a not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever that
may be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking? What's
the best material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not the
lengths of licorice which Stanley appear to be using!



I have Burgon & Ball fork & spade ... good kit in Stainless Steel
http://www.burgonandball.com/shop/sc...?idproduct=235

On 20/10/2014 22:05, rick wrote:
On 20/10/2014 10:43, F wrote:
We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the pack
was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on the
fork bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove some weeds
in a not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever that
may be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking? What's
the best material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not the
lengths of licorice which Stanley appear to be using!



I have Burgon & Ball fork & spade ... good kit in Stainless Steel
http://www.burgonandball.com/shop/sc...?idproduct=235


The border version of that looks very interesting, though I'm not sure
what 'Heat treated tines cope with compacted soil' means.

I've also found a 'Joseph Bentley Stainless Steel Border Fork' at B&Q (I
know, I know) with a lifetime guarantee:
http://www.diy.com/departments/josep.../182681_BQ.prd

Earlier suggestions for second hand from car boot sales were a good idea
but won't work here as they've finished for the year. As it happens, the
need for a new fork has arisen after a 40 year old one broke!

--
F

On Tue, 21 Oct 2014 11:12:02 +0100, F wrote:

I have Burgon & Ball fork & spade ... good kit in Stainless Steel
http://www.burgonandball.com/shop/sc...?idproduct=235

The border version of that looks very interesting, though I'm not sure
what 'Heat treated tines cope with compacted soil' means.

It's (probably) not so **** that it bends as soon as you try digging in
anything more challenging than a sandy beach.

glares at contents of shed

On 21/10/2014 11:12, F wrote:
On 20/10/2014 22:05, rick wrote:

I have Burgon & Ball fork & spade ... good kit in Stainless Steel
http://www.burgonandball.com/shop/sc...?idproduct=235



I picked up fork & spade at 50% off ... local Wyvale Garden Centre was
running Burgon & ball .. buy one get one free offer.


They are very good quality, fork certainly has no tendency to bend.

On 21/10/2014 11:12, F wrote:
On 20/10/2014 22:05, rick wrote:

I have Burgon & Ball fork & spade ... good kit in Stainless Steel
http://www.burgonandball.com/shop/sc...?idproduct=235


The border version of that looks very interesting, though I'm not sure
what 'Heat treated tines cope with compacted soil' means.

I've also found a 'Joseph Bentley Stainless Steel Border Fork' at B&Q (I
know, I know) with a lifetime guarantee:
http://www.diy.com/departments/josep.../182681_BQ.prd

Had a look at the Joseph Bentley when I was passing B&Q and it seemed
well made with a 15 year (not lifetime, as advertised on the new £60M
website!). It was 10% off Wednesday so I bought it. Initial, quick dig
was positive, and it's light enough for Management to use...

Thanks for all the suggestions.

--
F

On 24/10/2014 22:56, F wrote:
On 21/10/2014 11:12, F wrote:
On 20/10/2014 22:05, rick wrote:

I have Burgon & Ball fork & spade ... good kit in Stainless Steel
http://www.burgonandball.com/shop/sc...?idproduct=235


The border version of that looks very interesting, though I'm not sure
what 'Heat treated tines cope with compacted soil' means.

I've also found a 'Joseph Bentley Stainless Steel Border Fork' at B&Q (I
know, I know) with a lifetime guarantee:
http://www.diy.com/departments/josep.../182681_BQ.prd


Had a look at the Joseph Bentley when I was passing B&Q and it seemed
well made with a 15 year (not lifetime, as advertised on the new £60M
website!). It was 10% off Wednesday so I bought it. Initial, quick dig
was positive, and it's light enough for Management to use...

Thanks for all the suggestions.


Joseph Bentley indeed! Sounds like an estate agent

On 20/10/2014 10:43, F wrote:
We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the pack
was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on the
fork bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove some weeds
in a not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever that
may be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking? What's
the best material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not the
lengths of licorice which Stanley appear to be using!

I am not that impressed with stainless steel ones. More expensive and I
have snapped one and they are much harder to weld than ordinary steel.

Secondhand tools are worth considering rather than new.

If the ground is a bit tough a mattock might be more use.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
On 20/10/2014 10:43, F wrote:
We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the pack
was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on the
fork bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove some weeds
in a not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever that
may be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking? What's
the best material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not the
lengths of licorice which Stanley appear to be using!

I am not that impressed with stainless steel ones. More expensive and I
have snapped one and they are much harder to weld than ordinary steel.

Secondhand tools are worth considering rather than new.

If the ground is a bit tough a mattock might be more use.

I just give it a good soak with the hose and still use the fork.

Another counterfeit product perhaps? Some years ago I bought some Draper
branded Hacksaw blades that must have been made of crap steel as they
blunted within minutes. I'm sure they were not the cosher items with
hindsight.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"F" news@nowhere wrote in message
...
We need a fork to use on the borders in the garden so I went for
http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sp...win-pack/5898c as the pack
was £5 cheaper than the fork alone. Mistake. One of the tines on the fork
bent at a silly angle the first time I used it to remove some weeds in a
not-too-compacted border.

Anyone care to recommend a fork (preferably 'border' size whatever that
may be) that's going to do the job without bending or breaking? What's the
best material? Carbon steel? Stainless steel? Clearly not the lengths of
licorice which Stanley appear to be using!

--
F

On 21/10/2014 09:20, Brian Gaff wrote:
Another counterfeit product perhaps?

Draper and Stanley are not noted for being quality products. Stanley is
just a brand that is being used to badge no-name goods these days.


--
mailto: news {at} admac {dot] myzen {dot} co {dot} uk