Real-Edge Saw Sickle

First of all the seller needs to explain why there are two sickles with different prices. The cheaper sickle, which is at the moment $9.99, has a thin blade. The more expensive sickle has a thick blade. It is a shame to see that some people are giving this poor reviews because the blade will bend or chip. This blade is made of a very high carbon steel, and it is hardened to a very high degree. This makes the steel brittle, but it also allows it to hold an extraordinarily sharp edge. If you hit a rock, or you hit a curb while weeding, it is going to break a small piece out of the edge and you can easily take the tips off as well. This is why it is such a cheap tool. It is actually meant to be somewhat disposable. You can put it on a bench grinder and bring the edge back, but the blade is so thin that you will only make it through a few years of regular use before needing to replace the tool. I have never used one of these tools and would compare it to a Mattoc, only this tool is very light, and you use it sideways. It has an extremely sharp blade and you can use it to surgically remove weeds from a bed covered with groundcover. I really enjoy using this tool when a Weedwhacker will not suffice. You use your wrist muscle primarily and you are going to have to be on your knees to navigate low areas because the handle is not very long. It is very much a precision surgical tool, and it easily cuts through saplings and thick roots. It choose through any dandelion in its path as well. I really enjoy this tool and I hope that anyone who reads this can understand that it’s meant to be replaceable which is why it is so cheap. The steel chipping in breaking and bending is not a representation of poor manufacturing quality. It is the characteristic of the steel. The steel is supposed to behave this way, if you’re careful, it will stay sharp and will not chip. You also need to understand that carbon steel is not stainless steel and it will rust very easily. You need to take oil on a rag old, lawnmower, oil, for example, and wipe down the blade after each use. If that is not your cup of tea, look for a tool similar to this one made from stainless steel. Stainless steel will never produce an edge as sharp as carbon steel, not even remotely, but it does not rust, which I think is why it is very popular in traditional American tools, there is less maintenance required with stainless steel. I have not tried the thicker version of this tool yet. I would assume that it has a bit more weight and momentum for swinging. Overall, if you are a fan of Japanese tools, which work a bit different than your typical English tool this is a very interesting one to add to your collection. It’s not expensive and it does an extremely good job of removing weeds. The only thing I wish they included with this is a protective cover because you could easily cut yourself if you put this in a spot where you cannot see the blade and accidentally reach in to grab something and get too close. I personally cut a little piece of garden hose, and used that to protect the edge, more so from myself..

I just speed sickled and liberated three very young spruce trees from an invading jungle of crack grass, rag weed, poison ivy, sedge grass, and other tenacious weeds. It would have cost at least four times the cost of this tool for the same job if I called the landscaper in to do it. And it would not been done any more quickly or thoroughly than it took me to do it with this sickle. This tool can be used to do traditional sickling of tall grass, weeds, or even crop residue removal in the vegetable garden. But it shines removing that nemesis of the July garden — crab and crack grass. It can be used vertically to slice through roots and then horizontally to completely slice them off and lifted out in the same motion. I used it in relatively soft ground very easily and it works as well on harder surfaces. Very pleased with the ease of use of the Brown 5 Weeding sickle. Got all three young shrubs clear and mulched before the sun reached me and it got too hot, far more quickly than I expected. I've used Asian weeding tools for well over twenty years. This one is nicely made, just the right size for me. I'm 5'4" 72 year old female with a small hand. And yes, it feels great to demolish and conquer! P.S. ANY good garden tool needs sharpening — even an old fashioned full size “hilling hoe.” No yammering take care of your tools! You may want to watch a few YouTube videos and invest in a whetstone and diamond file.

The tool although light, is very sharp. Careful swinging it! I took a photo of a plant called a knotweed. They can grow over six feet tall, and the roots may have to be dug out with a shovel if they get this large. You can see the plant before I did anything to it, and it's relatively small. I took one swipe with this tool and the top came right off. I did this to give you an idea of how sharp this tool is. I later dug it our with this tool. I'm not going so far as to say that this makes weeding fun, but once I started digging around smaller weeds like crabgrass, I found it easy to dig in the dirt and then pull the weed up and out so I can throw it away and did much more weeding on a hot day then I expected to. The tool works very well, is light and I found it easy to use. Some may feel it's too short since you do have to bend down or knell on the ground to use it, but if was longer it might be harder to dig/pull the weeds out. I did buy a sharpening stone to keep the blade as sharp as possible, but haven't used it yet. I'll sharpen this after a few more uses, but so far it's exceeded my expectations!

This is an ultralight sickle -- thin, sharp, serrated blade -- for light, non-woody bush cutting and clearing. I used it successfully to cut swaths of herbs -- thyme, rosemary, and mint bushes -- that needed severe pruning because they had become overgrown and infested with spider-mites. The blade serration is fine and well engineered, but I wonder whether it is necessary. Would not a smooth, non-serrated blade cut just as effectively and show less tendency to stick and saw on the bush stems? This is why I gave it four stars instead of five for ease of use. Nevertheless, the Hounenkihan delivers on its marketing promise.

Amazing tool! Bought it because it was one of the cheapest ones that would arrive in a day versus a week. It's lightweight and your hand does not tire from holding and using it for extended periods of time. I spent about two hours in the yard and it was super easy to use. Cut through just about anything! Grass, clover, weeds, thin dead rose bush branches, etc. It may take a minute or two to get the hang of it, but if you've ever used a sickle or a scythe before you'll have no issues using the tool immediately. For the price and the quality, this took is amazing. The plastic storing case / sheath it comes in is not very durable, so I would recommend trying to find an alternate case or storing this somewhere where someone can't accidentally grab the blade, as it's sharp. Overall 10 out of 10. I would buy another immediately if this one ever broke. I also plan to buy more to gift for anyone in my life that gardens or does yard work. It's a very nifty tool.

Excellent quality and sharpness, have bought 2 in a row already. Would highly recommend

I strongly advise gardeners in North America to adopt some Japanese gardening practices. Three simple tools make garden tasks so much easier. This one works for cutting off plants below the surface, at the roots, which is a far less disruptive way to weed a bed.

This is a perfect tool. I helped to lay flagstones to create a patio, and it's so easy to move the sand or crushed granite around before setting the flagstones in their perfect positions. It's also a wonderful surface weeder that acts like a weeding hoe, but allows one to get closer to the ground to give more pressure on the blade for more deeply-rooted weeds. I've been using this type of Japanese sickle for at least a couple of decades, and I can't garden without this tool in my garden tool stash. There is a Japanese garden tool known as a "kama sickle," and it's truly the best for weeding or cutting back perennials. I won't garden without it! Go and search for it. It's sold on Amazon. I have given my adult kids their own kama sickles. The handles come in at least two lengths, and I find the 12" handle length to be the more versatile because the blade is longer than the 6" handled kama sickle. Once you try the kama sickle, you'll start to put your other hand tools in the back of your garden shed. The kama sickle has a serrated blade edge. Be sure to always wash dirt off your blades and other metal garden tools that come in contact with soil to prevent rusting. Dry them before storing.