Materials and Care

Materials and Care

Carbon steel

Forged carbon steel takes a sharper edge than stainless and holds it longer. It will rust if left wet. After use: rinse, dry with a rag, wipe with a few drops of camellia oil. A light brown patina is normal and does not affect the tool. Surface rust comes off with fine steel wool and oil.

Stainless steel

Our spades, forks, hoes and edgers use polished stainless. It does not rust and clay slides off it. Knock clean and hang. Sharpen bevelled edges with a flat mill file, pushing along the existing angle.

Ash and oak handles

All shafts are solid ash with the grain running straight along the length. Store tools indoors or under cover. Once a year, rub a thin coat of boiled linseed oil into the wood and wipe off the excess. Do not leave tools standing blade down in wet soil overnight.

Waxed canvas

12 oz and 18 oz cotton canvas impregnated with paraffin wax. Brush off dry mud. For stubborn marks, cold water and a sponge. Never machine wash or tumble dry. When water stops beading, warm a bar of fabric wax and rub it in, then set with a hair dryer.

Vegetable-tanned leather

Tanned with bark, not chrome. It starts pale and darkens with sun and handling. Keep it away from direct heat when wet. Apply a plain leather balm twice a year.

Copper

Copper darkens to brown within months and may show green verdigris over years. Both are a finish, not a fault. Polish with lemon and salt if you prefer it bright. Empty the can after use.

Sharpening

Pruners, loppers, snips and shears: sharpen only the bevelled face of the blade with a small diamond or ceramic stone, keeping the original angle. Never grind the flat back. Folding saw blades are impulse hardened and are replaced, not sharpened.

Glove sizing

Measure around your dominant hand at the knuckles, excluding the thumb. S: 7 to 7.5 in. M: 7.5 to 8.5 in. L: 8.5 to 9.5 in. XL: 9.5 to 10.5 in. Goatskin stretches slightly across the palm in the first weeks.