There's a New Tool in Town! Barebones Hori Hori Garden Knife (+ a giveaway!)

This past week's Earth Day festivities, ongoing since the first Earth Day in 1970, are meant to call attention to our planet and to urge us to be kind to it. It is life-giving in that we derive our sustenance from it, either directly or indirectly. Did you do anything special to observe Earth Day?

Just a couple of days before, I had received a new tool in the mail to test. It was not only new to me, but new to the rest of the world as well, with it being officially introduced on Earth Day by Barebones. The Hori Hori knife is a multi-purpose tool that comes in handy in ways that might surprise you.

The Barebones Hori Hori Knife sells for $29.99 and is available online
and at Home Depot.

"Hori" means "to dig"
in Japanese

Having its origin in Japan, the Hori Hori knife as a tool is not new to me and I have owned one for several years. It's my go-to general purpose tool, especially in spring, when I'm doing such gardening tasks as weeding, trimming, small digging, etc. Many companies make a similar version of it.

So what makes the Barebones Hori Hori knife different or special from others?

Though I haven't had much time to put it to heavy use, right off the bat I noticed that this is a heavy-duty tool. It has some serious heft to it. The handle is made of sustainable bamboo and the blade is rust-resistant tempered steel, giving it exceptional strength. One edge is standard sharp blade - with a bottle opener and twine cutter! - and the opposite edge is serrated.

The steel at the base of the blade goes all the way through the handle to the bottom, where a one-inch solid piece makes it strong enough for pounding. (Why aren't more hand tools designed with this???)

One side of the blade is marked in inches, which can be a help
in measuring depth when planting bulbs.

I'll be using this over the next few months to see how it holds up under use by a gardener who is notorious for abusing her tools, but I don't really have any concerns that it won't. You can tell it's a high quality tool that has had some thought put into its design. It feels really good in your hands. If I could improve on the whole hori hori knife experience, I would suggest that Barebones provide a leather protective sheath for it that can be attached to the waistband of my jeans.

Listen to Robert Workman, founder of the Barebones Company that you may know for their outdoor lifestyle products, tell about the Barebones Hori Hori knife in this short video:





The Barebones company got its start four years ago with Workman's vision...

"At barebones, our products are designed to lift the poorest of poor while still being relevant to the richest of rich. Think about that for a moment. If we have products that will really do that, then those products are a great equalizer in lifting us all to a higher place. After all, we are all here on this earth together sharing a human experience.

We can offer reliable power, provide sustainable living shelters, and teach sustainable food growth to every human being on this earth without overwhelming our resources. There is enough for all."

A portion of the sales of Barebones products benefit TIFIE (Teaching Individuals and Families Independence through Enterprise) and Goal Zero. For more information about the Barebones company, their philanthropy, and their other products, visit their website here.

Want to win a Barebones Hori Hori knife?

How would you like a Hori Hori knife of your very own? Barebones has generously allowed me to give one away to one of you! All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post, telling me about your favorite garden hand tool, as well as fill out the Rafflecopter form below. In order to be entered into the giveaway, you need to do both things. It won't take you long at all.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway will end at midnight EDT next Sunday night, May 3, 2015, so make sure you enter by then. Good luck!

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Note:  I was given this tool by the Barebones Company to test in my own garden. I was encouraged to give an honest opinion of the tool, which any reputable company will do in order to get feedback for possible improvements on their product. As always, my opinions about any product I review are my own. I did not receive any compensation from the Barebones Company other than the tool I received for testing and will not receive any compensation from any purchases that come about as a result of my opinion about the tool.