I bought this hori-hori because my previous stainless steel blade snapped in half recently. I thought a carbon steel blade would be stronger, so was excited when I found this one, which was carbon steel, and also affordable, Right out of the box, this tool was a disappointment. The blade is not well seated in the handle, with visible gaps between the tang and the wood of the handle. The handle goes up past the curve between tang and blade, creating the gaps. The tang also doesn't go the full length of the handle, but stops a little over mid-way down. The handle itself is uncomfortable and finished so roughly, that I got a splinter the first time I held it. I sanded it down, but it's still uncomfortable, since the wood of the handle is wider than the metal, causing 4 sharp edges that dig into my hand. Lastly, the oversized serrations on the blade are on the TOP edge when looking at the concave side of the blade held in my right hand. This defies logic, since presumably the serration is there to help cut through roots and things as you're dig-digging. Not only is it impractical, but also dangerous, as I learned when pulling the blade out of the soil and stabbing my other hand with it, (I guess it would work ok for a left-handed gardener.) This last fault is so glaring that it's made me decide against my plan to replace the worthless handle. Not worth the hassle. Not worth the money. This is just a terribly made tool in every regard.
