Japanese perennial crescent

We have two handy sickles in our range, similar in both shape and function to the old-fashioned European farm scythe – but smaller of course. The larger one with the smooth blade cuts grass, while the other – with serrated cutting edge and slightly stiffer blade – is designed for cutting back herbaceous borders or shrubs or clearing away undergrowth. In Japan it’s also used for cutting vegetables. The cutting surfaces and shape of the blades are ideal for the kinds of garden jobs we’ve described and both sickles are really light, thanks to the handles of Japanese ‘kiri’ wood (paulownia).

The development of tools does not simply follow an abstract-functional principle, but is often linked to the entire worldview and self-image of an era or region. This is particularly evident in the tools of a completely different cultural sphere: the products of the ancient Japanese blacksmith's craft are much admired in our country, because they still live entirely from the deep historical and spiritual roots of pre-modern Japanese culture.