In addition to being an essential garden tool, a sharp-bladed hoe is a mood elevator. This phenomenon was first documented in the 19th century by a restless Ralph Waldo Emerson, who when confined indoors felt a strong urge to run for the woods to live with the squirrels.
But hand the man a garden tool and point him toward a weedy patch, and Emerson’s mood brightened immediately: “My good hoe, as it bites the ground, revenges my wrongs, and I have less lust to bite my enemies,” he wrote. “By smoothing the rough hillocks, I smooth my temper.”
In that spirit, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite hand hoes with the hope that you, like Emerson, may this suddenly “hear the bobolink’s song and see the blessed deluge of light and color that rolls around me.”
Above: From Japan, a 13-inch-long Weeding Hoe has a pine handle and a carbon steel blade. Specify either a left-hand and right-hand hoe when ordering; £15 from Niwaki (plus £10 Fed Ex shipping to the US). Above: Umtech’s Japanese Garden Triangle Hoe has a stainless steel blade and measures 15.5 inches long. It is $28.50 from eBay. Above: Made in Bozeman, Montana, a Pointed Garden Hoe from Fisher Blacksmithing is made with hand-forged metal set into a black walnut handle; $58. Above: A Japanese Sickel Hoe with a carbon steel blade and either a left- or right-handed grip is €27.50 from Manufactum. Above: From Austria and with a pointed carbon steel blade for planting, a Setzhaeundl Hoe is €29.50 from Manufactum. Above: From Barebones, a Precision Hand Hoe made of heat-treated stainless steel, bamboo, and leather is $19.95 from Gardeners Supply. Above: Burgon and Ball’s Razor Hoe is made in the UK and has a tempered stainless steel head; £13 from Hortus. Above: A Japanese Half Moon Hand Hoe has a carbon steel blade that is under 5 inches wide (“great for weeding in those tight spaces like between plantings”) and is $20.80 from Garden Tool Company. Above: A Barebones Square Hand Hoe has a heavy-duty blade to cut through roots. It is $19.95 from Gardener’s Supply. Above: A Japan-made Garden Landscaping Triangle Hoe by Asaka has a steel blade and wood handle and is $21.50 from Amazon. For more essential garden tools, see:
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