Burgon & Ball
Probably the wo
rld's leading manufacturer of high-quality garden hand tools, Burgon & Ball has been steel producers in Sheffield since 1730.
Heritage is paramount to the company renowned for making the best gardening hand tools money can buy. The company's history is what makes its tools so unique.
The business's origins started producing agricultural shears in Sheffield, a region renowned for steel manufacture since the 14th century.
In 1865 James Ball patented the steel sheep shears for the first time. As a family-run business, the company opened its current factory in 1873 with the La Plata Works at Malin Bridge by the River Loxley, Sheffield.
Before the turn of the 20th century, the company grew significantly, exporting to South America, North America, Australia, the West Indies and New Zealand.
In 1920 garden shears and hand tools became the company's mainstay, with over 96 designs.
Additional investment in a new forge, production systems and warehouse in the '70s, followed by the collaboration with designers Sophie Conran in 2010, benefitted the company with award-winning Burgon & Ball giftware ranges.
Most significantly, in 2012, Burgon & Ball stainless steel tools received the accolade of official endorsement by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Burgon & Ball Steel Making Expertise
Burgon & Ball steel production features the perfect balance of carbon, giving strength, and chromium for rust resistance, for the highest-grade garden tools.
Burgon & Ball Tools Metal Composition
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1Ferrule: High chromium/low carbon. Why? It starts life as a disc, so we don't want this to be too hard because we want to shape it. It doesn't need strength for its end function.
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2Tang: Medium chromium/medium carbon. Why? It needs to be vital to resist bending but is also made from a quite thick material to give good levels of inherent strength.
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3Tines: Low chromium/maximal carbon. Why? Tines are the weakest part of the tool, yet they need maximum strength and hardness to resist bending in the ground.
Burgon & Ball Garden Tool Designs
Burgon & Ball's beautiful tools feature the perfect design for garden tools after centuries of manufacturing experience. Beyond aesthetics, their garden tools are built for robust strength while reducing unnecessary weight for prolonged gardening activity. The company looks at how gardeners will use their tools, spades and axes needing a thicker steel gauge. Burgon & Ball's tools are designed for optimum effectiveness, efficiency, utility, weight, comfort and strength.
Boma Garden Centre prides itself on serving professional horticulturists and gardening enthusiasts, which is why it has partnered with Burgon & Ball stocks as its first choice in garden hand tools.
