Favorite sources for tools

My go-to source for high quality, always reliable tools is [url=leevalley.com]Lee Valley Tools.   Hand tools for gardening, woodworking and  kitchen, along with fine hardware. Anyone else have a source that you truly trust? They don't carry Fokin hoes yet.

I would just go around to flea markets and farm sales and stuff like that.  Often at such places you can find very well-made, heavy-duty, older tools, or sometimes the heads of such tools and then you make a new handle for it.   I have a couple of awesome shovels this way....found old shovel heads forged of a single piece, not stamped.  Made them a couple of ironwood handles ten years ago and they're going strong still. One advantage of making your own handles is trying different sizes and lengths....for instance one of those shovels has a handle about 18 inches longer than the other....awkward for tight work but great for digging holes!