Spear & Jackson

Are they not what they used to be in terms of quality?

I made a start on re-shaping my lawn to day, and about an hour in my edging tool (S&J Select) decided to snap off where the shank meets the head - - it sort of leaned over to one side whilst straight upright in the ground and then snapped off;

Undeterred, I popped out to my local garden centre (which was absolutely mobbed!) and bought myself a new one. Less than one metre after starting to use it, it bent:






Essentially, it has started to tear away at the point where the 'hoop' connects to the blade.

For the record, I was not using this as the sole tool either - I was using my spade (also S&J) for the donkey work and the edging knife for creating the finer edge. This new knife is said to have a ten year guarantee, but it didn't even last ten minutes!

I will be taking it back for a refund tomorrow (cannot be bothered fighting the car park queue for a second time today), but that is my day's work essentially stuffed - - to say I was displeased when it bent is an understatement (proper Scottish sweary words ensued)

So, Spear & Jackson - not what they once were?

And of course, can anyone recommend an edging knife that is not made of cheese?

 

I wouldn't mind, but at £30 it wasn't exactly cheap! I will look about and see if I can get a good second hand or old one that is made of something substantial.

 

The weld itself has held, it is the flat metal that has sort of torn - I will try and get a close up to show you what I mean.

 

I understand that, but as you know there has to be a bit of leverage to get the blade back out - at the time it bent, there was approx 2-in of turf on the outside of the blade, as I had removed the rest with my spade.

The first picture shows the old one - it appears to be some sort of fatigue, as it failed in completely the opposite direction. In fairness to the first one, it got left out in all sorts of weather last year whilst I was 'between sheds', so I wondered if that had a bearing on things

 

I returned to the garden centre today, with semi-knackered edging knife in hand.... they were very good about it actually, and offered a refund or replacement without question; as I needed one, I asked the woman if there were any in stock that she could recommend, and she led me to this one - and in all fairness, it does seem to be built like a brick outhouse. Hand made in England.

I have had a wee shot of it already, and it is a world apart from the one I bought yesterday - best of all, it was a quid cheaper!