Japanese Garden

Hand Forged Garden Tools by Homestead Iron – Part 1



Will Dobkins’ business, Homestead Iron in Squires, Missouri (in the Ozark Mountains). He and his wife started by repurposing old garden tools with new handles. Realizing that these old tools were much better than the tools available today, he decided to make his own tools. Will shows us each tool describing the design, use, and advantages.

Tools he currently forges include:

Single Tine Cultivator
Two Tine Cultivator
Crows Foot Cultivator (5 tines)
Hand Rake (5 tines)

Weeders
Tap Root Weeder
Dandelion Weeder
Weeding Fork (2 tine)
Scuffle Weeder for surface weeds (diamond shaped blade)
Cape Cod Weeder (for detailed weeding) – both right and left hand
versions
Dutch Weeder or Draw Hoe (triangle shaped fine blade)
Classic Handle Hoe – heavier for chopping type weeding
V-Hoe or Warren Hoe for making furrows and planting
starts

Trowels
Large, small and sharp toothed (narrow, finger sized trowel)
Transplant (potting) Trowel with a reversed angle.

Will and his wife talk about running the business from crafting the tools to taking orders, packaging and mailing as a successful family business.

Part 2 – Will demonstrates forging the garden tool as well as describing various metals he uses.

24 Comments

  1. Two of our OLD hoes handles broke. New handles don't fit. So will have to fashion our own. But bought a new hoe. It was cheap. Holding it you can tell why. The entire thing weighs as much as the blade of the old ones. It's so lightweight. It sucks. Foreign made pos. Never again. My favorite is the Dutch weeder too!

  2. 1:38 this is the first time I have seen someone use a fuller as a hammer, it seems to work especially with that swage block.

  3. This does look thrilling. I usually buy Japanese tools and some English pieces. Perhaps I will try a few more items made in the states.

  4. Beautiful hand made tools,I hate cheap ass tools made in China or elsewhere,but getting progressively hard to find.The best made,made in America by craftsman like you.

  5. Lovely Video! Apologies for the intrusion, I would love your initial thoughts. Have you tried – Saankramer Breathtaking Design System (Sure I saw it on Google)? It is a great one of a kind guide for learning how to make money with landscaping minus the headache. Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my old buddy Taylor finally got amazing results with it.

  6. I just received my large trowel and push/pull weeder today and its everything as advertised. Great construction and solid quality! I will certainly be ordering more tools. Don't buy the big box store cheap Chinese crap, mine broke off at the stem. You get what you pay for! Thanks

  7. Beautiful work. I am a farmer ,woodworker and a musician.i too forge my own tools. I know about the craftmanship it takes.greatings from srilanka

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