Any Hori Hori fans on here?

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,297
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Designed for the Samurai gardener, the Japanese version of Gentleman Farmer?
:)

I am usually very positive about most things, but the handle looks positively, awfully uncomfortable to use.

Only Japanese seeds and bulbs need to be planted at a precise depth, hence the measuring feature!

@Code 4 , you plan to bury your Number Two at a certain depth?
Useful then!
Otherwise - what function does it have?
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,227
1,701
Vantaa, Finland
If I walked in a city street with that on my belt I have some doubts what would happen when confronted by a local PC. "Officer this is just by bulb digger".
:panda:
 
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John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,300
3,085
67
Pembrokeshire
I had an Italian version for a while - it got used as a poo-pit digger for a while... but I never liked it much as a cutting tool.
Japanese ones may well be better.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,850
3,264
W.Sussex
Didn’t @Toddy start a thread on these somewhere?

I’d fancy one if I was still asparagus cutting every Spring.
 
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Code 4

Tenderfoot
Feb 25, 2020
86
50
65
Shrewsbury
Designed for the Samurai gardener, the Japanese version of Gentleman Farmer?
:)

I am usually very positive about most things, but the handle looks positively, awfully uncomfortable to use.

Only Japanese seeds and bulbs need to be planted at a precise depth, hence the measuring feature!

@Code 4 , you plan to bury your Number Two at a certain depth?
Useful then!
Otherwise - what function does it have?
Handle grip/comfort is fine. I garden a lot and I wish I had this years ago. Everyone that sees me thinks I armed with a knife.
 
It's a Japanese gardening knife, super tough and great for digging, but limited other uses.

the (locally made) version i used during my time in Japan had only a 3/4 tang which made it suitable as a throwing knife... :D:p the serrated edge works well for getting through roots while the plain edge worked as a scraper, too... i actually liked them better than trowels
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,297
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
I use a spade/shovel that is narrow. Less effort and better for my infirm back and knee for each ‘dig’.

Our so-called soil is incredibly hard when dry, and all bu£he’s and trees produce a huge number of roots.
Coconut palms are the worst, hundreds of tough, finger thick roots radiate out from each palm.

Love gardening. Family tells me I am on my fourth garden. I have moved, replanted, dug up and planted new, several times.
 
Mar 3, 2020
7
2
60
Canada
These gardening trowels are almost indestructible, but the serrated edge is almost impossible to sharpen. Among other things they are great for harvesting roots in stony soils, but the handle is less than comfortable under extended hard use. Plus, the Hori Hori is often heavier and more expensive than many other common commercial grade models. So ... meh.

Happy Trails!
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,887
2,138
Mercia
As a gardening and trapping tool they are excellent. Good for digging out deep rooted perennials, setting mole traps, planting bulbs and seedlings. As a knife they are poor, but they are excellent as a sharp edged trowel that can cut turf & roots.
 

Kadushu

If Carlsberg made grumpy people...
Jul 29, 2014
944
1,024
Kent
I have one and the handle was very uncomfortable until I did a lot of rounding. It is good for digging a small hole in hard ground, so basically bulb planting, and the serrated edge is good for cutting roots, dividing hostas and so on. Digging and edge retention do not go together, so it loses its edge quickly and the serrations become rounded. The measurements also become obsolete as the tip wears. It is however very strong and rigid - far more than normal trowels.

Overall there are better digging tools and better cutting tools. The only specific use for this in my opinion is for cutting roots, maybe if you are harvesting vegetables - knocking the soil off onions, trimming the thin roots off parsnips, etc - and don't want to ruin a good knife.
 

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