Kitchen Garden Forum

This letter came into KG this month, can anyone help out?

Tom Barber’s article on hoes (KG July 05) prompted me to write to ask if anyone can help me in obtaining a certain type of hoe.

The hoe in question was readily available in most garden shops many years ago.



Although I have tried others, I still have a preference for this one. I have attached a drawing. As you will see the nearest one to it in your article is the Winged Weeder, but it has straight edges whereas my one is curved. Can you help please and tell if this type is still available?

Hello Peter,

I wonder if anything from the Sneeboer or Bulldog ranges would suit your quest..??

http://www.sneeboer.com/index.cfm?act=P ... n&varcat=1

http://www.loadsatools.co.uk/acatalog/B ... Range.html

Both sites show an ordinary push hoe (Bulldog Paxton hoe?)...whilst I appreciate they don't fully resemble the drawing in the magazine..I wonder if they could be the basis of a replacement once given some judicious treatment with a grinder.??.

At work we use swan neck draw hoes with a curved topped blade rather than the push types..but again it is hard to find a decent hoe of this type. Most now have a welded on square blade which when offered up to snitch out a tiny weed close to a plant the square shoulder damages the plant.!!. With the older forged hoes with a curved top to the blade the end of the blade can get at the tiniest weed close up to a plant without inflicting any damage..

Our borders have quite an amount of gravel that has either been introduced as drainage or is from the adjacent gravel paths.!!..so is quite wearing on tool blades....hence I'm always on the look out for "new"..mainly from junk/secondhand shops and similar outlets.

All the best,
Clive.

Your drawing didn't appear.

I summise it was ref' this winged hoe...




Naughtily.? scanned from the magazine.

Naughty Clive
I doubt you'll get in any trouble though since the letter and picture are already in place on the web site in the letters section.

That was far easier...pinched from the letters page.!!