Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
This trowel – no, folks, it is not a hand spade – is part of the new and exclusive Charlie Dimmock range – assortment of wooden handled hand tools at Poundland and yes, it costs just one British Pound. The assortment, according to the website, includes, aside from the trowel, a “rake”, which actually is a three-pronged weeder, a hand-hoe (which has fork tines on one side and a near heart-shaped blade on the other, so it is a bit like a mattock), a fork, and a scoop.
OK, but we shall, in this review, be talking about the trowel; a review of the hoe is to follow.
While it may not be hammer forged – at least it does not appear to me that it would be – and rather stamped steel and does not have a welded on bit that goes into the handle it is quite heavy but also quite well balanced.
The “blade” of the trowel sits snug and tight in the varnished wooden handle which has a hole for a thong and has a leather one fitted even. Not the greatest quality of leather in that thong though but, hey, where is the problem there. The blade of the trowel is coated with a hammer effect paint making it, together with wooden handle and all, look very good indeed. The edge of the blade has not been ground, though, as would be the case with more expensive makes but you cannot expect Rollins Bulldog or Burgon & Ball quality for a Pound now.
As trowels go the Charlie Dimmock one from Poundland will go the job a trowel is meant to do though, personally, I might not want to use it to dig out, say, dandelions from the lawn or even out of somewhat compacted soil elsewhere, or brambles from under shrubs or such in order not to put too much strain on it. Seeing that the edge is not beveled and ground it would also be rather hard work. Would I put a bevel and a ground edge onto the “blade”? The honest answer is no.
Considering the price of just one Pound, including VAT, I cannot fault the tool and if you have to count your pennies but still want a garden trowel that you can afford – and the cheapest you will find elsewhere if metal blade and wooden handle is desired will set you back around seven to ten times that much – then this is a good choice.
For less than a tenner you can, at Poundland, get all the hand tools you will need for your gardening endeavors, as long as you do not expect battle tank strength.
© 2017
