Best Japanese Gardening Tools – The best hori hori knives and the best Japanese garden knives all have one thing in common: quality craftsmanship and durability. Learn more in our guide.
Sometimes the simplest tools are the best. My favorite gardening tool is the Japanese Hori-Hori Gardening Knife, or as I like to call it the “MacGyver” of the garden. The Japanese called it “Hori” because “Hori” means “to dig” in Japanese. Some call it a mountain vegetable knife, which goes back to its original use as a way to plant and care for vegetables grown on its steep terrain.
Best Japanese Gardening Tools
It’s safe to say I use it almost every time I’m out in the garden. That’s why I needed to find a quality one and live it for the rest of my life. .
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If you want a quick look at the best Japanese garden knives, here they are (in order). Read below for more information on each
* We go deeper into each of these tools below. But you can click on the links above to check prices or read reviews from other customers on Amazon.
The Nisaku knife is a “standard” hori hori knife design. Instead of three rivets on the handle, it has only two, which means it tends to pull after months of use.
It comes with a sheath and loop, but the sheath is made of vinyl. It is lighter and slightly shorter than average. If you’re looking for a simple everyday hori-hori that won’t break the bank, Nisaku would be a good choice, but I’d choose one of the other options if given the chance.
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The blade extends through the entire handle, meaning it is a full tang knife. Basically, every knife except the Nisaku is full tang.
If you’re looking for a multi-purpose knife, go with the Veramente Garden knife. It comes with a sharpening stone and a leather sheath, making it the only knife on the list to offer a sharpening tool.
This is a great choice if you’re looking for an all-in-one knife that will last a while and has everything you need to take good care of it while you’re using it.
Black Iron hori hori is a solid choice for all gardeners. It is built with an old wooden handle and the blade is not dull. At 13.4″ long, it’s one of the longest, which is great if you need extra power to plant or dig through stubborn roots or debris.
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It comes with a high quality leather sheath, but no belt clip, so you’ll have to choose one of those if you want this knife by your side in the garden. However, you can use a small button fastener if you need to attach it in a pinch.
The Japanese Sensei garden knife is one of the few with a polymer handle. This means it will last longer and hold up better to parts, but you pay more for it (about $10 more than most other knives on the market).
It’s a little shorter than most other knives, at 12″ instead of the standard 13″. Like most knives, this one also comes with a sheath, though not leather. If you’re looking for a modern version of a hori-hori knife, this one by Sensei is an excellent choice.
The short answer is…almost everything. But let’s get into some of the special qualities these hori hori knives have that make them so popular in the garden.
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Whether you have a large or small weed invading your garden, this knife can help you get rid of it. If you are dealing with small, thin weeds, then cut directly by placing the flat side of the blade against the soil and sliding it over the water. It’s a simple and effective way to get rid of weeds before they grow into serious problems.
If you have larger weeds, you can use your hori hori knife as a small cutting tool. Because good-sized weed stems are still soft, this hand tool can get the job done.
I’m a stickler for ordering, so I like to have as straight lines as possible. Sometimes I’ll drop my Japanese garden knife on the ground, wrap the string around the handle, pull it tight and mark my line. I like to use my long 13″ knife for this job to get it deep into the soil.
To plant seeds with your Japanese garden knife, simply use the tip of the blade to draw a line along your rows or make small indents in the soil for larger seeds like radishes or cilantro.
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You can also use it to grow bulbs such as garlic, onions, or flowers. Prick the soil with the tip of your knife and shake to loosen your soil. Dig a hole to the depth you need for your crop and insert your bulb or seed. Keep the hori in the hole when you do this because as soon as you take it out, the soil will fall back into place.
While a spatula or your hands may be the most common tool you can use for planting, there’s no reason a hori hori can’t do the job. Press your knife into the soil and shake it to loosen it, then pull the handle and remove the loosened soil. Add your transplants and cover again. See!
If I’m cleaning a bed of radishes, onions, or other root crops, I’ll usually turn to my hori instead of a digging fork. All I do is press my knife down on one side, turn it slightly and gently pull my plant. In most cases, it will spread now, but sometimes I need to hit it on the other side.
When I remove a piece of land that was full of weeds or has bushes or deep roots in it, I go back to the hori for a little finesse. If I can’t hit the root with my shovel, I will become a “root archaeologist” and dig up all the soil around the root. So I used some of my garden tools to destroy it!
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There are many hori hori knives on the market from all different suppliers, so it can be a little confusing to understand what to buy. Here are the most important things to look for in your knife:
Most hori hori knives have a wooden handle, but you can also find them with polymer or plastic handles. I prefer wood because it feels better in my hand and is a natural material, but it can degrade faster than durable plastics or polymers.
The standard length of Japanese garden knives is 13″ and I find that to be a very useful length for me, although I can have shorter ones as well. You can use a knife that is less than long, but not more than a short one!
There are a few things to keep in mind here. The first is a serrated side tooth design. you can get ones with a very light edge that will slide through light weeds but not too much, or you can get ones with a high quality design that separates weeds and roots like nothing.
Best Japanese Gardening Knives (hori Hori Knives)
Second, make sure you buy a knife with a blade and a ruler. There is nothing worse than not knowing exactly how much is in the soil, especially when planting or sowing.
Finally, some blades are removed from the handle, which gives more power, but it can be more difficult to use them every day.
Some knives are sold with leather sheaths, belt clips, whetstones, or other accessories. All other features being equal, I prefer to buy a hori hori with a high-quality leather sheath and belt clip, so I’m ready to go to the garden as soon as it’s offered.
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Want to upgrade your toolbox? Need the perfect holiday gift for your gardening friends? Are you looking for special suggestions to make your planting easier? Former gardener, Logan Hailey, offers his top 19 tips on bargains and gifts for gardeners of all types and skill levels.❚ All products have been independently selected by our editorial team. This review contains affiliate links and we may receive a commission for the purchase made. Please read our related FAQ page to learn more.
Japanese garden tools are known for their quality and precision and can be a reliable addition to your garden tools. Japanese-style tools and brands often come up when our experts review garden products, and they often get good reviews for their performance.
From Niwaki Golden Spade and Niwaki Mainichi Secateurs to Okatsune Bypass Secateurs, Japanese tools can often be relied upon as reliable additions to your garden.
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