Tools for Tall People: With more and more people getting assignments, the need for soil cultivation tools, as well as the height of the population, is growing. Taller people can benefit greatly from the tools made especially for them as they will simplify the activity with less flex.
Are we getting taller as a species?
We all stayed in historic houses and cottages and had to bend over to enter through the doors. This shows us that the inhabitants were not as tall as we are today. Modern humans are clearly taller than those of the 18th and 19th centuries. In fact, the average height of people in industrialized nations has increased by about 10 centimetres or 4 inches over the past 150 years.
Nutrition is a key factor and examination of the skeletons showed no significant height differences from the Stone Age to the early 1800s. Heights of London’s wandering boys have been documented to have decreased from 1780 to 1800 and then increased by three inches in just 30 years, an increase that has paralleled improved conditions for the poor.
Furthermore, during the first and second world wars, when hunger was commonplace, the heights of the children decreased but recovered shortly thereafter.
Dig it today
For taller people, bending while digging for prolonged periods can be uncomfortable at best and very painful at worst. The tools that have longer handles and allow the taller person to remain more vertical are the ideal solution, but they are not readily available in many street shops.
Bulldog Tools, produced in Wigan, addressed this problem and produced several ranges of tools suitable for the taller person.
Standard tools with a longer shaft
For soil preparation, a basic assignment tool will include the spade, in the shape of an excavation or edge, and the fork, also in the shape of an excavation or edge. The standard length of the tree for bulldogs and many manufacturers is 28 inches.
Bulldog Tools manufactures all four with 32-inch shaft lengths in the forged Premier range.
Long-handled instruments
Another solution for tall people is the change of the standard ‘D’ or ‘Y’ shaped handle into a long straight handle. They are typically 42 inches to 54 inches long, allowing the taller person to stand and work comfortably.
These long-handled Bulldog tools are available in the following forms: –
Spades
Long-handled digging spade – head size is the same as a standard spade with a 48-inch handle
Long-handled spade – head is a little smaller than an edge spade with a 42-inch handle
Irish digging spade – shaped head size is larger than a standard spade with 48 or 54 inch handles
West Country Digging Spade – the shaped head size is larger than a standard spade with a 54-inch handle
Forks
Long-handled fork for shrubs: the head is smaller than a fork for edges with a 42-inch handle
Rakes and hoes
The standard handle for hoe or rake is 54 inches long and can easily be replaced with a longer one if needed. You can purchase straight handles up to 72 inches and provide extra length for the taller person when raising or raking the weft beds.
In summary
Taller people do not have to suffer during the assignment, a range of tools perfectly adapted to an upright position are available which will make the more energetic aspects of cultivation more a pleasure than a thankless job.