Niwaki hori hori with pouch

Slender and easy to handle, Niwaki’s traditional Japanese hori-hori is a fantastic garden all-rounder. Technically a trowel, it’s handy for bulb planting, transplanting and weeding and sharp enough to use for cutting too.

The carbon steel head will easily slice through thick tangles of roots, cut crops for harvest, divide perennials, split compost sacks, trim twine - and even prune. It runs right into the beechwood handle, making it extra sturdy and impact resistant.

Supplied with a tough canvas sheath to protect the metal.

Caring for your hori-hori

Clean after use (water and washing up liquid is fine), dry well and apply a coat of camellia oil before storing in a dry place. With regular use, carbon steel will eventually stain, rust and lose its edge. A Clean Mate or scouring pad will scrub away rust and a sharpening stone will restore the edge.

Though Japanese steel is extremely hard and sharp, please keep in mind it can be brittle. Avoid twisting or applying uneven pressure. In soil, especially heavier soils, it’s best to use an in-out action rather than yanking it back to prise out stones, roots, etc.