JAPANESE HOE - NIWAKI
“A good hoeing is worth two waterings! »
The hoe helps aerate and loosen the soil, it allows air, earthworms and rain to do their work in decompacted soil. It promotes water penetration into the soil and reduces evaporation.
The hoe is also ideal for scraping, weeding, weeding and cutting the roots around your plants without damaging your crops.
Niwaki brings the best of Japanese know-how, for gardeners, chefs and artisans. Tools with a simple and effective design, created to last, renowned for their exceptional quality.
Handcrafted in Japan.
- Weight: 357g
- Dimensions: 397 x 60 x 150mm
- Birch handle
- Handcrafted in Japan
To extend their exceptional lifespan, the tools are pre-treated by NIWAKI: the metal parts are oiled and the wooden handles are waxed.
These protective layers will help prevent damage caused by rust and moisture.
To take care of your great tools, here are a few simple steps to follow:
- After use, wipe them down with a cloth and store them in a dry place if possible.
- Protect the steel with our Niwaki Camellia oil or another protective oil to prevent rust.
- Clean dirt and rust from the steel with our Niwaki Crean Mate rust eraser.
- Oil or wax the handle from time to time.
- For tools with a sharpened edge, sharpen them regularly with our Smith’s sharpening stone or a tool file.
- As with all our Japanese tools with natural handles, the wood expands and contracts, which may cause the head to loosen. Gently tap the wedge with a hammer to tighten the wood.
After studying sculpture in London, Jake Hobson went to Japan to investigate the Japanese relationship with nature and the environment around them.
Jake discovered that Japanese gardens were not just like gardens. They were mountains, rivers, rocks, trees, and waterfalls. It was everything he loved; these gardens told stories and referred to real landscapes in Japan.
Niwaki literally means "garden tree," it is the art of tree pruning, which is quite different from Bonsai because the roots are not pruned. But Niwaki is much more than that. It implies a philosophy—that of the landscape, of recreating unique microcosms, and the vision of a man and his bond with, understanding of, and learning from nature.
But all this was possible thanks to the use of tools that share the same philosophy, created slowly, simply, and by hand by local master blacksmiths with exceptional expertise.
For Jake Hobson, every tool has three crucial elements:
- a good material, primarily high-quality carbon steel
- a good design, generally as simple as possible
- good craftsmanship, passed down from generation to generation.
Japanese tools do not skimp on any of these elements: you feel the quality of the craftsmanship as soon as you hold them, they simply and perfectly do the job they were designed for, and they last, holding their edge for a long time, rewarding the user with years, decades, and even lifetimes of pleasure.