Burgon & Ball Small Garden Fork

This Burgon & Ball small garden fork has all the qualities of a large one, but in a format suitable for children, those with less physical strength, or people of small stature. Its four-pronged head is made of stainless steel and has two reinforced edges that are 5cm (2in) wide for foot support. Its FSC*-certified hardwood handle is finished with an ergonomic "YD" handle, specific to English tools. This is a handmade garden tool that is very durable and of high quality. It is suitable for both right-handed and left-handed gardeners. It will satisfy demanding gardeners and lovers of fine tools.

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

Dimensions:

• Tines: 17cm (7in) x 1cm, Width: 14cm (6in)
• Handle length (YD handle): 66cm (26in)
• Overall length: 83cm (33in)
• Weight: 1100g

The digging fork is a versatile tool, designed for digging, loosening, and breaking up the soil deeply. It is much more suitable than a spade for working on difficult, rocky, clayey, or heavy and compacted soils. It loosens the soil without turning it over, simply by penetrating the tines. Unlike a spade, this garden tool does not disturb the soil's microbial life and does not cut through earthworms, which are essential for soil health and fertility. It can be used to remove weeds, as well as vegetable plants (leeks, potatoes, carrots, turnips), and to divide large clumps of perennial plants. It is also used to pull up and transplant plants, remove stones, and bring up pest larvae.

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.