New Year – New Catalogue – New LOWER Prices !

OK, so it's not quite the New Year yet, but it will be very soon, so we have brought out our new catalogue for 2012 and it's available online for you at http://www.blackberrylane.co.uk/PDFs/Cat1201.pdf .

Even more to the point as you plan for your new season's growing, all our prices on Glaser tools are down, by about 8% in most cases.  That means a saving of £2.00 on a Collinear Hoe and more than £30.00 off the price of a Wheelhoe!  The price list is online at http://www.blackberrylane.co.uk/PDFs/prices2012a.pdf .

These are not just 'January Sales' prices, but will remain valid until the new postal rates force prices up in April (as usual!).

And, don't forget, ALL OUR PRICES INCLUDE U.K. POSTAGE and there is no VAT to pay.

Our OnLine Toolshop is waiting for your visit at http://www.blackberrylane.co.uk/toolshop1.html

Tools ordered over the holiday period will be in the post from the first week in January.

May we wish you a happy and productive 2012 – and enjoy all the planning, seed and plant ordering that goes before the actual propagation and planting!

Dave & Val

Improved BroadFork Handles

In the past, we have had our battles with even getting handles for our BroadForks, but for the last year or so we have had excellent service from a new supplier, providing us with robust, one-piece solid ash dowels which are certainly up to the task, measuring 1200 mm (4ft) and 38 mm (1½ inch) diameter.

The only problem until now has been that you - the customer - have had to convert these very nice dowels into suitable handles by squaring off one end to fit in the BroadFork and rounding off the other end to make a comfortable top.

Now we are able to supply the handles to you ready squared-off and rounded, though you may want to trim them a little more and will still need to drill the holes for the retaining bolts.

One thing we haven't done for you is treat the handles with linseed oil.  This is a good old-fashioned way of prolonging the life of wooden handles and we really recommend it.  Just give the handles a couple of generous coats of oil and then stand the ends in jam-jars of oil to soak for a few days.  If you do this again every year or two, the handles should last a good long time.  Of course, this works for all the wooden handles on your other tools as well!

Glaser Row Marker – Out of Production ?

One of the slightly more unusual Glaser tools!  If you need to mark up to 5 rows together, over a width of up to 73 cm (28½ inches), this is the ideal tool.  You only need a string to mark the first row and of course you can go on using the 5th row to mark the next 5 rows – how many do you want? 

Five rows are quickly and easily marked as you walk backwards over well-cultivated soil, keeping one tooth strictly on the marking string.

The less good news is that Glaser GMBH in Switzerland decided to cease production of the Row Marker at the end of 2009, apparently due to lack of demand.  We still have two in stock, and the price remains unchanged from our 2009 price list (apart from postal costs).  £58.90 including UK postage.

It is of course possible that Glasers may resume production if there is fresh demand but, in the meantime, if you need one of these, don't delay!  Here's a link to the relevant page on our website:- http://www.blackberrylane.co.uk/toolshop1.html