Kinzo Long: Bulb & Trenching Spade

High carbon Japanese Steel that is sharp, designed for the body and long life outdoors. 

These are very light, ergonomic and strongly welded spades. There is no twisting with tubular elephant steel. This spade is ideal for planting bulbs, digging post holes and digging trenches for cables or pipes. 

This spade has a 10.5 degree angled blade with a shallow scoop 35cm long ending in a single edge pointed tip. 

The Kinzo Long is 1040mm, just over one metre in length, hence the name.

It will cut through heavy clay and cypress tree roots or your toes. The shallow scoop of the blade provides support for lifting heavy soil or mature plants.

I know some professionals who prefer this to the Kinzo square for digging dahlias. This spade is well regarded as the ideal tool for digging and planting bulbs, perennials and clivia.

A tool must work for your body and your garden. Kinzo spades are ergonomic, light and very solid. The Kinzo Long is also a powerful deep digging tool.

It has a single edged blade and should be sharpened to a fine point with a diamond file. (We also sell Japanese diamond files). H&S: Wear steel capped boots if sharpening to such a degree.

Kinzo spades will last ten years plus with heavy duty use, double that in a home garden situation when correctly maintained. Dr Keith Hammett QSM has a Kinzo spade that is 16 years old, used almost daily, it’s very sharp and strong. High carbon Japanese Steel. 

Expect some scratching and a patina on the shiny steel with use and maintenance. This will not reduce the durability or life of the high carbon steel. Always wash and dry your tools at the end of each workday. Apply camellia or linseed oil after drying. Regular application of oil will help soil slide of the blade as your work, reducing time spent scrapping soil off your blade/spade. Sharpen with a Japanese diamond file.

Kinzo spades and shovels are beautiful tools that will make garden work easy on your body and they are so much faster in the field.