| For the past few months, this White Clover tool bag has been a decorative feature in my front hall. You could say that my loppers have never looked so good. |
Among the so-much! I’ve wanted to write about lately, my review for this White Clover tool bag (designed for those awkward shapes like loppers) is seriously overdue. But what comes first when you’ve just finished co-hosting a big event like the Toronto Garden Bloggers Fling? Your long-neglected family? Your long-neglected desk? Your long-neglected garden? Or your long-neglected blog? I’ll let you judge by the evidence – or lack thereof.
The short story: I like this bag, which fills a gap in my gear that I didn’t realize I had until it arrived. For small tools, I use one with the unlikely name Nantucket Diddy Bagg, purchased (considerably) on sale due to the neon colours, which suit me fine. But long tools like loppers and shears are a challenge to carry safely. Until this bag arrived, I’d resorted to juggling.
The White Clover bag is extremely well constructed of cotton canvas, with a double-reinforced bottom made to stand up to regular stabbing by pointy instruments. The 30-inch length is just long enough for me to squeeze in my longest-handled Fiskars loppers. But, when in a hurry, I’ve folded down one side and used it on an angle like a sling. There’s room to toss in smaller tools, and the long, webbed handles, make it easy to sling over a shoulder, freeing up a hand.
The design is prettier than it needs to be. That’s not meant as a criticism. Flourishes like the little flag tag (it’s Canadian designed and built) and the outside key clip are nice. And the product tag cord has a little decorative bead that has encouraged me to leave the tag attached till I figure out another use for it. I do wonder how well the white canvas will stand up to (ab)use in the garden, but haven’t had enough time to put it to the test.
While White Clover did send us a sample to review back in March (and also generously
donated four bags as prizes for our Fling draw), to me the CDN$60 price
tag is good value. Especially if you don’t need to carry around as many bits and pieces as I do, it would be ideal for a one-bag gardener. For me, it will get a lot of use for the “long tool haul.”
8 comments
I have one of these bags! First, I used it to wrap the swag tools in my suitcase to carry them home; second, it's a handy carrying and storage bag for my loppers, two pruning saws and assorted trowels and scissors. I love it! Thanks.
Glad you were one of the lucky recipients, Gail! Enjoy.
That is a neat bag. I clicked around their website and that is a nice website too, along with the Eco-friendly products and business philosophy. Next trip to Toronto, I will check them out.
I like that they're real gardeners, and designed the bag for themselves, so they know what works. Which is why it does.
The bag fills a long standing need but $60 is not an attractive price even if it is good value. There is a magic price for garden equipment and that is $39.
In all honestly, I might have balked at the price if I hadn't received one for free. But I like to support made-in-Canada goods, and when I'd held one and used it I could see where the value was. One thing I should have mentioned in the review is that the canvas is thick and rugged. This isn't something that will feel flimsy after the fabric sizing wears off, as some cotton shopping bags do. If you own a pair of Felco pruners, like me you probably paid more than your magic price. So perhaps you could put this on your wish list as a potential gift — something you'd like to have, but are reluctant to indulge in for yourself.
Ooh – deep envy – I could make use of this! At the moment my loppers et al. get thrown into one of my tub trugs and get in the way. It would be great to have something like this, so larger tools are always held in readiness on a peg in my shed. I'll investigate to see if there's something similar available in the UK…
Another excuse to come back to Canada, VP!