What Hori Hori Trowel Knife should I buy? Stainless Steel v Carbon Steel

Stainless Steel or Carbon Steel Hori Hori Knife?

You may not be aware, but Japeto supplies Hori trowel knives in either carbon steel, such as the Japanese Hori Hori Trowel Knife or in Stainless Steel such as the Hori Hori Knife Deluxe & Leather holster.
Many gardeners have the dilemma of which type of Hori Hori trowel knife to select! The answer really lies in the individual and how you will use the garden tool.

Lets just break it down into the main advantages and disadvantages for both!

Carbon Steel Hori Knife – Advantages

• Many Japanese garden tools are made from carbon steel. Carbon steel is a combination of iron and carbon and is a sharp and robust material perfect for garden products.

• It is easier to sharpen! Quite simply the metal can be manipulated easier for sharpening. It can be sharpened to a very fine, sharp edge making it an ideal choice for cutting or slicing

• Aesthetics and tradition. Some gardeners care greatly about this and if you want a more traditional type garden tool carbon steel has been used for hundreds of years whereas stainless steel is a comparatively newer material.

Carbon Steel Hori Knife – Disadvantages

• One of the big differences between stainless steel garden tools and carbon steel garden tools is the susceptibility of carbon steel to rust. Carbon steel Hori Hori knives are therefore more likely to rust particularly if exposed to wet or humid conditions.

• As a result of the above carbon steel Hori Hori Trowels require more maintenance! Ideally carbon steel garden tools should be washed, dried and then oiled after each and every use.

• A more robust look! This might be an advantage for some, but carbon steel really does not polish up and shine in the same way that stainless steel does.

Stainless Steel Hori Hori Knives – Advantages

• Stainless Steel is very resistant to rust and corrosion.

• Stainless steel Hori trowels just don’t need as much upkeep as carbon steel Hori knives. The reason for this is basically due to their resistance to oxidization. You can get them wet, throw them in the shed and they will retain their shine!

Stainless Steel Hori Kinves – Disadvantages

• It is hard to achieve a sharp edge through sharpening stainless steel and even harder to retain the edge!

• Sometimes stainless steel is not as strong as carbon steel. Obviously it depends on the gardeners use, but some stainless steel alloys are not as durable as carbon steel

In conclusion there is no definitive answer! One can say that if you are a gardener with perhaps more time on your hands to maintain your tools and you like to keep edges sharp and have a preference for tradition then carbon steel may be the way to go. Equally if you want a hori knife that is ‘low admin’, does not rust and is durable in all aspects of use then a stainless steel Hori Knife is probably for you!

At Japeto we offer both options…so if its carbon steel you want check out the Japanese Hori Hori Trowel Knife

If you think stainless steel would suit you better have a look at the Hori Hori Knife Deluxe & Leather Holster