Gardener's katana

brandoak said:
DONT!.........Just Dont.
Been doing the Japanese Sword "thing" now for almost 20 years. Its WAY to easy to catch an ankle or foot with an over-swing or miss. And Im not being one of those holier than thou sword nuts that go on and on about training ect ect bla-bla... Im serious! Dont do it! Your E.R. staff thanks you in advance!
I restore and "play" with Japanese swords and Ive seen and had way too many close calls and serious gashes .....some stuff Ive been working on...
just looking out for ya bro.....use the hedge trimmers:D:thumbsup:
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The Japanese swords are so attractive, now I have invented a good reason to buy one, how I can resist temptation. I am very competent axe user. So, I can very well handle over-swings and misses. But is a Katana more dangerous than an axe ?
 
It's always the folks who get overconfident with their blade skills that later get the nickname stumpy sam, nine-toes nick or four-finger Frank. Get the right tool for the job.
 
I trim our lawn by scythe. It is very enjoyable work. So, I think that it would also be a pleasure to trim our hedge by blade. Perhaps katana is not the best choice, but anyway I should find a blade. Electrical garden tools are boring and too noisy.
 
Juha Perttula said:
I trim our lawn by scythe. It is very enjoyable work. So, I think that it would also be a pleasure to trim our hedge by blade. Perhaps katana is not the best choice, but anyway I should find a blade. Electrical garden tools are boring and too noisy.
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The problem with a katana is that a cheap one is likely gonna feel like swinging a two-handed lead pipe and may cut about as well. :D

That said I fully endorse using a sword-like object to do yard work as long as it isn't a poor design that makes the work difficult, because frustrating = accidents.

If you really want to be cool, you could use a chainsaw:

 
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Juha Perttula said:
I trim our lawn by scythe. It is very enjoyable work. So, I think that it would also be a pleasure to trim our hedge by blade. Perhaps katana is not the best choice, but anyway I should find a blade. Electrical garden tools are boring and too noisy.
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Some of my favorite blades are SE Asian blades that are sort of like a sword and garden tool in one, like a dha. They are thin, light, springy and razor-ish. You could take a look at Thai and Burmese blades, you may appreciate them a lot if you like katanas.

Tt5Lm2H.jpg
 
The problem is that a katana really has crappy geometry for hedge trimming because that's not its intended context of use. A scythe is MADE for cutting grass. A katana is NOT made for cutting hedges. A machete or corn hook are intended for that kind of growth, and would perform much better.
 
Mecha said:
Some of my favorite blades are SE Asian blades that are sort of like a sword and garden tool in one, like a dha. They are thin, light, springy and razor-ish. You could take a look at Thai and Burmese blades, you may appreciate them a lot if you like katanas.

Tt5Lm2H.jpg
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Yes, dha looks good.
 
brandoak said:
....just make sure you wear a hockey mask and a trench coat...keeps the neighbors from asking to barrow tools.:D
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Unless, of course, it should happen that your neighbor frequents Bladeforums. In that case, you have chummed the water and the shark is circling.....
 
I trim my hedges with a 18" Tramontina machete. Looks good after I'm done, and it's also a good workout and precision swinging practice, but you have to be comfortable handling one. My edge trimmer is corded and jams too much; a machete is the simple, effective tool for me to get it done.
 
If it hasn’t been mentioned..... Hanwei Banshee is your sword but I would opt for some hedge clippers of electric trimmer.
 
Bimmer1 said:
If it hasn’t been mentioned..... Hanwei Banshee is your sword but I would opt for some hedge clippers of electric trimmer.
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That Banshee looks like a super cool blade. I would opt for something similar but much nicer and more traditionally made or handmade. Like as a random example maybe this one which strangely is exactly the same size as the Banshee:

PAr3euV.jpg


Or something even better, or even a very old one that's in fine shape.
 
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You seem set on a blade for this purpose. So be it.... Get a good thin machete like the 18" Condor El Salvador. Keep it very sharp.

For years, my next door neighbor would use a chopper type hedge trimmer and it would take him a good while and he was always proud of doing things the "old way". Last year I noticed he had a gas powered hedge trimmer... I visited and he matter of factly said I'm getting too old to do this by hand and it is so much easier this way. I just said... Yep.

About 10 years ago, my boss and I were chatting about yard work and I mentioned at that time that I did my trimming manually. He said.... Man, for $18-$20 you can get a cheap Black & Decker and they work pretty well. I did precisely what he suggested within a week.

Electric trimming yard tools are not noisy. The only way I would use a blade to do this work is if I had no other choice. I have other choices. I do a lot of my trimming on my "hedge" manually with a hand clippers. It is a thinning process and versus some sort of flat "haircut" with the electric hedge trimmer. But I do the general shaping with the electric trimmer. As I said earlier, if I was purchasing today, it would be a cordless 40v trimmer. I use a 40v weedeater for around the edges of my beds and it works very well. I tossed my old gas weedeater in the trash about two weeks ago. Always something wrong and I HATE fiddling with motors. Took about three yeas of hanging in my garage before I was willing to just toss it. Have a lawn mower that is headed for the same fate unless somebody wants to fix it.
 
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Brush sword or slimline machete if you are determined to use a blade. They will be very handy for other overgrown brush around the house. Honestly though, a henge trimmer is the best tool for the job. We have some here that we had to use a chainsaw, but they were around 20+ feet tall and THICK branches!
 
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