Irrespective of the task in hand the tools you use make a lot of difference through the process and to the end result. Japanese gardening is no exception.
As it is Japanese gardening is considered to be at a higher level than normal gardening and is often classified as an art form. Thus every art form has its special tools with which the artist works hence so does Japanese gardening.
The Hori Hori Japanese garden knife is one of the most important tools when it comes to oriental gardening. This unique knife will seem somewhat strange to anyone not familiar with Japanese gardening but on exploring the functionality of the knife it becomes clear what an important and ingenious tool it is.
The basic function of the Hori Hori knife is to allow the gardener to perform the tasks of digging and weeding with utmost precision and ease. The special thing about the Hori Hori knife is that it comes with a lot of fringe benefits as it can be used for a number of other purposes as well. This makes it a multi purpose tool rather than just a simple digging knife. The Hori Hori Japanese garden knife is a must have for any serious gardening enthusiast.
The name that sometimes seems funny to those of non-Japanese origin is actually the Japanese word for digging. The knife that is now commonly available in the market was actually developed by farmers for the purpose of excavating Bonsai specimens from difficult to reach locations on the mountains of Japan.
Japanese Digging Knife
The diggy diggy knife as it translates is more commonly known as the Japanese digging knife in the market. It is a long multi purpose knife that has a nicely polished stainless steel blade up front. The blade is serrated from one side and the other end and sports a sharp point. The blade is thick and has a slight curve around the edges that allows it to be used for shallow scooping purposes.
You will be able to find the hori hori knife with blades of varying length. The standard size has a 7.25 inch blade that is exposed fit with a wooden handle that measures 5.25 inches that makes the total length of the tool is12.50 inches. The hori hori knife has an extremely sharp blade which is why it has a leather sheath covering inside its package.
In some ways the hori hori garden knife is reminiscent of the multipurpose Leatherman which has a million features. Although the hori hori knife does not come with the kind of diverse functions as does the Leatherman but when you consider the field of gardening only the hori hori knife is the multipurpose Leatherman for the gardener.
The Hori Hori Japanese garden knife with its sharp sides and deliberately scooped shaped blade makes it the optimum digging tool. The sharp blade can easily pierce through hard soil and break hard dirt clods by turning the hand or stabbing it just a few times. Furthermore the knife can be used as a trowel when digging holes as well.
For more detailed & specific information about Japanese gardens please check the following articles:
- Japanese garden bridge
- Japanese garden fences
- Japanese garden gates
- Japanese garden lantern
- Japanese garden paintings
- Japanese garden plants
- Japanese garden sheds
- Japanese garden statues
- History of japanese gardens
- Japanese gardening knife
- Japanese flower gardens
- Japanese garden ornaments
- Japanese koi fish garden
- Japanese rock gardens
- Japanese garden landscaping
- Japanese rose gardens
- Japanese sand gardens
- Japanese garden accessories
- Japanese tree gardens
- Japanese water gardens
- Japanese zen gardens
- Elements of a Japanese garden
- Modern Japanese garden
