- Author: Erin Mahaney
As I've noted in a previous blog, the sign of a good garden tool is when my husband steals it from me repeatedly. The fact that he then bought a second one of the same tool, so that he could have both right- and left-handed versions is even more telling.
The Japanese weeding sickle, or nejiri gama, is a razor-sharp, lightweight, weeding sickle that is excellent for shallow weeding and slicing. It is sharply pointed on one end, which is useful for weeding in cracks, tight spaces, around the base of plants, and for digging out the bulbs of certain weeds. The sickle has a very sharp offset blade that can cut through grass and plant roots. The tool comes in different handle lengths — regular (approximately 13 inches), long (approximately 17 inches), and full length (e.g., 56 inches or so). It comes in right-handed and left-handed versions. There a variety to choose from and some boast ergonomic design, but we just use an inexpensive regular (short-handled) one that works just fine for us.
Did I mention that this tool is extremely sharp? It should not be left around children, where a pet could step on it, or any place someone might accidentally touch it without its protective case. We have been happily weeding away (well . . . ) and cut various thicknesses of irrigation tubing on several occasions without feeling any resistance.
As a lightweight, efficient, handheld weeding tool, the Japanese weeding sickle is a winner in our household!