From the whetstone
Notes on choosing, using and caring for Japanese garden tools, written at the bench where they get sharpened.
What is a hori hori knife?A hori hori knife is a Japanese garden knife with a concave stainless steel blade, one straight edge, one serrated edge and depth markings. Here is…
Choosing a Nisaku hori hori knifeThere are eight Nisaku hori hori knives on the peg wall, and they are not the same knife in different boxes. Blade hardness, handle, sheath and…
Japanese garden tools explainedJapanese garden tools look simple and work differently. Thin, hard blades, short handles and pulling strokes come from small, intensively worked…
How to use a nejiri gama Japanese hand hoe weederThe nejiri gama is the Japanese hand hoe weeder that makes weeding feel like sweeping. Used right, this lightweight garden tool shaves weeds off at…
Weeds in sidewalk cracksSidewalk cracks and paver joints are the hardest places in a garden to weed and the easiest to ignore. A corrugated Japanese crack weeder cuts weeds…
Caring for Japanese stainless steelWondering how to keep your tools sharp? Japanese stainless steel is forgiving, but a few habits keep a Nisaku blade sharp and bright for decades…