Tool Care Guide

Keeping carbon steel rust-free

Our pruners, hori hori knives and saws are forged from carbon steel rather than stainless — it holds a sharper edge for longer, but it will rust if left wet or stored outside. This isn't a fault covered under warranty; it's normal behaviour for the material, and it's easy to prevent.

Leaving carbon steel tools outside, or storing them wet, will cause them to rust. Rust from lack of care or exposure to the elements is not a manufacturing fault and isn't covered by our returns policy or consumer guarantees.

Wipe the blade dry after every use, especially after cutting wet growth.
Store indoors, or somewhere covered and dry — not left outside in a shed with no protection from rain.
Rub a light coat of camellia oil or general tool oil over the blade before long-term storage, such as over winter.
If light surface rust does appear, it can usually be worked off with fine steel wool or a rust eraser before it becomes pitting.

Sharpening basics

A sharp pruner cuts cleanly and heals faster on the plant; a dull one crushes stems and invites disease. Most of our tools only need a light hone every few weeks of regular use, not a full resharpen.

To hone a bypass blade

Clean the blade first — sap and dirt will clog a whetstone.
Use a fine whetstone (1000–3000 grit) with a few drops of water or honing oil.
Follow the existing bevel angle — usually around 20–25° for pruners — and draw the blade across the stone in one direction.
A handful of light passes is enough for routine maintenance; save a full regrind for when the edge is visibly nicked or rolled.
Wipe clean and apply a light coat of oil afterwards.

We're planning a small sharpening kit (stone, oil and cloth) sized for this — it'll appear on the instruments page once it's available.

Blade safety

Pruners, hori hori knives and saws are genuinely sharp tools, not just garden ornaments. A few basics:

Always cut away from your body and hands, never towards them.
Keep bypass blades closed and knives sheathed whenever they're not actively in use.
Store all cutting tools out of reach of children.
Don't carry an open blade in a pocket or bag.
Replace, don't force, a tool that's become loose at the pivot or handle — a wobbly joint is when accidents happen.

Timing your planting

Soil temperature is a better guide than the calendar for when to sow. We keep a live reading from Tokyo and Auckland on the instruments page — as a rule of thumb, most seeds germinate once soil sits above 10°C. You can also see how vegetation and flowering are actually tracking through the seasons on the world's vegetation and what's flowering now.

Still stuck?