Clever and expoerienced gardeners know the secret of a weedless plot - a good hoe. Hoeing between the rows, or even vacant areas waiting for sowing, chops the weeds off before they have had a chance to develop proper roots, and even problem weeds like dandelions and docks give in if you how them off while they're babies.
Gardeners used to treasure their hoes like favourite pets. Few outlets do a decent range of hoes these days, but it pays to look for specialists like Bulldog (all made in Briatin too!) who still stock a nice range of different hoes. Especially interesting are the Warren Hoe, with its broad choppping blade ideal for heavy soils, and the Paxton Hoe, for slicing seedlings off with the minimum of effort. You may be luccky enough to find vintage versions of these, but you might have a long wait, and then with vintage hoes the handles have often been replaced . . .
For more about hoes and tools in general see our information page on TOOLS