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Tools of the Trade: Japanese Garden Tools

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Tips & ToolsIssue 43 — Lessons from Japan

Tools of the Trade: Japanese Garden Tools

November 19, 2020

The tool kit of Japanese master gardeners is the object of envy. Luckily for amateurs, beautifully made and durable Japanese garden tools are within easy reach. Here’s a collection of our favorites.

The word hori means &#8\2\20;to dig&#8\2\2\1; in Japanese. The Stainless Steel Hori Hori Knife is also fantastic for sawing, trimming, cutting, and transplanting in the garden. The two-sided blade on this Japanese gardening tool has a straight edge for weeding and cultivating, and a serrated edge for cutting roots, dividing plants, and trimming branches; \$\24.90 at Hida Tool. (Michelle&#8\2\17;s a fan: see why in My Most Versatile Gardening Tool: Hori Hori Knife.)
Above: The word hori means “to dig” in Japanese. The Stainless Steel Hori Hori Knife is also fantastic for sawing, trimming, cutting, and transplanting in the garden. The two-sided blade on this Japanese gardening tool has a straight edge for weeding and cultivating, and a serrated edge for cutting roots, dividing plants, and trimming branches; $24.90 at Hida Tool. (Michelle’s a fan: see why in My Most Versatile Gardening Tool: Hori Hori Knife.)
As featured in our post Our Favorite Gardeners&#8\2\17; Pruners, Tobisho offers handmade pruners of laminated high carbon and stainless steel. Hand-forged, the Tobisho Pruner-B Style is \$97.90 at Hida Tool.
Above: As featured in our post Our Favorite Gardeners’ Pruners, Tobisho offers handmade pruners of laminated high carbon and stainless steel. Hand-forged, the Tobisho Pruner-B Style is $97.90 at Hida Tool.
A versatile staple of Japanese gardening tools, the Japanese Cuttle Fish Hoe is a strong, solid forged hoe on one side and a heavy duty cultivator on the other; \$43.\20 at the Garden Tool Company.
Above: A versatile staple of Japanese gardening tools, the Japanese Cuttle Fish Hoe is a strong, solid forged hoe on one side and a heavy duty cultivator on the other; $43.20 at the Garden Tool Company.
A Japanese hand saw, such as the Silky Gomboy \2\10 Folding Landscaping Saw with hollow-cut teeth and smooth parallel sides, cuts through branches quickly and smoothly; \$4\2.\29 through Amazon.
Above: A Japanese hand saw, such as the Silky Gomboy 210 Folding Landscaping Saw with hollow-cut teeth and smooth parallel sides, cuts through branches quickly and smoothly; $42.29 through Amazon.
Handcrafted in Japan with a high-carbon steel blade and a pine handle, the Nejiri Weeder is coveted for one-handed weeding; \$\15.95 at Eastern Leaf.
Above: Handcrafted in Japan with a high-carbon steel blade and a pine handle, the Nejiri Weeder is coveted for one-handed weeding; $15.95 at Eastern Leaf.
With a serrated stainless steel blade set at a 30-degree angle, a Short-Bladed Root Cutter is the perfect tool to stick down a hole to cut a root or stalk; \$\2\1.50 at Garrett Wade.
Above: With a serrated stainless steel blade set at a 30-degree angle, a Short-Bladed Root Cutter is the perfect tool to stick down a hole to cut a root or stalk; $21.50 at Garrett Wade.

Updating your tool collection? See:

This is an update of a post published on June 20, 2012.


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For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



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  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99

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When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

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