HEIRLOOM SPADES
What’s the deal?
We live in a world of throw-away, break-and-buy-again tools, where garden implements are cheap as chips and simply don’t last. When a handle snaps or tines twist, into the bin goes our purchase. That’s not a sustainable way to garden, and I, for one, am over it! What we all need is a change of attitude – where we purchase tools that, while not necessarily the cheapest, will become garden heirlooms that we pass on to our children, and which they will in turn hand on to the next generation. If that’s the sort of quality you’re after, look no further than a Timbersaws tool, made by Levin Sawmakers. Unashamedly rugged (you can see the strength in the welds), these are implements built for professional arborists and gardeners. They stay the test of time and come in Ukrainian colours, to boot.
how do you use them?
Timbersaws offer a wide range of implements. As a keen fruitand firewood-tree planter on my own section, as well as forever heading out with my conservation group to plant natives, I chose to test drive two of Timbersaws’ planting spades. The first was a ‘Jack 1’. A great all-rounder for most soil types, it sports a long, tapered blade that allows for easy cultivation of a hole once it’s been dug. It comes with a host of technical attributes, but what I loved best was the nylon-impregnated rubber handle that reduces shock absorption, and which doesn’t get slippery and lose its grip when soils gets on it.
Because I value shelter, I am often planting root trainer trees, which is why I also opted for a ‘Beez Neez Planting Spade’ with a D Handle. This little beauty is my favourite. It has a sharp, tapered, pointy blade that slices through hard clay and rotten rock, and the bar above the blade has plenty of space for a boot to push down on. Like the ‘Jack 1’, the handle grip and shock absorbancy is sheer luxury! It simply makes the job of planting so much easier.
Could do better
To be honest, I can’t fault these tools. Having said that, they are made from quality steel, so don’t expect them to be light. On the contrary, these are serious pieces of professional equipment, built to last, and with the weight behind them to prove it. Use them for planting – and if you want an everyday garden spade, check out Timbersaws’ ‘gardener Digging Spade’ instead.
value for money
Timbersaws’ planting and garden spades retail for $125.24. That’s around $40 more than the next best thing you’ll find at garden centres – which won’t be Kiwi-made. Considering a Timbersaws spade is guaranteed to be a garden heirloom, I think it’s worth every cent.