Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: ChrisB on January 20, 2013, 08:59:34 PM
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Our talk last Thursday was by Robert Unwin, from RBGE. His talk was about his plant hunting trip to USA last year. During the talk he showed a picture of a 'soil knife' which looked like a particularly useful tool for me. Afterwards I spoke to him and he told me it was made by A M Leonard, and was available on amazon.com as well as direct from the company. I have looked all over to no avail, and when I tried to order from amazon.com it said it couldn't send it to me as I was ineligible because I'm overseas. If anyone knows of a way I can obain this here in the UK I'd be delighted to know more. It sure is a useful thing....
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Chris I have one of these which is very similar
http://www.rutlands.co.uk/garden-tools/garden-knives/garden-knives---japanese/JP1259/japanese-planting-knife---230mm (http://www.rutlands.co.uk/garden-tools/garden-knives/garden-knives---japanese/JP1259/japanese-planting-knife---230mm)
they also do a 300mm one
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Chris, Amazon.uk has a 'soil saw' but I can't tell how similar it is to the knife you have seen.
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Sod knives are fairly common in the landscape business here. The Japanese planting knife isn't it at all. Try searching "turf knife". If I am not mistaken, this is what your looking for:
http://www.sprinklersupplystore.com/Dawn-Turf-Knife-p/tk300.htm?gdftrk=gdfV22401_a_7c1441_a_7c6793_a_7cTK300 (http://www.sprinklersupplystore.com/Dawn-Turf-Knife-p/tk300.htm?gdftrk=gdfV22401_a_7c1441_a_7c6793_a_7cTK300)
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I was browsing Amazon.com out of curiosity and checked one expensive knife. There is quite a variety of different sod cutting knives. I noticed that people who bought that item also bought tins of Heinz beans! ::)
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Neil, that looks a lot like the one Robert showed me. He said the first time he used the Japanese version, it bent, and it doesn't look like it would when you see how robust it is. So he said that the other one was what I should try to seek out. The sod knife, Rick, isn't quite the same, being curved. The soil knife looks like the one Neil has linked to. I may get the Japanese version and give it a go, I'm probably not quite as strong as Robert anyway ;D
Anthony, you gave me my morning smile....
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There are two vendors on Ebay (UK) who claim to sell the A M Leonard soil knife:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-M-LEONARD-soil-knife-4752-/160954327662 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-M-LEONARD-soil-knife-4752-/160954327662)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M-LEONARD-SOIL-KNIFE-NEW-BLADE-SHEATH-NEW-/160457206797 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M-LEONARD-SOIL-KNIFE-NEW-BLADE-SHEATH-NEW-/160457206797)
But both are US vendors who say they cannot post to the UK.
This is the knife listed on the A M Leonard web site http://www.amleo.com/Leonard-Soil-Knife/p/4752/ (http://www.amleo.com/Leonard-Soil-Knife/p/4752/) but it does not look as if they have considered the UK export market for their products. It might be worth contacting the company directly.
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I'm using since several year a Japanese planting knife. It is one of my most important tools. Perhaps you find more if you are looking for "hori-hori".
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I use our old bread knife seems to work OK.
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I bought one last year and now wouldnt be without it . Website for them. they are based in the Uk
http://www.niwaki.com/store/hori-hori/ (http://www.niwaki.com/store/hori-hori/)
I would also recommend their Topiary Clippers.
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I've traditionally used bread knives David, but they don't have a point, and old serrated carving knives which do - but go dull very quickly. These tools are built for the kind of punishment I will give them so I'm hoping to have one eventually..... Have to say, the Hori Hori looks equally good, and I may have to invest in one of those too....
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Loads of links for you Chris
here's another and the original http://www.amleo.com/Leonard-Soil-Knife/p/4752/ (http://www.amleo.com/Leonard-Soil-Knife/p/4752/)
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Reading through all I see Alan got there first. I'd bet one of out contact in USA would put one in the post for you.
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You're betting on a winner too Mark.... I've got my fingers crossed now. If I get it, I'll post a pic here so you can all see it. Course, right now I wouldn't be able to use if for anything except building an igloo, but it will all melt to reveal my snowdrops and cyclamen coum soon....
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Chris
You really have to apply some pressure on this one to make it bend.
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Oops! My apologies for leading astray. Chris, I read "hooked" when you actually wrote "looked"!
I really think our "embarrassed" emoticon should have a red face. :-[
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No worries Rick.....
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Our version of a soil knife is seen below. It has an offset handle which contributes to its strength. The edge is not really sharp, though I suppose it could be honed if we wanted it sharper. I don't use the serrated edge much either. However, it is a tool that I can't live without, and I don't know how I ever managed before we got it. It fits in a sheath, and I belt it on first thing every day throughout our gardening season. We have a heavy clay soil, and it cuts into it easily. We have had it for at least 6 years and it will outlast me.
It is not a Leonard - the manufacturer's imprint is Hunt Wilde. The Leonard Lesche soil knife at this link looks identical:
http://www.amleo.com/lesche-soil-knife-with-sheath/p/DT1/ (http://www.amleo.com/lesche-soil-knife-with-sheath/p/DT1/)
Sharon
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Lee Valley sells them here in Canada, do I dare to take one with me for you to the Czech convention ???
Let me know if you can't get one.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?c=&p=10504&cat=2,51810&ap=1 (http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?c=&p=10504&cat=2,51810&ap=1)
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You should be able to take one in your checked in luggage. In 1983 I bought a machete (for jungle work) at Papine market in Jamaica. It cost me £2.50. I brought it home with me and used it occasionally when bushy weeds frustrated me. On my return home I noted that the Griffin and George catalogue used by schools in the UK had the very same one, which was made in Birmingham, for £8.50! I took it to Trinidad in 2007, but donated it to the family with whom I was staying.
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...It is not a Leonard - the manufacturer's imprint is Hunt Wilde....
Hunt Wilde appear to make handle grips http://www.shopwiki.com/l/Grips-Hunt-Wilde-7 (http://www.shopwiki.com/l/Grips-Hunt-Wilde-7) but possibly did not make the actual knife.
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All most interesting to me. I've now been offered the one I originally wanted and it is to be obtained and shipped to me by a very kind forumist, and I am so grateful. It's great to see the variety of tools such as these, ones I've not really seen in garden centres here though the hori hori knife is available by mail order on line. So I'm going to stick with the one that's going to come to me but I will tell others in our group, quite a few of them interested in getting one and they can decide if they want to order one. That one from Canada also looks very interesting, and I'll keep it in mind in case this one doesn't work out, but I feel sure it will! Thanks everyone for your input, its great to get this sort of support. Love this forum....
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Hi Chris,
how extraordinary, I have always wanted one of these but, as mentioned already, the seller is unwilling to ship to the UK. None of the substitutes look quite as good as the original. Pity. :(