Where does one find quality hand made tools made in the USA? Where would a resident of California go to find these tools? I am not talking about shovels that last a year, but tools that last a lifetime, or more? Tools that when they break can be sent in for repair. I don't think they sell those kind of tools at the local Home Depot. The era of "throw away" still rules, but is beginning to fray around the edges. The future for the small garden business is to embrace quality, and pride of craftsmanship. Rather than designing stuff with a limited lifespan, design stuff that lasts forever. Offer repair on those tools. How about a lifetime guarantee? Smith & Hawken got their start selling high quality English made garden tools because they couldn't find any American made quality tools. Not much has changed since then. Seems we went through a couple of decades of wastefulness in the mean time. We now find Smith & Hawken neutered, and filling shelf space at Target.
We are ripe and ready for a Renaissance of hand crafted tools for the garden. Trowels that after a lifetime of use could be passed on to the kids, or grand-kids. They could have them sent in for repair and get them back like new, to continue working in the garden. Not tools for the rich (they don't dig holes anyway). Tools that save money in the long run, for real gardeners.
Does anyone do this now? I know there are European makers of quality garden tools, but I am interested in tools made on this side of The Atlantic. If you know of a place that that does this, would you leave their name in the comments for me?