Joshua RothJapanese Weeding Sickle Very Sharp Edge Quick Work (Full Size)

We have clay soil so weeding is much more of a pain for us. We both gave this a try and this is now a treasured tool. It is the angle of the blade, the sharpness, the weight, the balance, the size, the shape of the handle, and especially the effectiveness. It is delight to use, and every time I use it I am reminded of the pleasure in experiencing the fundamentals of refined tool design and craftsmanship. By the way, we have also found it EXCELLENT for selectively "pruning" undesired moss from our pavers, flagstones, segmented retaining wall blocks and concrete walls. Highly recommended!

The best garden tool Ive ever had!! I LOVE it and use it every time I'm out in the garden. It's sturdy, sharp, not heavy. Great for weeds, breaking up clay soil, even digging. Love it

This weeding tool is absolutely amazing and a total time-saver! I recently had surgery and wasn’t able to get into my garden beds to manage the weeds. I bought this to make it easier for a family member who was helping me, and it worked so well that it turned into a fun little family project.The tool made such a great impression that my helper ended up buying one for themselves! It’s incredibly effective and easy to use – I highly recommend it to anyone looking to make yard work quicker and easier.

I see I bought this when I lived in a subtropical region January 2013. (I could garden year round.) Though I have had a few years in a temperate zone now, it is still a loved tool in summer of 2025.I think that says enough.* it is not stainless but very sharp, likely because of the steel. I reinforced the cardboard sheath with many layers of packing tape and enclosed the pointed area. Dry ot after use and store in a climate controlled (dry) area to have lifespan like mine. i dont think i sharpened it, but i may have taken it to a garden centers free sharpening day in the last few years. Great for slicing weeds below the surface and some roots. I will swing it if i want to thoroughly knock back a tap root but not get my tap-rooted weed puller. (I bought from a seller who doesnt currently list it). I might have oiled the blade with organic canola, coconut or mineral when i thought i might use it in quite damp conditions or store for a while. Not high tech, just functional.

The media could not be loaded. Ok, this saved me at least another hour of cutting through St Augustine sod and digging it up with a flat shovel to create a border around wooden garden bed.Before I ordered this I would use an edging tool to cut a line parallel to the garden bed, then come in with a flat spade and jam it under the sod to try and save the sod so I could transplant it elsewhere that needed it.With this tool, I just cut the line with the edging tool, then came in and sliced under the sod and rolled it up. Not only was it way faster, less effort, and gave me a more consistent result and depth, it was actually a lot of fun. The handle length was just right for what I was doing. I could see how a standing height version of this tool would be great too, but that’s ok. Great garden work requires getting down in the dirt!It’s very light weight and sturdy, I had no issues. I will say that it’s rained for several days prior to me using it… I see a lot of people using it on bone dry dirt or dirt with rocks… I wouldn’t. Just pre-water a day before and maybe a few hours before your work to soften the soil and this will save you a lot of effort.I could hear a few rocks I hit and I cut through a bunch of roots about 1/4” thick with ease but the blade edge held. I’m going to be getting this guy professionally sharpened for sure.For the price, this is a very handy tool to have in your lawn arsenal. I can’t wait for the weeds or st Augustine to intrude into the edging so I can go touch it up.Don’t use it to cut big roots, don’t swing it… just drag/slice. Rocks and blades don’t mesh, common sense stuff. So for a rocky dry patch, you’re going to damage the edge and just cut the plants off at the base. This is a fantastic tool for a moderately good soil conditions.I uploaded a video. I make it look harder than it was because I was focused on the camera.Update: After using this to cut the sod from a 7’ diameter flower bed around a tree, I can say that I wish it had a more aggressive angle between the handle and blade. The handle/blade angle is such that the handle is mostly vertical (maybe 45deg) but this makes it difficult to pull and impossible to push. Two handed operation is ideal, but if your trying to cut sod you’re probably using your other hand to fit up the sod… I’d like a version of this that as your cutting allows you to PULL instead of this weird side motion you have to do. Like make me worry about my knuckles dragging on the ground kind of pulling angle. It was exhausting work, but I still prefer this and the cleaner results to trying to shovel the sod up.