Burgon & Ball 4-tine Hand Fork - RHS range

This small polished stainless steel hand fork by Burgon & Ball is a high-quality tool, ideal for borders, pots, or containers. It features a short handle made of hard weather-resistant wood, fitted with a 4-tine round head that offers less resistance in the soil than flat tines, sliding more easily into difficult soils. It is made of mirror-polished stainless steel that prevents moisture-induced wear and prevents soil from sticking to the tool. It is used for surface soil cultivation, weeding, transplanting, and breaking up clods. Its size and versatility make it essential for above-ground gardening.

The round tines of this fork are made of hardened steel to withstand heavy-duty work, while the socket is precisely forged at the perfect angle for ergonomic work and uses a different composition of steel with increased carbon content for optimal strength. The handle is made of hard wood and is FSC* certified.

* FSC is an international eco-label guaranteeing that the wood comes from sustainably managed forests.

Dimensions: head = 7.5cm (3in), handle length = 21cm (8in).

Promesse de fleurs has chosen the English company Burgon & Ball for the quality of its materials and its nearly three centuries-old steel manufacturing methods. The company has been working with steel in Sheffield since 1730, initially with a patent for solid steel sheep shears. The production of garden shears and equipment quickly surpassed that of sheep shears, but the stainless-steel tools from Burgon & Ball are officially approved by the Royal Horticultural Society - probably the ultimate reward in the gardening industry.

The steel used for Burgon & Ball tools is alloyed with carbon to give it strength, and with chrome to prevent rust. It's a very precise balance that needs to be found between chrome and carbon, different for each part of the tool. For example, the socket, which needs to be strong enough to withstand bending, is made of thicker steel with a medium balance between chrome and carbon, while the blade of this weeding knife, which requires significant strength and hardness to withstand bending in the soil, is made with a higher carbon content than chrome.

The heat treatment creates the right level of hardness for each tool. Too hard and the metal can break or chip, not hard enough and it will bend or lose its sharpness. The thickness of the steel used also depends on the tool. The thickness of the steel affects the weight, so it's also a balance to be found, which the company Burgon & Ball, with its nearly 300 years of experience, has validated to ensure that its tools are both effective and comfortable to use.