Nisaku's Hori-Hori Tomita Weeding Knife is Hard to Hold

We purchased the Nisaku 7.25” Blade Hori-Hori Stainless Steel Tomita Weeding Knife so our reviewer could put it to the test. Keep reading for our full product review.

This spring, when my lawn suddenly spotted over with that yellow nemesis, the dandelion, I knew I needed an ultimate weed weapon. The basic gardening tools already in my possession weren’t going to cut it. I decided to try out the popular Nisaku 7.25” Blade Hori-Hori Stainless Steel Tomita Weeding Knife. 

When I saw its gleaming, dual-edged blade and the words “weeding knife,” I knew I had found my artillery. Read on to see how the Nisaku fared against my lawn’s dandelion foes.

Design: Seductive but ultimately uncomfortable

Weeding can be equal parts tedium, battle, and (ultimately) satisfaction. Add in a stunningly cool knife like the Nisaku, and any feeling of boredom starts to slip away—weeding starts to feel almost sexy. 

What’s the fuss about? For starters, this tool looks like something an Amazonian goddess or maybe Wonder Woman herself might wield. It has an awesome stainless steel blade with a sharp tip and two sides—one straight-edged, the other serrated—and inch markers that enable planting at precisely the right depth. 

The design offers excellent multipurpose function as a gardening, landscaping, and camping knife, all in one. As a bonus, it even comes with a leather sheath so you can protect the blade and attach it to your belt. 

The one drawback of this knife, discomfort during use, is probably due to the rectangular shape of the wooden handle. The flat sides and edges (yes, they are slightly rounded, but still essentially made up of four flat planes) made it awkward to hold over time. 

Performance: Weeds like a champ, but at a cost

Beyond its good looks, the knife cuts through weeds like butter, popping them right out of the ground with much less effort than expected. The blade is durable, bend-resistant, and boasts significant levering power. I like that this tool offers the benefit of both beveled and serrated edges, plus a sharp tip that can cut through roots. With this knife, I was able to weed, dig, slice, cut, and plant bulbs. 

However, while this tool has lots going for it, don’t be totally seduced by its aesthetics or its efficient blade. Once you’ve been using it for an hour or so and your hand begins to complain, you’ll start reaching for the plain old weeding tools you were seeking to replace, just like I did. 

The pretty blonde bamboo handle is just too uncomfortable to allow for extended and repeated use—particularly a problem when tackling a big job like dandelion removal on a large lawn.

I have medium-sized hands, so I had a few large-handed members of my extended family try it out, and they all had the same gripe. What starts out as an awesome weeding tool quickly sours with use as it starts to bug your hand. 

The grip also feels a bit tenuous at times, and I was concerned that with enough exertion against a particularly tenacious weed, my hand might slip down onto the blade. If the handle could be made more comfortable and give users a better grip, this weeding knife would be transformed from beautiful liability to a real winner.

Ease of Cleaning: Simple

This weeding tool wipes clean without much fuss. Despite hours in the dirt, mine easily returned to its stunning, shiny self with minimal TLC. Made with high-quality Japanese stainless steel, the strong blade stays sharp long-term and is rust- and scratch-resistant.

Price: Reasonable

This Nisaku knife retails around $25. Other tools come in between $20 and $30. The multipurpose model can do a lot of different jobs for the money. However, for me at least, despite the efficacy of this gardening tool, it’s not worth buying because it doesn’t feel good in the hand. No matter how much of a steal it seems for all its awesome attributes, its uncomfortable grip is the fatal flaw.

Nisaku Hori-Hori Stainless Steel Tomita Weeding Knife vs. Wilcox All-Pro Heavy-Duty Digging Trowel

The Wilcox trowel, which we also tested, runs around $17, nearly $10 less than the Nisaku Weeding Knife. However, the Nisaku model does come with a sheath and looks like something a superhero might carry, while the Wilcox tool feels more utilitarian and has much less superficial wow. 

Both tools have excellent blades that easily cut through weeds and roots. I’d say the win goes to the Wilcox tool, though, due to its superior grip and the fact that it is a weeding champion.