This is a reasonably lightweight spade however that is not to say that it is not durable and strong enough to deal with sodden heavy soil as it is. What I like about the fact that it is relatively lightweight is that it can be used comfortably by myself a on the very rare occasions that I do any digging and the other half is perfectly happy with it as well.

We also have the hand trowel by Wilkinson Sword and that has proven to be very reliable and this spade by the same company is no different. We paid £14.99 for it from Wilkinsons and for the price it has proven to be great value. The handle is very comfortable and is in the shape of a large D so it is easy to get your gloved hand through it. The shaft is made of ash and it has a soft grip covering to it which makes it comfortable to use.

The blade is carbon steel which has been heat forged to make it stronger and it is nice and sharp which gives it a nice clean cutting edge for when you first break the soil. It is very comfortable to use with a nice angle on the spade to make lifting easier although I do struggle with a fully loaded blade my other half has no such trouble.

I have been impressed with how well made it is in particular the area where the wooden handle meets the metal blade is very strong and this bodes well to the fact that it should last a long time as long as it is cared for after use and it comes with a ten year guarantee.

This is a product I would certainly recommend as it is good value for money.