Last week fellow blogger Ali at Henbogle was bemoaning her loss of another trowel. I jumped in and told her about my favorite trowels, the Wilcox All-Pro line. Then Daphne at Daphne’s Dandelions chimed in with another recommendation for the same trowels. After yet another testimonial from a friend, Ali decided to add a Wilcox All-Pro 202 14 inch trowel to her arsenal of garden tools. I can only hope that she likes her trowel as much as I do mine.
collection of Wilcox trowels (click on any image to enlarge)
I’ve been using these heavy duty trowels for quite a few years now, but it occurs to me that not everyone may have heard about them. To put it simply, they are the only trowels I use in the garden – and I use them a lot. They are made of stainless steel, which makes them unbreakable, unbending, and virtually indestructible. And they have a bright red plastic handle, which makes them easy to find if you leave them out in the garden.
The business end of the trowel is different from any I ever used before. Instead of being rounded, it comes to a sharpened point. That makes it great for digging in heavy soils, or cutting through roots when planting. Of course, it works great in lighter soils as well.
closeup of trowel blade
Many of the models have a built in depth gauge incised on the blade, in both inches and centimeters. That can be used to not only judge the depth of the hole for planting, but also to measure the distance between planting holes. Can you tell I use this feature a lot?
And if all these great features weren’t enough, they are made right here in the U.S. in Montezuma, Iowa (according to their Facebook page). That is becoming a real rarity in these times of mostly imported goods. The 14″ model #202 is 3″ wide, and available from several sources online (including Amazon). I also have the model #101 which has a 12″, narrower blade. And model #50 is even smaller, with a 9″ blade that is handy for use with containers, planters and indoors with houseplants. It is the trowel in the top of the first photo.
another closeup of Wilcox trowel
I’ll add my usual disclaimer that I am not being compensated in any way to review these tools favorably, or otherwise. I paid full retail price for them, and I think they are worthy of sharing with other gardeners who are searching for quality garden tools.
So if you’re in the market for a tough as nails trowel, you might try the Wilcox All Pro line. Who knows, it could be the last trowel you will ever buy!
I so love those trowels. I only have two though.
I don’t know how I wound up with so many. They must be habit-forming!
I read Ali’s post a few days ago and this one before going to bed last night and had dreams of these trowels and how easy they must be to use and to find in the garden with their red handle. I am awful with trowels. I leave them outside, loose them in the compost bin, and bend or break them frequently. I really appreciate your sharing your experience with this line of trowels and that they are made in the USA. I am giving serious consideration to investing in one 🙂
I lost a paring knife in the compost bin last year. I guess it got mixed in with some kitchen scraps and dumped on the pile. I found it this spring when I was turning the compost.
I know I have had the largest trowel (#202) for at least 15 years, maybe closer to 20. They may very well outlast me!
I like the sharp point on these, looks like they’d be good for getting through fibrous roots left behind in the vegetable beds. I also like they’re made in the USA…that seems to be more and more rare these days!
They were great for digging in the hard clay soil I had at my last place!
Just in time for Mother’s Day! I’m sending this to my Chief of Implementation in case he’s looking for ideas.
Trowels for Mothers Day – what a great idea for a gardener!
I am looking forward to giving my new trowel its inaugural dig. We’ve been having a rainy spell, but perhaps by Sunday I can get in the garden.
I hope Belle doesn’t read this, but now I know what she’s getting for Christmas!