Note to mass-production manufacturers and sweatshops: Take cover, because the next generation of consumers will pay a premium for age-old construction techniques combined with rethought, one-of-a-kind design. Hardy tools built to last a lifetime by skilled artisans are something of a rage at the moment, as people migrate toward the economics of quality and durability over the inexpensive and disposable. Within the world of gardening tools, the latest offerings are such a mix personal, pragmatic and aspirational that their descriptions could double as self-help advice. Check out 13 of Aerate’s favorites, which will make you a better gardener and possibly a better person.
1. Rockery Trowel from Red Pig Garden Tools
Use your hands to deal with the low-hanging fruit, but it takes a special tool to get at the buried issues. This trowel’s gracefully curving neck and long narrow handle let you pry weeds out of retaining walls and reach into rock crevices. Dig deep. Examine the results. Repeat. Available here for $35.
2. Large Hand Plow from Ashfield Tools
Don’t pass off your burdens to the beasts in the field. The wrought curvature of this hand plow makes it easy to take responsibility for turning over new ground. Try it and you’ll want to till at least ’til the cows come home. Available here for $51.
3. Long-Handled Brush Clearing Hook from Garret Wade
There’s a time for the delicate tasks of pruning and weeding, but when the landscape becomes too overgrown and unruly, the heavy-duty steel head of this clearing hook will lop branches and underbrush with ease. Swing wide and free, anything you truly need will grow back. Available here for $99.95.
4. Handcrafted Garden Hoe from Fisher Blacksmithing
Doing the hard work that leads to growth can lead to a certain myopia and obsessiveness. This hoe’s pointed blade and hand-turned black walnut handle can break up soil, dig holes, draw rows, or weed. Keep it at hand to address the full range of needs that sprout. Available here for $58.00.
5. Forca: Handmade Copper and Bronze Garden Fork from GRAFA
A fork represents the decisions that lie everywhere, and this one, with its kiln-dried spotted-gum hardwood handle, is great for transplanting small bulbs and breaking through hard dirt while reminding you that all tines lead to richer soil. Available here for $65.72.
6. Bulb Planter from Sneeboer USA
As with families, happy flowers are all alike. This hand-forged bulb-planter makes it easy to remove and replace clods of earth. The design is unique and interesting; the work it does is boring. Sometimes, that’s what it takes to produce happy flowers. Available here for $129.
7. Crows Foot Garden Tool from Homestead Iron LLP
Problem areas can feel like black shadows circling above. This hand-forged cultivator will easily pull through stubborn soil and help loosen persistent weeds, easing your burden and proving that crow’s feet look better in the garden than on your face. Available here for $38.
8. The Original Blacksmith Forged Railroad Spike Hand Trowel from Persimmon Tree Forge
Renewal comes from both without and within. These trowels forged from old railroad spikes are individually rendered objects of beauty. Finding new ways to see old junk is an art worth pursuing and a survival skill. Available here for $50.
9. Grass Shears by Burgon & Ball
Be precise in identifying and eliminating the ugly tendrils you uncover; overcutting can do as much damage as ignoring the problem. These shears are made from heat-treated carbon steel, so they hold an edge, close easily and have sufficient spring; i.e., they always bounce back. Available here for $37.50.
10. Copper Watering Can from The Floral Society
Sometimes looks count. This hand-finished watering can is made from copper, which has insulating properties and a beautiful finish, keeping the temperature cool inside and the looks cool on the outside. Those properties often go together. Available here for $108.
11. Hori Hori Ultimate Tool with Sheath from Barebones Living
It’s easy to be lured by the promise of multiple payoffs, and this multi-use tool has blunt surfaces, razor-like edges and sharp teeth that allow it to dig holes, pound in stakes, saw branches, and more. It also measures depth, which can be its scariest attribute. Available here for $50.
12. Gardener’s Lifetime Tulip Trowel from DeWit
Our gardens are mirrors we hold up to ourselves, just as this combination trowel and rake looks like a tulip and is perfect for planting tulips. Does the trowel think it’s a tulip? Does the tulip think it’s a trowel? Are you revolted or attracted to the object that reflects an external representation of you? Available here for $49.95.
13. Garden Spade from Bulldog
This standard spade has a head forged out of a single piece of steel, a long shaft and a handcrafted handle made from raw material. It simple, straightforward and effective, and there’s not much more to say about it. Sometimes a spade is just a spade. Available here for $82.
Kasey Mossey is a freelance writer based in Cheyenne, Wyoming.