The message
from "DLee" contains these words:

Hi All

I was reading his garden book, and in it, he says that his favorite spade is
one made of stainless steel forged from a company called Bulldog. He paid £
90 for it in late 80s, and it is perfectly balanced and feel right, so he
uses it all the time although he has 6 or 7 spades. He thinks that this £ 90
spade was worth every penny.

Would you pay £ 90 for a spade? I paid £ 20 for a Wilkinson Sword spade this
weekend at B&Q, and felt that was too expensive for spade. Is it the case of
BBC paying him much, or like other things in life, you get what you pay for?

I'd agree with MD. Especially if he claims tools as "professional
expenses" on his tax return :-)

Using a tool that fits your hands, height etc enables hours of use
without strains and blisters, so it seems pretty reasonable to me that
any professional would use the most comfortable, efficient, reliable
tools he could find and afford. That's why tradesmen use better
designed, longer lasting tools than the cheapo DIY version available in
B and Q. The same is often true of amateur enthusiasts who spend a lot
of time on their hobby.

I've got a narrow-blade planting spade made by Chieftain Forge for the
forestry trade, which cost £35 about 16 years ago. I chose it for the
perfect fit, light weight and unbreakable handle ( we've broken many
cheap spade and fork handles). It's been heavily used, still in perfect
condition and looks set to last a lifetime.

That was a better investment imho than the second-hand digging spade
(stainless steel blade, wooden handle) I acquired for £10 about 15 years
ago, currently on its third replacement handle :-(. I'm a great fan of
its stainless steel blade, which is very easy to use in wet or heavy
soil, but if I was investing in a new one, would cough up for a
stainless steel blade on a strongly engineered unbreakable handle.

Janet.