The best gardeners edging irons rated for price and quality

Coming with a 10 year guarantee and available at the moment at a reduced price, this Spear and Jackson edging knife is worth considering.
It is an almost fully metal construction, with the shaft being made of aluminium so that it doesn’t weigh a lot and also to protect it from the elements.
The blade is also metal, only this time Spear and Jackson opted to use mirror polished stainless steel for its anti-stick and anti-rusting properties, as well as its strength. The polished head also makes this edging tool stand out.
The only non-metal part is the T-shaped handle which is made of plastic and has a soft grip covering to keep it secure in your hand.
This tool measures 93 x 21.5 x 3.5 cm and weighs just 662 g.

• Aluminium shaft won’t suffer from corrosion
• Mirror polished stainless steel blade
• Lightweight at 662 grams
• Rust resistant and strong
• Soft grip handle
• 10 year guarantee

If you’re looking for a robust, heavy duty edging knife to last you a lifetime, you can’t go far wrong with this one from Bulldog.
 At 74cm long, it is shorter than the Spear and Jackson model reviewed above, and it also weighs a lot more (1.36 kilograms), but just holding this tool in your hand makes you realise that the extra weight is a byproduct of its solid construction.
 The blade has been solid forged from a single piece of steel so you won’t be accidentally bending it anytime soon.

The top edge of the blade has been folded over so as to make it easier to press down with your foot without damaging your footwear and to prevent slipping.
 The metal construction continues half way up the shaft, again to give extra strength, then it gives way to solid FSC approved ash that turns into a T-shaped handle at the top.

• Extremely strong and robust
• Short length means it can be used in tight spaces
• Blade is forged from a single piece of steel
• Top edge of the blade has been folded to protect your feet
• FSC approved solid ash shaft and handle

Our third review is another product from Spear & Jackson and priced at £16.99.
 As you’ve probably guessed from the name, the blade of this model has been made from heat treated, and powder coated, carbon steel. They’ve chosen this for the same reason knife makers like this material- it stays sharp. That being said, this tool arrived without much of a sharp edge on it and had to be sharpened before I used it.
 The top edge of the blade is treated for comfort and helps prevent your boot slipping off when pressing the tool into the ground. 
At 921 grams this model is a little heavier than the stainless steel edging knife by the same makers and this is probably due to the shaft being made from tubular steel rather than aluminium, for more durability.

• Heat treated carbon steel will sharpen easily and stay that way
• Top edge of blade is treated
• Tubular steel shaft is stronger than aluminium
• Epoxy coated for resisting rust and corrosion and to stop dirt sticking
• Non-slip handle

Straight edges are what we are looking for when assessing how good an edging tool does its job, and Fiskars solid lawn edger gives you lines that look like they’ve been cut by lasers.
 This is thanks to the shape of the boron steel blade. The most common shape for these kinds of tools is a crescent or a variation of this, but Fiskars have given this model a trapezoidal shape instead, and it works wonderfully. The upper edge is curved over so you have a bigger surface to push down on with your foot. 
Another nice feature is the long wooden shaft with a large T-shaped handle to keep you upright during your edging session and saving your back from aches.
 Weighing 1.85 kilograms, this edging knife isn’t exactly heavy and the overall length of 109cm is just about right for most average height adults.

• Trapezoidal shaped head ensures straight edges for your lawn
• Curved upper edge gives you a larger surface to step on
• Coated boron steel head is strong and durable
• Wooden shaft is a good length and T-shaped handle is large
• High quality, robust tool

This lawn edger from Burgon & Ball has been endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society and the shaft has also been made with FSC certified hardwood.
 To keep the head rust free and still retaining strength, stainless steel was the material of choice for this model. The blade slices through the ground like a hot knife through butter thanks to the special serrated design, unique to this product and foot pain will be reduced because of the folded treaded edge.
 The solid ash shaft makes the overall length if this tool 95cm with a 33cm wide T-shaped handle, and a 20cm head width.

• Endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society
• Rust resistant stain less steel head
• Unique serrated blade slices through earth well
• Folded treaded edge
• FSC approved hardwood shaft and handle

For only £31.96, you’d be hard pressed to find a more robust lawn edging tool than this one from Ambassador.
The build quality is excellent and the tool feels extremely sturdy when you are using it.
 Even though the solidity and strength is obvious as soon as you hold it, the surprising thing is the weight as it weighs less than you would think at only 848 grams. 
Durability isn’t an issue with the high quality, polished stainless steel head and equally high quality hardwood shaft. Overall length of the tool is 87cm so you shouldn’t have to bend over too much to use it. 
I have to say though, that the blade wasn’t sharp when the tool arrived, but it was easy to put a decent edge on it and it cut through the dirt very nicely.

• Excellent quality product
• Solid and durable and will last a long time
• Surprisingly lightweight
• High quality polished stainless steel head
• Solid ash shaft and handle

If you’re a professional gardener or have a problem edging because of roots in the soil, and you don’t mind spending £139.90 on a hand tool, then you should definitely consider the radius garden root slayer.
 As the name suggests, it is designed to cut through roots that would damage or bend most half-moon edging tools. Instead of a standard half-moon, this model has an inverted ‘V’ in the bottom of the blade, effectively making two cutting tips. The sides of the head are serrated with rip saw like teeth to help cut through anything you encounter.
 Radius have ensured that the blade will never bend by using 13 gauge mid-carbon steel in its construction, which is incredibly strong and also holds sharpness for a very long time.
 The large ‘O’ shaped polypropylene handle allows the user to find the right type of gripping angle for themselves and it is covered in a non-latex thermoplastic elastomer to make handling it extremely comfortable.
 The dimensions of this excellent edging tool are 99.7 x 3.5 x 25.4 cm and it weighs 2.18 Kg

• Designed to make dealing with roots a piece of cake
• Excellent build quality
• Inverted ‘V” in the blade creates two cutting tips
• Rip saw like serrated sides
• 13 gauge carbon steel head is strong and sharp
• Large “O” shaped polypropylene handle is ergonomically designed for easy gripping
• Handle is covered in a non-latex thermoplastic elastomer for comfort