Japan Nejiri Gama Hoe New

Good design for weeding and cultivating flower beds. Well made. Purchased as a gift.

This little hand hoe is great. I’ve had one in the past and it “disappeared” last summer. I have raised vegetable/herb beds and it is so easy to maneuver around my plants with this to remove weeds. This is one of my favorite garden tools. Also, I’ve seen this same tool priced MUCH higher. This is a deal.Note: These come specifically for the right or left hand so be sure you get the right one for yourself.

I have used one of these for years. It makes weeding so much easier especially if you are just trying to scrape off the surface plants which works very well. Very sturdy

Sharp and very useful

Weeding is not fun under any circumstances but the Gama makes it as easy as can be expected, quick as well. It is also a great cultivator, furrow maker etc. if I go into the garden or yard this is the one tool I always take. The idea is to draw the cutting edge at a shallow angle toward you and cut the weed roots just under the soil surface. I suggest carrying a hone along as well because the blade needs to be sharp for the Gama to be used effectively. The tool is shaped to be pulled, not hacked or chopped with. As long as the user uses it properly its the easiest weeder and cultivator ever. It is surprising effective in hard, clay soil as it is in softer yard soils and planter mixes. The tip can be used to make furrows and there are four handy dimensions for seed and row spacing. The only issue I've had was a broken weld that attaches the blade to the tang after a lot of very hard use. It's easy to re-weld. If not used like a hatchet the weld should hold up forever.

I ordered this to replace another Japanese farmer's hand hoe which had gotten lost. The blade is sharp and properly angled, and it works, but the handle is uncomfortably short. I cannot recommend this tool highly enough, but perhaps not this iteration of it. Look for a version, maybe a bit more expensive, with a slightly longer blade and a considerably longer handle.

Purchased a similar type hand-held hoe from a garden supply catalogue for twice as much three years ago. (Actually, I purchased two, one for myself, one for the husband.) We have a wicked large garden in upstate New York, so they were used - hard - in our rocky soil on nearly a daily basis during the warm season. After two years of use, the blade fell off. We had a welder repair it (for $8). The following year it happened again. While I am a large advocate of recycle, reduce, re-use, I did not wish to repeat the experience. I see others have had similar issues with this hoe. Possibly every manufacture may need to tighten up the welding where the blade meets the handle.Hoe #1 is $24 (and change) and lasts two years, then needs an $8 adjustment. Hoe #2 costs $10. Even if it lasts just one year before an adjustment is needed, it's still no worse than the first. So...no major difference.As mentioned, this tool is quite similar to the ones I previously purchased. The sharp blade makes easy work of pulling out weeds and unwelcomed plants. The wooden handle is hefty enough to prevent hand fatigue. By far my most used and beloved garden tool.

This tool is great. You can use it as a hoe, for weeding around your good plants, for planting seeds. No need for lots of fancy hand tools for your garden. Just get one of these. I have 3 of them for different locations.