A traditional carbon steel border spade that is strong, robust and comfortable to use. It's at the top of our price range and comes with a lifetime warranty.
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This is a traditionally styled, robust border spade made by an English family firm. It has a solid-forged, carbon steel blade that's coated with resin for extra protection and a long, smooth socket. The shaft and YD handle are made from weatherproofed ash and it's also available with a T-grip handle at a reduced cost. It has no treads.
A great performer, the handle of this hard-working border spade is comfortable and it feels strong and robust. However, it does feel heavy and given it's best suited to digging and lifting plants, testers would have liked it to have treads on the blade to stop their feet slipping. The rivets are smooth in the socket, making it easy on the hands.
The carbon steel blade and socket are solid forged from a single piece of metal so there's no weak spot and the socket is long, making it unlikely to snap. This is a strong and long-lasting spade.
This is the most expensive border spade in our test but it's well made, built to last and comes with a lifetime warranty. We think it's good value for money.
Built for working and digging in smaller, cramped spaces and for getting in amongst the roots of plants, the weight of this spade makes it best for more able gardeners.
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Border Spades - Buyer's Guide video