When caring for your gardening implements, do you finish up the job by coating them with motor oil or such things prior to storing them? I know a lot of folks who do this on a near-constant basis. However, have you given any thought to the fact that what you are coating your tools with will end up back in your soil? Oh, sure, it will be in small quantities but what goes in your soil goes into your produce.
There are many kitchen oils and fats (food) in your kitchen that can be used to help to protect your gardening tools. Try cooking oil, vegetable shortening and lard. Make certain you don't use anything containing milk fat or salt (butter, margarine and the like) because they become rancid and the salt will eat into metal implements. While these food oils and fats will provide a thin coating, one that will need to be reapplied after each use and cleaning, at least you'll be putting food back into your soil, not chemicals.
Okay, let's talk about gardening tools/implements. I've been using Ames gardening tools for years. While I can readily purchase them at local hardware stores, you may not be able to do so. Ames has a wonderful web site at http://www.ames.com/ where they offer up all sorts of gardening information.
If you like better quality implements, especially in regard to pruners, please see the folks at Fiskars (most famous for their scissors) at http://www.ssfiskarsstore.com/
There's also a great site where gardener's like you may discuss your favorite tools or review what others have to say at Garden Review http://www.gardenreview.com/
Please note that all of the above sites go above and beyond discussing what they sell. Each one has wonderful information to offer, not only for their tools but for you, the home gardener.
Here's to another year in your homestead garden!
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