BarebonesHori Hori Classic - Garden Knife - Heat-Tempered Stainless Steel Blade and Walnut Handle

Functionality:I usually don't write reviews, but this digging knife is awesome. Can dig though thick clay soil, easily cut though roots half an inch thick. I don't worry about it bending while I'm pushing it into the soil or pushing out the soil. Only down side is it doesn't come with a protective wrap or carrying case.

Love this garden tool. Planting seeds, digging saplings holes, cutting saplings , scraping off bee stingers

Excellently made hori-hori knife. Perfect for cutting or digging up weeds in the garden. Great feel in the hand--comfortable to use.

Love this tool. Very well made and great quality. Would buy again

Outstanding beast of a tool! Very well made. Will last for decades!

I received the Barebones Hori Hori Classic Garden Tool sooner than the scheduled delivery date so that was a nice surprise. Came loose in the Amazon delivery box in its own cardboard packaging. The knife is sturdy and has a nice weight to it. The handle is curved and feels good in the hand. According to the packaging--"Vintage-Inspired Japanese Design; Heat-tempered 6 3/4" Blade; Twine Cutter; Full, Stainless Steel Tang; Rich and Durable Walnut Handle; 5-Year Warranty and Made in China." The blade is concave and has six gradation marks but unfortunately the numerical inches/mm are not on the blade (makes for a slight nuisance when measuring soil depth). The tip of the blade is somewhat pointed but not sharp (may still be very effective in a zombie apocalypse). I have yet to use this knife in my garden since it's still early in the season. Will update this review in the future to advise on how it holds up.**UPDATE 6/22/19 I've used this Hori Hori knife and unfortunately had to drop it down from 5 to 4 stars. It's a really good knife but compared to another Hori Hori knife that I purchased on Amazon at the same time (Not sure if I can mention the other brand in my review), the Barebones knife doesn't get as much use. As noted in my original review, the knife does not have numbered gradation marks. Turns out this is a feature that really is necessary when measuring soil depth. Also, having a sharp, pointy tip is more useful than the blunt tip on the Barebones knife (Don't get me wrong, it will still come in handy during a zombie apocalypse. You just might have to put a little more effort into it). Side note: Make sure you remember where you put the knife in your yard. It is easy to misplace on the ground due to the color of the handle and blade.

I purchased this specifically with metal detecting in mind. When hunting, I use I special shovel to remove a plug of grass, but after I’m in the ground, if I need to dig further, I use a spade or hori-hori.Out of the box this hori-hori is impressive. It’s full tang heavy construction appears to be strong enough to tackle any job and the walnut handle is very attractive - far more attractive than any other digging tool I’ve used and allows attachment of a lanyard. The graduated markings on the face of the blade are nice without being cluttered with measurements. The top edge of the blade has a sharp serrated edge that will make quick work of roots, while the bottom edge is also fairly sharp with a very sharp hook suitable for cutting cord.If I had a complaint it would be that the very tip or point of the hori-hori, unlike its sharp sides, is very thick and blunt, far more so than any other hori-hori, trowel or spade I’ve ever owned. As a result, this wouldn’t be the easiest tool to push straight into the ground to remove a plug. Because of the good side bevel grind, I don’t expect this to be an issue for me, but if it is, it should be no problem to sharpen it up a bit. Certainly it is a sturdy tip for scraping. In the loose soil of a garden this should be perfect.

The Barebones Hori Hori has such a beefy blade. I bought it to replace my cheap sheet metal digger which had bent while attempting to dig up some of my monster weeds with roots the size of daikon. This would make a good companion survival knife as it can dig small holes and cut small branches in a pinch. The walnut handle already shows some cosmetic chipping. It "wood" be nice if it were less chippy. I foresee eventually having to refinish the handle. Overall, they made a great tool. Was looking at other makers and wished that Barebones would have included a sheath to compete with other comparable products/prices.