Bronze/copper gardening tools anyone?

[Nicos]

I was chatting to a friend the other day who said that he'd heard that bronze/copper tools seem to help create a better soil fertility;water retention; reduces disease and slugs and stays sharper for longer.

Anyway- as I'd never heard of this I did a bit of a guuuurgle and found some interesting comments...all very favourable!

Has anyone else heard about these tools??

[Kleftiwallah]

I cannot see copper tools staying sharper longer (unless you keep them hung up in the shed and use stainless steel jobs).

Bronze less so. Cheers, Tony.

[alldigging]

I looked up the prices.
And when I came round I decided against buying any.

[lottie dolly]

Remember the old dolly punchers of years ago,made from copper,but were only strong on account of their design,so cannot see how a digging tool would stand up to the task,just like the piping of today,a soft metal,unless it was used as a covering,then that would eventually wear away,the mind boggles,but can we be very supprized

[Bill HH]

The world of gardening is full of nutters, us included, copper tools is just another one of these "Secrets" They certainly wont stay sharp unless of course you believe that placing them under pyramid will sharpen them, or maybe a full moon will do it for you (Fingers crossed of course).In my opinion this is just another myth.

[BertieFox]

The only thing this is good for is to make money for the guys marketing copper or bronze garden tools. A moment's thought should tell you that it just does not work and cannot work in the way suggested. In fact, as they are made of soft metals they will wear out quickly and bend when faced with any difficult jobs. My main problem is always having something strong enough to get out those stones or to pry around in hard ground around the roots of a particularly deeply rooted weed and so on. Get something in stainless steel and it will last half a lifetime and value for money will be much better. I am not a complete sceptic on these things, as I believe in sowing with the Moon when possible, but if you research these copper myths you will find there is no real basis for them.

[veggiechicken]

I know VVG likes and uses copper/bronze tools and I have a trowel. Its so attractive I don't like to use it in case I get it dirty
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ork_19282.html

[Nicos]

Ah- it looks like we have discussed this before!

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ork_19282.html

They seem to be made from phosphor bronze, an alloy of copper rather than pure copper and are really tough!

...look what Bob Flowerdew says about the trowel!
Display Products

..and here ( about half way down...)
Copper Trowel "CASTOR" - PKS Bronze - Copper Gardening Tools Viktor Schauberger

There seem to be a lot of controversy about them, but I do pay more attention to peeps like Bob!

[Aberdeenplotter]

flemmin norah though, £35 for a trowel? I do like to have nice tools but I wouldn't be spending that colour of money.

[Martin H]

"Copper is not magnetic - so does not disrupt the electrical fields in the soil".

Does anyone believe this guff?

[bearded bloke]

"Copper is not magnetic - so does not disrupt the electrical fields in the soil".

I would have though that as it is such a good conductor it could actually draw the electrical fields out of shape by attraction

But "fozzy bronze" does have a low coefficient of friction,hence why some dry running bearings are made of it,it also does work harden so the more you work it the harder it gets.

[BertieFox]

Of course, with my tongue in my cheek, I might say that if people want to ignore centuries of human progress and go back to tools made of materials like bronze and copper, why not go the whole hog and use wood or pieces of shaped flint. Maybe there's a marketing opportunity for me there?

[Paulieb]

In this month's Which? Gardening magazine Bob Brown writes about bronze tools.
"My bronze gardening tools are lighter and stronger than any steel tools I've used"

He gardens on clay and apart from the cost (which he comments is worth every penny), he basically says they're great.

[Snadger]

"I wanna tell you a story"

Years ago when I worked at a Coke Works if we had any work to do on the large gasholders you were strip searched to make sure you had no lighters or matches.

You were then given a canary to take in the lift with you and a set of Phosphur Bronze tools. Phosphur Bronze doesn't spark when hit and is very hard.

I remember having to chisel off steel rivets with a phosphur bronze chisel and phosphur bronze hammer while sitting on top of multi million cubic metres of coal gas whilst keeping an eye on the canary!(If canary snuffed it you got out of there as quick as pos........)

It is hard stuff, and you can cut steel with phosphur bronze! Not recommended as an everyday job, but it can be done.

A phosphur Bronze trowel should keep its edge and last a lifetime, but as AP mentions at £35 a pop I'll just stick with the stainless steel one I have already!

[Nicos]

Hmmm...this is getting rather interesting!!!

can you tell ihave a bit of crimble pressies money I'd like to spend on a luxury item which will work well for me!!