Gardeners Knives
8 Best Gardening Knives
Gardening involves cutting, lots and lot of cutting. In fact we do so much cutting, that we’ve given names to the different types- trimming, clipping, pruning, mowing, etcetera.
Sometimes we need high powered tools like a petrol chainsaw to chew their way through thick logs, however often all that’s needed for general upkeep is a decent gardening knife.
Inexpensive, Sharp, lightweight, and small enough to fit in your pocket, a good gardening knife can be a valuable and versatile tool. Let’s say you’re just giving your garden a quick look over and notice a wayward branch that is growing faster than the others, or maybe one you missed when you were trimming the hedge. It’s so much more convenient to pull your knife out and sort it out there and then rather than going to the shed or garage and dragging your other tools out.
Gardening knives is an umbrella term for a variety of models, such as pruning knives, edging knives, and other multipurpose garden knives. We have decided to group them all together here and review the best gardening knives, whatever the type, for you.
Read on and you will see that we have given our chosen products a nice little write up each, and also pointed out the features we thought would interest you. As with all our pages and products, we have supplied links for you to click on should you be interested in any of them, and would like to know more about them. Let’s get started with our first gardening knives review
1. Draper 67068 Slimline Pruning Knife
Draper 67068 Slimline Pruning Knife
Draper’s 67068 Slim line pruning knife can be purchased for £13.18 on Amazon. It’s a metallic style, no frills, but solidly built, folding garden knife. When closed up, the knife measures 10cm long and it weighs just over 40 grams so you can carry it comfortably in your pocket, or hang from your neck or belt with the attached 350mm lanyard. Even if you don’t hang the knife from the lanyard, it still makes it easier to find in your toolbox, The blade is about 3.5 inches long and has been made out of stainless steel to keep it rust free. You need to be careful when you use this knife as the blade is very sharp, but thankfully there is a locking mechanism that works really well. This is a pruning knife and so has the curved blade, but it can also be used for whittling and other gardening tasks.
- Good price
- Solid construction
- All metallic silver design looks great
- Folds away to 10cm and can easily be carried in the pocket
- Very sharp 3.5 inches stainless steel blade
- Good locking mechanism for keeping your fingers safe
- 350mm lanyard attached
2. Felco Budding Knife with Solid Brass Bark Opener
Felco Budding Knife with Solid Brass Bark Opener and Nylon Handle
Our next gardening knife review is of this Felco budding knife with solid brass bark opener. Felco are known for making excellent knives and this model is no exception. The 51mm Swiss victorinox blade is incredibly well made and super sharp. Its thin design is perfect for making very precise cuts. The bark opener is made from solid brass and measures 32mm. Both this and the blade fold away neatly into the handle which is made from eye catching red nylon with alloy lining. If you want a knife for budding / grafting then you can’t go far wrong with this one.
- Great all round horticultural knife. Especially good for grafting and budding
- Swiss Victorinox knife
- 51mm thin blade is super sharp for precise cutting
- 32mm solid brass bark opener
- Folds away neatly to fit in the pocket
- Nylon handle with alloy lining
3. WOLF-Garten KS2K Weeding/Planting Knife
WOLF-Garten KS2K Weeding/Planting Knife Fixed Hand Tool, Red, 39.2×2.96×2 cm
This is a great, low priced little tool for weeding in tighter spaces such as between paving and the lawn. It has a 6.5 inch blade made from cold rolled steel and ideally shaped for cutting out weeds and dandelion roots without causing too much damage to the surrounding plants and vegetation. The large handle has been ergonomically designed to sit comfortably in the hand, and the bright colour scheme will make it easy to find and harder to lose. The end of the handle is larger than the rest of it so you can place your palm on it to push into harder ground. At only 186 grams it is light enough to use all day without getting fatigued hands and wrists.
- Low price at only just over £7
- Designed specifically for getting rid of deep rooted weeds
- 6.5 inch cold rolled steel blade
- Large egonomic handle with larger end for pushing with your palm
- Bright colour scheme makes this tool easy to find
- lightweight
4. ExtriBay 3-Pcs Garden Multipurpose Gardening Trowel
ExtriBay 3-Pcs Garden Multipurpose Gardening Trowel
For £20 you can buy this 3 piece set from ExtriBay that comprises of a multipurpose gardening knife, leather sheath, and a whetstone. The knife is, of course, the thing we are most interested in, and it has been made with the idea of having ‘one tool that does it all’. This knife is basically a trowel but with some extra features. For example the full tang blade is serrated on one of the edges for some light sawing of stems and small twigs, while on the other side there is a flat cutting edge. The end of the 7 inch stainless steel blade is pointed for digging and there are measurement markers in millimeters and inches on the flat of it to show you how deep a hole you’ve made or for measuring soil depths. The blade is secured to a good quality wooden handle by three solid metal rivets, and being ‘full tang’ you know that beneath that wood is solid steel. Good quality also describes the leather sheath that comes with this knife and the whetstone, although only key-ring size, will sharpen up the blade if used properly. This product comes with a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects.
- High quality for only £20
- Multipurpose knife for digging, cutting, sawing, weeding, and more.
- 7 inch stainless steel blade is rust and corrosion resistant and has both straight and serrated edges
- ‘Full tang’ blade and handle
- Wooden handle is secured by metal rivets
- Measurement markers on the flat of the blade
- Free leather sheath and small whetstone
5. Spear & Jackson Kew Gardens Razorsharp 7946KEW Folding Garden Knife
Spear & Jackson Kew Gardens Razorsharp 7946KEW Folding Garden Knife
Spear & Jackson have teamed up with the horticultural experts at Kew gardens to develop this folding garden knife, so it is an officially licensed product and it can be yours for under £16. It has an 84mm curved, stainless steel blade that wasn’t as sharp as I’d liked on arrival but after a little while with the whetstone it sharpened up nicely. This knife can be used for various garden tasks such as light duty pruning, dead heading, opening bags, and anything else you can think of. The wooden handle has been weatherproofed to increase the tool’s longevity and the blade folds neatly away into it. The end of the handle is a little wider than the top and it makes it fit in the hand better. Overall quality of the knife is very good, and it feels sturdy enough to last a while. At only 10cm long when fully opened it is a good tool for getting into tight spaces.
- Officially licensed by the Kew gardens experts
- Well-made and sturdy knife
- Stainless steel blade won’t rust
- 84mm curved blade
- Compact and good for working in tight spaces
- Handle fits nicely in the hand
6. Spear & Jackson Elements Daisy Grubber
Spear & Jackson Elements Daisy Grubber
Yours for only £4.99 from Amazon, the best-selling, Spear & Jackson Elements Daisy Grubber is a must for getting rid of daisies, buttercups, dandelions, and other weeds. This is a much more environmentally friendly way to get rid of weeds than using weed killer, and it is actually pretty satisfying doing it by hand. The makers know that you’ll be doing a lot of digging with this tool, and so they have epoxy coated the head to make it resistant to soil alkalis, rust, corrosion, and humidity. The coating will also help to prevent it getting scratched up to easily. For extra strength, durability and longevity, the tool’s head was made out of heat treated, carbon steel, and the wooden handle wasn’t left out in the weatherproofing process either and has been coated with a clear lacquer. This hard wearing little weeding tool is excellent value for money and I would whole heartedly recommend it.
- Excellent weeding tool for under £5
- Heat treated carbon steel head won’t be bending on you anytime soon
- Epoxy coated to resist humidity, alkalis in the soil, rust and corrosion
- Lacquered wooden handle is weatherproof
- Measures 28.5 x 3.5 x 4 cm and weighs only 150 grams
7. Davaon Pro Pruning Saw
Davaon have done it again, bringing us a top quality gardening product at a very affordable price of £12.99. Ideal for sawing through small to medium sized branches, this pruning saw has a 7 inch blade made from top quality SK5 carbon steel that has been heat treated to ensure hardness and a sharp edge. Friction reduction and smoothness have been improved with the blades special coating. The blade has the brilliant ability of being able to be adjusted and locked into multiple positions making cutting oddly angle branches so much easier, and reduces the risk of straining the wrist. The super sharp (7 Tpi), triple cut blades will have you pruning even the thickest branches in your garden with ease, and in double quick time too. This handheld saw has been designed to cut on the pulling motion rather than the push for extra safety. The handle is non-slip thanks to groves etched into it and the TPR soft grip material makes it more comfortable to hold than standard plastic. The rounded space to rest your thumb on the back of the handle is a very nice idea, as is the eyelet on the bottom that you can use to attach the tool to your belt or to hang up in the shed. All the plastic components are made of heavy duty materials and built to last. Davaon are offering a money back non-satisfaction guarantee on this product.
- Great value for money at £12.99
- Very popular product, receiving praise from many customers
- SK5 high carbon steel blade, heat treated for hardness
- Coated blade for friction reduction and a smooth cutting motion
- Super sharp triple cut blades on the saw edge
- Non-slip, TPR soft grip handle with thumb rest and eyelet for securing the tool
- Money back non-satisfaction guarantee
8. Draper 24935 Carbon Steel Hand Patio Weeder
Draper 24935 Carbon Steel Hand Patio Weeder with Ash Handle – Brown
If you’ve got a patio, you’ll no doubt be looking for something to get rid of the weeds and moss that grows between the slabs. Sure, you can use weed killer, but a safer and ‘greener’ alternative is to use a patio knife like this one from Draper. The blade on arrival isn’t that sharp but as it’s made from carbon steel and tempered with plated ferrule, it’s very easy to get a good edge on it. The head has been epoxy coated to make it resistant to the elements and to stop damage from rust, humidity, soil alkali, and corrosion. Blisters aren’t a worry thanks to the comfortable wooden handle made from lacquer treated ash. The handle has a wrist strap attached which I thought was a nice touch, as it’s so easy to drop and misplace garden tools. The Draper Carbon Steel Hand Patio Weeder is 28cm long and weighs 163 grams. The blade is a little thicker than some other similar products and might not fit between very tightly fit together patio slabs. That being said, you can also use this knife to weed gravel driveways too.
- Great for weeding Patios and gravel driveways
- Carbon steel, tempered with plated ferrule makes the head very strong
- Epoxy coated to resist the elements
- Comfortable wooden handle made from lacquer treated ash
- Wrist strap on handle