What is a Kirpi?
A kirpi Indian hoe is a tool designed to serve more than one purpose in the garden. Some compare the shape of the blade to the lower half of a human leg. Using this analogy for the kirpi weeding hoe, you can hoe with the smooth back of the tool that ends in the heel of the “foot.” When you want to saw something tougher than a weed, the kirpi weeder saws well. Use the serrated front of the blade, the part that runs down the front of the “leg” and the top of the “foot” to the “toe.” As for weeds, dig them out with the “foot” of the tool, the part that comes to a curved point at the toe. It even lets you get the weeds that are found in narrow cracks.
Weeding with a Kirpi
Many kirpis look handmade with a lopsided handle and beaten metal blade. That’s because they are fabricated by a blacksmith in India. The design makes it clear that the maker understood hands-on gardening and weeding. When you start weeding with a kirpi, you’ll find it very efficient for the small effort you have to put into it. Traditional gardening tools (including hoes) are straight edged and symmetrical, but the kirpi’s angles make it more balanced and efficient. Using the kirpi weeder, you can slice the weed off at soil level if you want to. But you can also fit the blade between narrowly spaced plants to get the weeds too. Try using the blade tip of the kirpi Indian hoe for ploughing up soil before sowing seeds. All these chores are made easier by the kirpi weeding tool. But the thing gardeners like best is the tool’s efficiency. You can use it for long gardening sessions without getting tired.
