Pointed planting spade by Burgon & Ball handle - RHS range

This traditional English planting spade with a beech handle by Burgon & Ball, is extremely resistant and specifically designed with a sharp and acute pointed head, which easily cuts through the toughest terrains. If it encounters a stone or a root while cutting through the soil, it simply passes the obstacle on the side, avoiding the hard work of digging in hard or stony soils. Equipped with steps on both sides of the blade, a very hard FSC certified wooden handle, an ergonomic 'Y' shaped wooden handle double riveted at the base for added strength, and a narrow stainless steel polished spade head, it is a very durable and high-quality garden tool that will satisfy demanding gardeners and tool enthusiasts. The socket that holds the handle is extra long and fixed with two rivets, providing strength and flexibility to this key joint of the tool. The breaking strength of this spade (weight supported before the handle breaks) has been tested at 100 kg, which is 82% higher than the British standard set at 55 kg. Sturdy and extremely resistant, it will overcome even the most resistant soils.

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

Dimensions of the spade head: 28 x 18 - Handle length: 83 cm (33in)

The English have the privilege of being the reference in gardening (if not in cooking). Promesses de fleurs has chosen the English company Burgon & Ball for the quality of its materials and its almost three-century-old steel manufacturing methods. The company has been working with steel in Sheffield since 1730, starting with a patent for solid steel sheep shears. The production of garden shears and equipment quickly surpassed that of sheep shears, but Burgon & Ball stainless steel tools 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 the formation of 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 spade, which requires high resistance and hardness to withstand the bending in the soil, is made with a higher carbon content than chrome.

The heat treatment allows to precisely give the right hardness to the steel 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. This spade requires a thicker steel than a knife, which can be made of much thinner steel. The thickness of the steel also affects the weight, so it's also a balance to be found, which the Burgon & Ball company with its soon-to-be 300 years of experience has validated to ensure that its tools are both effective and pleasant to use.