Top 10 best Japanese Garden Knives
When it comes to gardening, a knife is a vital tool that one must-have, whether you are a beginner or someone who has the experience, but that doesn’t mean that you should pick the kitchen knife and start using it in the garden. There are specific knives for the garden the same way you can’t use a fork to get rid of weed in the yard.
If you want to get healthy products such as fruits and vegetables from the garden, then you should highly invest in tools that will help you. We all want our gardens to be the best and also give us healthy products that we can even sell and get some profit no matter the size of our garden. Everybody has specific tools they use, whether it’s in the kitchen or the garden.
Japan has knives that have been designed to work in the garden. These knives play a significant role depending on the kind of knife you choose to use on your garden since all the blades have specific uses, and every knife is unique in its way. But that does not mean that you go on amazon and just purchase a knife and expect it to cater to your needs. Below are some of the factors to consider before buying a garden knife.
Factors to consider when selecting the best Japanese garden knives
- Garden size
Before buying a Japanese garden knife, you must consider your garden’s size so that you pick the perfect knife. If your garden is small, for example, a kitchen garden, it’s advisable that you go for the small-sized blades so that you won’t struggle using them, but if your yard is large, then a big knife is perfect. Some knives are used for both large and small gardens.
- Uses
Always put into consideration what you need the knife for. Is it for digging, cutting, harvesting, slicing, or planting, or can also be used for outdoor activities such as hunting or camping? Once you consider that choosing the best knife for your garden work becomes easy since before you buy, you will always be asking yourself what the knife you are getting will be doing in your garden.
- Handle
The handle of the garden must be put into consideration since you don’t want to get blisters all over your hand while working on the patio. Knives with a wooden handle are the best since it is a natural material and also feels better on the side.
- Blade
When it comes to buying a garden knife, you have to first look at how the teeth on the serrated edges have been designed. You need to get the one with the highest quality serrated design that can cut through both roots and weed quickly. The second thing is that you have to look for a blade that has scales on it to measure the depth of the soil when transplanting.
- Extras
If you want to buy a garden knife, always look for what it comes with; for example, some come with a sheath, clips that can be attached to the belt as well as sharpeners. Once you get a knife with either of these properties, you can start working on your garden immediately; it is delivered since you won’t have to worry about where to store your knife.
- Budget
When you are purchasing any tool, it is always essential to work within your budget. You must get a knife that is affordable and caters to all you need because it would be disappointing to buy an expensive knife with poor quality, and that won’t last long.
Here are the top 10 best Japanese gardening knives
- Nisaku NJP650 Hori-Hori weeding and digging knife
If you are looking for a gardening knife that you will fall in love with and that is of high-quality, then Nisaku weeding knife is what you have been looking for. Its price ranges from $22.80 to $29.95.
The good thing about this knife: It is made in Japan from stainless steel therefore in case you forget it in the garden and it rains, or you clean it up, you don’t have to worry about it rusting. The knife is also used in hunting and camping, just to name but a few.
We did not like: The blade is not tight enough because the edge does not go all the way to the handle.
Key features
- It has both sharp and serrated edges used for slicing, cutting through roots, getting rid of weeds, and rocks.
- The knife’s handle is wooden; therefore, you can hold it firmly and more controllably whenever you are digging.
- The knife has inches marked on it; therefore, it can be used when planting alongside a measuring rope to know the correct depth.
- Its storage is made from pure leather and has a loop that you can attach to your belt whenever you want.
- The knife is made with thick steel, which makes it light and durable since it doesn’t bend.
- Zenport K245 Zenbori Soil knife
There is no significant difference between these knives and the Hori-Hori knife as it also used to saw and get rid of the weed. It is currently being sold at $16.99 on Amazon, which is a fair price.
Good thing: It is made in China with stainless steel, and it has a sharp edge that can easily cut through compost bags.
We did not like: The K245 can only be used by people who have small hands since the handle is short, limiting people with large hands from using it.
Key features
- The knife is made from stainless steel and its blade that can be used as a scooping and weeding tool.
- Its handle is plastic and bright orange, which makes it easy to be identified in the garden if you misplace it while working.
- It has a sheath known as the HJ245 that makes it easy to carry the knife around without having to worry about where to store it.
- It is easier to put it into the soil as it has a narrow blade.
- Its blade is slightly concaved, and its edges are perfectly angled, making it the best for working under any condition.
- Radius Garden 16211 Root slayer soil knife
This is the perfect knife for the people who are serious about gardening and metal detecting, as it is among the oldest and the best gardening tools. On Amazon, its current price is $16.99
The good thing about the knife is that it is manufactured in China, and for it to maintain its quality and efficiency, all you have to do is clean it after every use, and the best part is that it is easy to clean it up.
What we did not like: The soil knife does not come with its sheath.
Key features
- It has two sides; a smooth cutting blade and ripsaw teeth with a v-shaped tip used for cutting roots.
- The soil knife can be sharpened easily since it is made of powder-coated carbon steel. This makes the knife perfect for any type of soil, as well as rocky areas.
- It has a thermoplastic grip, which makes it comfortable and easy to use since you won’t get injuries while working with it in the garden.
- Fiskars Big Grip Garden Knife
This knife is the best since it has various uses, from cutting bags open to digging.
We like the knife: It is quite affordable since it goes for $9.98 on Amazon.
What we did not like: The handle of the knife is not very strong; therefore, it quickly breaks, which makes it not convenient for people who use it daily.
Key features
- Its handle is padded and oversized, which ensures that you have a better grip and is comfortable when using.
- It has a serrated edge and a blade that is sharpened, making it is easy to get into hard grounds.
- Once you purchase it, it has a warranty that lasts a lifetime.
- Its head is rust-resistant as it is made of aluminum.
- Its handle has a hole that can be used to hang the knife hence making its storage easy.
- The blade is indented like a trough in the middle and is used for transplanting seeds and a tip that is notched, which makes it easy to weed.
- The v tip is sharp; therefore, it comes with a cover that is plastic specifically for it.
- FELCO Grafting and garden pruning knife
As its name suggests, the knife is for crown grafting, pruning, and sawing stems and branches. Its price on amazon is reasonable since it goes for $16.67.
The good thing about it: You can quickly put it in your pocket because of its small size.
What we did not like: It is designed for right-handed people; therefore, left-handed people are disadvantaged.
Key features
- The blade features are well thought of and from high-quality steel, which makes it last longer.
- The pruning knife has a handle made of nylon that is red and scales on its lining.
- It has a strong back that is made of spring which makes it easy to be folded.
- You can comfortably use the pruning knife with one hand since it is small in size and perfectly fits in your hand.
- Dino Tooth Garden Serrated Hori Tool
This tool can be a perfect gift for anybody who loves gardening, whether old or young, and it goes for $23.97 on amazon.
The good thing about this tool: It comes with a sheath for storing it and sharpening stone, which in most cases, is not used since the blade of the knife is sharp enough. Everything about this tool is just amazing.
Key features
- The edge of the knife is serrated and multipurpose, which makes any work easy and enjoyable.
- It comes with a handguard that is made of high quality that protects your hand from any kind of injuries such as scrapes or cuts.
- The Hori tool handle is made from hardwood and has a hole that makes it last longer.
- For those who love camping, this knife is perfect since it is easy and comfortable to use as well as easy to carry.
- Sensei Tools Hori Digging Knife
This knife is not specifically a knife but also a hand trowel, and it is a multipurpose tool that is used for weeding, digging, and planting. On Amazon, it costs $29.95.
The good thing about this knife: It is the perfect knife for any type of garden work.
What we did not like: It is dense; therefore, it gets uncomfortable at some point, especially if you are working long hours.
Key features
- The knife is made of stainless steel, mirror polished, and has serrated and straight edges that are both sharpened and to cut through roots as well as doing other things in the garden.
- The blade is longer than other knives, which makes it dig deeper, and it is also a bit round, which makes it the best for grabbing soil.
- The Sensei knife has a handle that is textured and black that makes it firmly grip on the hand, therefore. You don’t have to worry about it sliding.
- The blade has scales marked up to 6 inches on one side to know the depth when digging.
- It comes with a sheath made from leather, and it also has a loop that you can attach to your belt for secure storage.
- The knife can be used for outdoor activities such as camping, metal detecting, fishing, and hunting.
- Stanley Garden BDS7236 FATMAX Ultimate Garden Knife
This garden knife is strong enough to be used to transplant as well as divide large plants. As of now, it is going for $18.68 on amazon.
The good thing about this knife: The handle protects your hand from getting injured.
We did not like: When cutting sod, the knife tends to get blunt at some point.
Key features
- Just as the name suggests it is the ultimate garden knife since it has several uses and its quality is the best
- The blade is made of steel, a v-shaped weed puller, scales on it to measure depth, and a serrated edge.
- The handle of the ultimate garden knife is offset, helping protect your hands from getting injured.
- Hokuru Hori Hori Knife
This knife originates from way back only that it has been improvised. The Hori Hori knife has several uses such as digging, landscaping, weeding, slicing, and planting, just to name but a few. For people looking for a knife that can do any type of work, look no further because Hokuru Hori Hori is the knife. Its price is also quite reasonable as it is going for$28.99 on Amazon.
The good thing about this knife is that it is a multipurpose knife that can be used by gardeners for both indoor and outdoor activities and can be used by both men and women.
What we did not like: There seems to be confusion about the country that manufactures it. It was produced in Japan first, but now, this knife is made in many different countries.
Key features
- This knife is of stainless steel that is of high quality, and the blade is rustproof, which extends to the long-lasting handle.
- This garden tool has a handguard on the handle that protects the hand and prevents it from slipping.
- It comes with a sheath that protects it from getting damaged and loops on its handle that can be attached to the belt for secure storage.
- It also has a three-year warranty and a whole month of getting money back if you are displeased with it.
- The knife’s weight is well distributed; therefore, you can balance the blade thoroughly.
- Zenport K104 Harvest Utility Knife
The knife can do anything in the garden without having to worry about it breaking. The utility knife is the most affordable of all the garden knives with a price tag of $3.05.
I like this knife: The utility knife has many uses, from harvesting fruits and vegetables to cutting both large and small branches.
I don’t like: When using the utility knife on sod, it appears to pull it apart instead of cutting it.
Key features
- The harvest utility knife has a steel blade that is hooked, curved, and serrated.
- The knife has plastic handles that are either blue or orange. The plastic material on the handle makes it hard for the blade to slip away while working with it.