As a professional gardener and garden writer I am often approached to try out and review new products, but spring is high season for that sort of thing. I turn down many such offers, unless the product meets a few basic criteria:
- It is relevant and applicable to the work I do.
- It is morally and ethically in line with what I believe and teach.
- It is something that I honestly believe I might purchase and use.
A few days ago I spoke to Max Joda from Barebones Living about a brand-new
tool in their product line that’s going to be available to the public beginning on Earth Day (April 22nd) this year. It’s called a hori hori knife, which sounds funny until you understand that the name comes from the Japanese word hori which, when translated, means ‘to dig’. As it turns out, I was in the market for a new hori hori, so after our chat I agreed to give this new tool a try.
For starters, I have to talk about the handle. It’s made of sustainable bamboo, and it just feels…right. Before I ever touched the ground with it I could tell that this would be something I could comfortably reach for in the garden and use often.
The blade of any hori hori is double-edged and sharp on both sides, with one side being deeply serrated. The tempered steel Barebones blade is slightly concave on one side, making it perfect for digging up deep-rooted weeds. The blade has inch marks that make easy work of planting bulbs at the perfect depth every time.
Another cool feature is the combo twine cutter and bottle opener, that allows you to easily tie up your tomato plants before you pop the top on a cold one and relax after a day of hard work in the garden. That’s all the proof I need that the Barebones Hori Hori Knife was designed by people who understand that you should relax just as hard as you work.
I should confess that I wasn’t really expecting much out of this product; If I’ve tried one hori hori, I’ve tried 10. After only two work sessions in the garden though, this bad boy has earned its rightful place in my tool belt.
The website lists the price at $29.99, which is totally in line with the quality of craftsmanship. You won’t be replacing this knife anytime soon because it is built to last.
To check out the Barebones Hori Hori Knife for yourself, click here.
