hand tools that survived actual seasons, not the pretty starter kit

the aluminum trowel from the grocery store bent in our clay by week two. this is what replaced it, one purchase at a time.

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DeWit forged trowel

one piece of boron steel, no weak point where the blade meets the shaft. this is the one that didn't bend in the clay bed by the fence.

Edward Tools carbon steel trowel

cheaper backup, lives in the car. lifetime warranty i've never needed to use

the $4 aluminum trowel from the grocery store

bent on the first real dig into clay (learned the hard way). still fine for potting soil, that's all it gets now.

Felco F2 bypass pruners

22 replaceable parts. people online with 30-year-old pairs say they've only ever swapped the spring and blade. mine are 4 years in.

Fiskars bypass pruners

the ones I actually loan to neighbors. losing a $15 pair doesn't ruin my week the way losing the Felcos would

Nisaku hori-hori knife

does the job of four tools. the sheath wears out before the blade does, not the other way around

Radius Garden ergonomic hand tools

die-cast aluminum, weirdly heavy for how small they look. worth it now that my wrist complains by October

Showa Atlas nitrile gloves

a wooden-handled hoe from an estate sale

no brand on it anywhere, older than me probably, still has the best edge of anything I own

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