About this product
Full description
The hand fork is the tool you reach for without thinking — for lifting a stubborn weed, teasing apart a clump, loosening the soil around an established plant, or making a planting hole for a young seedling. It lives in the trug, comes out at every session, and earns its keep more than almost anything else in the kit. So it's worth having a good one. This is a very good one indeed.
The Burgon & Ball RHS BoronGreen Hand Fork comes from the Sheffield toolmaker's most innovative range — and BoronGreen is genuinely something new. The tines are forged not from ordinary carbon steel but from boron steel, the same high-performance alloy used in the automotive and agricultural industries where toughness really matters. Add boron to carbon steel and you get a tool that's stronger, more durable, and holds its working edge longer — all without any extra weight in the hand. The tines are specially hardened and tempered to withstand tough cultivating, with pointed tips that slice cleanly into compacted ground, and the neck is precision-forged to the perfect angle for comfortable, ergonomic working.
What makes the range special, though, is that this performance comes with a real environmental conscience. The BoronGreen steel is made from 80% recycled steel — believed to be a first for UK garden tools — and the handle is turned from FSC-certified white ash, finished with a tough green powder coating on the head to resist rust. It's the rare tool that's better made and better for the planet, which is a combination we're always glad to find.
It carries the official Royal Horticultural Society endorsement and a 25-year guarantee — the kind of backing that tells you everything about how long the makers expect it to last. And there's a lovely finishing touch: a dark wood inlay set into the end of the handle, etched with the ampersand from the Burgon & Ball name, with a twisted paper hanging cord for keeping it tidy on a shed hook.
What it's for
The hand fork is the great companion to the trowel — where the trowel digs and scoops, the fork loosens, lifts, and teases:
- Weeding — the pointed tines get under and lift weeds root and all, rather than snapping the tops off
- Loosening and aerating — working the soil around established plants without slicing through their roots the way a trowel can
- Lifting and dividing — teasing apart clumps of perennials, or easing out plants for moving
- Planting — opening a quick hole for plug plants, bulbs, and young seedlings
- Working in feed and compost — gently forking organic matter or fertiliser into the surface around growing plants
- Container and raised-bed work — the perfect size for getting in among potted and closely planted displays
Paired with the matching BoronGreen hand trowel, it makes the complete two-tool set that handles the great majority of everyday hand cultivation — the two tools that, between them, are in your hands more than any others.
Looking after it
Boron steel and FSC ash, properly cared for, make a tool that genuinely lasts decades — the 25-year guarantee is a clue:
- Knock off the soil and wipe the tines clean after use, especially in wet conditions
- An occasional wipe of oil on the metal keeps it in good order, though the green powder coating already resists rust well
- Hang it up to store using the twisted paper cord, keeping it off a damp shed floor
- Oil the ash handle lightly once or twice a year with linseed oil to keep the wood nourished and handsome
About Burgon & Ball
Burgon & Ball have been making garden tools in Sheffield since 1730 — nearly three centuries of steel-working heritage — and today they hold the official Royal Horticultural Society endorsement and lead the way in innovative garden tools. The BoronGreen range is a good example of that: traditional Sheffield tool-making expertise applied to a genuinely modern, sustainable material. We're proud to stock it.
About AllotMate
This hand fork is supplied to us through our partners at AllotMate, who curate proper, well-made tools and equipment for gardeners and allotmenteers who'd rather buy once. We work with them through a direct fulfilment arrangement, which means your order ships from their warehouse straight to your door — the same Burgon & Ball tool, slightly faster delivery, and consistent stock.
Specifications
- Head: boron steel (80% recycled), hardened and tempered tines, green powder-coated for rust resistance
- Neck: precision-forged to an ergonomic working angle
- Handle: FSC-certified white ash with dark wood inlay and Burgon & Ball ampersand
- Hanging cord: twisted paper
- Dimensions: 30cm long × 8cm wide (head)
- Endorsement: Royal Horticultural Society approved
- Guarantee: 25 years
- Made by: Burgon & Ball, Sheffield (est. 1730)
- Supplied through: AllotMate
A good hand fork is a tool you'll use almost every time you garden, for years on end. One made this well, backed this long, and made this thoughtfully is about as sound a small investment as the shed can hold.
What's included
twisted paper hanging cord)
Care and use
- Knock off soil and wipe the tines clean, especially in wet conditions
- Green powder coating resists rust; an occasional wipe of oil helps
STORAGE:
- Hang up using the twisted paper cord, off a damp shed floor
HANDLE:
- Lightly oil the FSC ash handle (linseed oil) once or twice a year
GUARANTEE:
- 25-year guarantee - a tool to keep for decades
Pairs well with
Other products from the potting shed that work alongside this one.
