Good horticulture knife?

D

davide

Joined
Apr 5, 2009
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Does anyone have suggestions on a gardening/pruning knife that could also be used as a daily carry /chore knife?
 
As far back as the 1910s-1920s, Schrade Cutlery Co made a knife that served your purpose. Case made one a while back also. The French Ivory - knife 2 - is the Schrade version from after WWII, and the Slick Black ca. 1950s-1960s is a Case version - knife 3. Don't know what the modern equivalent would be; an equal end at 3 5/8"-3 3/4" is considered pocketable, yet has a good amount of handle to grip.
BudandGrafts-1.jpg


There's a lot to be said for carrying a slim, single backspring knife also. A feat of engineering with a great result!
 
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Aside from the Case-Bose version (which is a beauty), I believe Case recently came out with a new production pruning knife in the past few months.

Not much of a horticulturist myself though I'm great with my porch ferns. ;)
 
Victorinox makes a few if you don't mind stainless steel and red plastic.

Opinel is also a good option.

(English) Sheffield also makes a few with carbon steel, and rosewood, horn, or stag handles. I don't know how modern quality compares to yesteryear.
 
Depending on your preferences for style, handle material, manufacturer you have quite a number of choices:

Opinel Pruning knife No 8.

Utica pruning knife, from the Workman Series suggested yesterday by Shecky in another thread on the Traditional Forum.

Case Hawkbill Pruner, smaller than the Utica and without shackle.

Rough Rider Chinese made cheap hawkbill/pruner.

Boker also has a very nice, jigged bone handled hawkbill (made in China?).



Not really pruning knives in the strict sense, but could be used for that and as an EDC too:

Opinel Garden Knife (couteau de jardin) No 8, a spear point, slim handle opinel liked by many on this forum.

Victorinox Gardener, also suggested yesterday by Shecky in that thread:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=753702

"Schrade brand" (made in China) Florist Knife.


I personally think that hawkbills are too specialized to be useful for a wide range of chores. They excel at pruning, cutting carpet, leather, opening boxes, slicing thin cylindrical objects, but IMHO are less useful for peeling, slicing larger things, whittling, which are all aided by a belly on the blade.

From all hawkbills listed above I personally like the Boker one the best because it has the least extreme hawkbill.
Of course, this is just my opinion and I have been wrong too many times.;)

Good luck with your choice! The search for that "perfect" knife is half the fun!:)
 
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Folks, let's please refrain from providing vendor links where possible and provide images or information about the knives instead. This will go a long way toward keeping us more grounded within the forums' Terms Of Service. Thank you.
 
Sorry for breaking the rules. I wasn't trying to spam, I am not connected to any of the vendors I gave link to in my original post.

I should read those terms more frequently.
They must have changed since I joined about 10 years ago, or I have forgotten them.

Thank you for not banning me, I did not realize I was breaking the rules.
:confused::confused:
I know, ignorance is poor excuse, but that is the truth. :foot:
 
littleknife said:
Sorry for breaking the rules. I wasn't trying to spam, I am not connected to any of the vendors I gave link to in my original post.

I should read those terms more frequently.
They must have changed since I joined about 10 years ago, or I have forgotten them.

Thank you for not banning me, I did not realize I was breaking the rules.
:confused::confused:
I know, ignorance is poor excuse, but that is the truth. :foot:
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Whoa!!!, hold on there littleknife...you're not being singled out and believe me it wasn't that big a deal. Please don't be so hard on yourself or think that anyone is upset with you.

You weren't close to being infracted or banned. We just want to keep things running smoothly and have fun while respecting Spark's rules for the overall site. (Don't forget, though he doesn't self-promote on the site, Spark does run a retail knife business and oftentimes sells the very knives we post links to. I don't say this as an endorsement, just a statement of fact. Even our "Dealer" members can only post ads in the commercial areas of the site.)

Now, please, have a beer on me, relax and enjoy the forum. :cool:
 
Rough Rider Chinese made cheap hawkbill/pruner.
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I've got a couple of these and they are very good for the price.
Not really an ideal EDC but it's surprising what you can do with the big
old hawkbill if it's all you have on you. I use it mostly at work.
I've got the yellow delrin type. They are nice and easy to open too. :thumbup:
 
Thanks, Elliott!:thumbup::thumbup::)

Since then I have read the Terms Of Service and I felt a relief when realized I wasn't committing capital offense after all.

I did not think at all I was singled out or treated unfairly, I was just (and am still) embarrassed.:foot:

Thank you again for your kindness. This is just another example why do I like this place so much!

Now for that beer... I raise my glass to you Sir and all the fellow traditional forumites wishing you all the best!!!
 
It's probably a little small, but the GEC EZ open with the sheepsfoot blade might work.
 
Schatt & Morgan have two Horticulture knives

2007 Series 3 3/5"

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2008 Series 3 3/5"
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When you ask for a Horticulture knife are you asking for a Hawkbill pruner?
If so look for a linesman cable splitting knife

Also look at some English gardening knives
They have deep and more shallow hawkbills called pruner and peach pruner
 
I do a lot of gardening, and my preferred knife in the garden is a Trapper. I've got several I rotate for duty in the garden. I use it mostly for picking vegetables like squash, zucchini, tomatoes, okra......etc. Sometimes it comes in handy for cutting the mule tape I use to work with in the garden. And, they are great for slicing a tomato or cucumber for a quick snack while I'm working.

I've found the 4 1/8" trapper to be the perfect size for slicing cucumbers for pickles. It's just about the only knife I'll use for the task now day's.

IMG_4881.jpg
 
Tasty load of pickles there:thumbup:

I'm interested by your recommendation of a Trapper too, a CASE Mini Wharncliffe Traper might also come in handy for gardening tasks.I find that having a Sheepfoot or Wharncliffe blade is useful in harvesting tasks. I often use a CASE Medium Stockman in Chestnut Bone as the pen blade is good for cutting tight knots or bindings that have become too small around branches,stakes etc.

Just got a GEC Half Congress and this has a Sheepfoot and Pen on a single spring,very useful around the glasshouse so far,slips in the pocket. Small Sodbuster makes a good general knife about the orchard too:thumbup:
 
I like the larger, full sized, trapper because it fits so well in my hands. When I'm picking vegetables and have my hands off into the leaves and branches of a plant it helps me to have full control over my knife so I don't cut anything accidentally. The smaller mini was a little to hard for me to reach vegetables with, and a little to hard to control because it was real small in my hand. So, that's why I've stuck with my trappers.

I'll tell you also that the spay blade on the trapper is real handy when I'm picking vegetables because I don't have the tip cutting into the plant or un ripe vegetables accidently. I really like the spay blade for that. Plus, I don't accidently poke my own stubby fingers while there in there picking.
 
I gave my Dad an opinel No.10 puner, he sayss it "works good". That's about as excited as he will get.

A Wright & Sons & littlemeisters(T.Ablett) both make single & double bladed
Ettrick, a scottish pattern, with peach pruner blade or lambsfoot.
Fontenille pataud make a fancier "mushroom collector" model with 3" hawkbill blade.
Good luck with the hunt.
mitch
 
mitch13 said:
I gave my Dad an opinel No.10 puner, he sayss it "works good". That's about as excited as he will get.

A Wright & Sons & littlemeisters(T.Ablett) both make single & double bladed
Ettrick, a scottish pattern, with peach pruner blade or lambsfoot.
Fontenille pataud make a fancier "mushroom collector" model with 3" hawkbill blade.
Good luck with the hunt.
mitch
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I had a Littlemeisters(T.Ablett) Ettrick, a scottish pattern, with peach pruner blade and a lambsfoot in rosewood with double brass bolsters.

I gave it to a landscaper/gardener friend of mine for the 1K giveaway

A solid working knife.....with alot of 'character'
 
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