Stainless steel bonsai hori hori knife flat on leather sheath
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Bonsai Stainless Hori Hori Garden Knife with Leather Sheath

$65.00

Japanese stainless steel Hori Hori knife with concave digging blade, straight edge, serrated edge, depth markings and sheath. A lower-maintenance choice for planting, transplanting, weeding and wet soil work. Ships from Perth.

East West Tools Quality Guarantee

We stand behind the quality of our tools with a 30-day return policy and support for exchanges or repairs when needed. Read the full policy here.

Shipping

We dispatch every weekday from Perth. Orders over $250 ship free Australia-wide, with free local shipping over $100. Regular shipping is $12.50 and express shipping is $19.00. Read the full shipping policy here.

Product Care

Japanese carbon steel tools stay at their best when they are wiped dry, kept clean of sap, sharpened before they become blunt and oiled before storage. Read the full guide.

 

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Description

Stainless Hori Hori for lower-maintenance digging and planting

The Bonsai Stainless Hori Hori Garden Knife is a Japanese digging and planting tool for gardeners who want the Hori Hori format with easier rust resistance. It combines a concave digging blade, straight edge, serrated edge and depth markings in one compact garden tool.

The stainless blade is useful for wet soil, transplanting, dividing perennials, bulb planting and general garden work where lower maintenance matters. It includes a sheath for safer storage and carry between garden beds.

Stainless vs carbon steel Hori Hori

  • Choose stainless if you work in wet soil often or want easier rust resistance.
  • Choose carbon steel if you prefer a sharper working edge and do not mind cleaning, drying and oiling after use.
  • If edge feel matters more than low maintenance, compare the Bonsai carbon steel Hori Hori or Gyokucho carbon steel Hori Hori.

Best suited to

  • Planting bulbs and seedlings
  • Transplanting and dividing perennials
  • Wet soil and general garden digging
  • Gardeners who want lower maintenance than carbon steel
  • Anyone who wants one digging, cutting and measuring tool

Who should not buy this

  • Do not buy this if you want the keenest possible carbon steel edge.
  • Do not use it as a pry bar in rocky or compacted ground.
  • Do not expect stainless to be completely maintenance-free; it still benefits from cleaning and drying.

Care expectations

Rinse or wipe off soil after use and dry thoroughly. Stainless steel is more forgiving than carbon steel, but it still benefits from occasional oiling if used in wet soil or stored for long periods.

Browse related Japanese digging tools or Japanese tool care and sharpening.

Specifications
  • Blade material: Stainless steel (Japanese grade)
  • Blade length: ~170 mm
  • Overall length: ~300 mm
  • Blade width: ~40 mm
  • Handle material: Hardwood (Japanese hardwood)
  • Sheath: vinyl leather with belt loop
  • Origin: Miki city, Japan
  • Dual-edge: One straight sharpened side, one serrated side
  • Depth markings: Yes – etched in blade (mm/cm
Maintenance

Rinse or wipe off soil after use and dry thoroughly. Stainless steel is more forgiving than carbon steel, but it still benefits from occasional oiling if used in wet soil or stored for long periods.

For oil, cleaning and sharpening supplies, browse the Japanese tool care and sharpening range. Store dry with the sheath fitted.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a “Hori Hori” knife?

The term “Hori Hori” comes from Japanese (hori = “to dig”) and typically refers to a digging knife or soil knife used in gardening, bonsai work and other outdoor tasks.

Is the blade stainless steel or carbon steel?

This particular model is stainless steel, offering superior corrosion resistance compared with carbon steel options. Some Hori Hori knives use carbon steel for extreme edge retention but require more maintenance.

What tasks can this tool perform?

Digging small holes, planting bulbs or seedlings, pruning roots, cutting twine, dividing perennials, weeding, edging beds. Its dual-edge design gives cutting and slicing power as well as digging.

Is it suitable for bonsai repotting?

Yes — for bonsai work the compact size (around 300mm overall length) and precision blade allow careful root work and transplanting, especially in containers. However, very fine trunk wiring or delicate root cleaning may still require dedicated bonsai tools.

How do I know the depth I’m digging to?

The blade has etched depth-markings (in mm/cm) so you can gauge how deep you are inserting the blade or planting a bulb/seed.

What is the difference between this and a typical garden trowel?

The Hori Hori combines multiple functions (knife + saw + digging tool) in one – the concave blade, serrated edge, depth scale and pointed tip extend its utility far beyond a standard trowel.

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