AB, I wonder if that is a potato fork possibly made by Griffin or Brades.
Yes this is a potato fork my father always called it a Brades but the imprint on the shank is hard to read. The word Dreadnought is just distinguishable. On another note the prices charged for some of these vintage tools you see at some of the shows is ridiculous, they are often already worn out, but there are some good examples if you know what to look for.
I use an aluminium fork because I always forget where I've left it and it doesn't rust and also there is a degree of flexibility that you don't get with a cheap, brittle iron fork. My garden is heavy clay but I wiggle the fork in before I stand on it to push it hard into the ground. If I feel too much resistance, I wiggle it some more. If you are gentle with your fork, you won't damage it, but you will still get the job done
If you look carefully mine still say Woolworths. They are heavy and reliable. My Dad gave me tools, but the wood rotted in the end after about seventy years. Tools now seem so lightweight, but people no longer expect things to last because they have never known how they used to feel.
@B3 I also garden on heavy clay, I agree too many people don't understand how to treat tools properly. Most people forget about the push forward to break the "grip" of a clod of earth, not needed on light sandy soil but very much so on wet or hard clay.
I do a fair amount of wriggling and push-pulling in my heavy clay but it’s the stones that are the fork killer, even digging previously dug over ground, a whopper still manages to creep up unnoticed and wedge itself in the tines.
Talking of tools I recently bought some cheap replacement secateurs in a G C. They lasted less than a week as the spring fell off and went into the dyke at the end of the garden. So, husband finally agreed to some felco ones. They are great, lovely and sharp... I managed to cut my finger to the bone and hardly noticed it until I saw blood running down my arm. Took 20 mins to stop despite constant pressure. Not the secateurs fault but my own as I didn't wear gloves.
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On another note the prices charged for some of these vintage tools you see at some of the shows is ridiculous, they are often already worn out, but there are some good examples if you know what to look for.
My garden is heavy clay but I wiggle the fork in before I stand on it to push it hard into the ground. If I feel too much resistance, I wiggle it some more.
If you are gentle with your fork, you won't damage it, but you will still get the job done
Hope they work well!
Talking of tools I recently bought some cheap replacement secateurs in a G C. They lasted less than a week as the spring fell off and went into the dyke at the end of the garden. So, husband finally agreed to some felco ones. They are great, lovely and sharp... I managed to cut my finger to the bone and hardly noticed it until I saw blood running down my arm. Took 20 mins to stop despite constant pressure. Not the secateurs fault but my own as I didn't wear gloves.