"Ann" wrote in message
...
"Doug Kanter" expounded:

Even the best fork can be bent if used incorrectly. You're not supposed to
pull backward on the handle if an effort to pry with a fork. I guess we
all
do it occasionally, but these tools aren't designed for that purpose.

And how, pray tell, do you use one then? Of course you can pull
backwards on a fork to pry - buy one that's sturdy enough and you
won't have a problem. I've used one for years in this rocky New
England soil. I own the fork from the link below, it has a lifetime
guarantee:

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/p...rk &item=9433
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

That's a nice fork. I've got a similar one from Smith & Hawken, from the era
before the company lost its mind and became a boutique for Martha Stewart
shopping clones.

Forks are made to loosen the soil by being moved side to side or in a
circular motion. It's obvious just by looking at the tool that heavy prying
can cause problems. However, you have to qualify that by saying that some
people have a feel for how happy a tool is during use, while others haven't
a clue. This explains why you see so many horribly damaged phillips
screwdrivers in peoples' tool collections - know what I mean?