PloskorezSWIFT SMALL - Tiller Weeder Hoe Cultivator multi-tool Flatcutter from Russia

Huge thanks to Vlad and his uncle for inventing and selling this wonderful hoe. I went for the small one but will be ordering a larger one and the single bladed one as well. It comes sharp but I honed it up to very sharp and it makes short work of the nettles that plague our land after the 2015 flood.It particularly excels at dealing with weeding around plants - you have to be careful not to inadvertantly head too deep and slice the roots of those you wish to keep.the only criticism is that the handle could do with being a foot longer but I do understand that this would make shipping considerably more tricky and it would be easy to order an ash or hickory pole and shape it to take the head if you wanted a longer handle.Knowing what I know of dacha gardening in Russia I can see why this design has been developed and our soils and similar challenges with weeding in Britain, make it ideal for hear, works much better than a dutch hoe and now, in combo with an adze spade makes sod breaking and ground prep a doddle especially in parts of the world where weeding becomes a weekly chore.Brilliant idea, Vlad, send your uncle my congratulations - I will be ordering one for my mother and several other for Christmas gifts.

The Small Swift is very similar in appearance to the Large Swift, (see my review for the latter) but it has very different uses.It has the same rectangular section handle, and is the same length. You can have the handle made of birch like the large Swift, or opt for the lighter aspen, which is what I did. By comparison, the head is very small, 10cm x 8cm (compared to 22cm x 15cm for the large Swift) and weighs only 640gms (compared to 940gms for the large Swift). The blade is just as strong as the large Swift but it is not adjustable.This is absolutely brilliant for hoeing between plants. I have begun a cottage garden style planting and it’s a devil of a job trying to get weeds out without destroying the plants! This is really good for the job. You can pick out a single tiny weed with the pointed tip – it’s very good for “detailed” work. It is also very light and quick.If you have done yourself in doing the gardening, you may still be able to use this hoe! The aspen is a lovely soft absorbent wood, and a pleasure to hold, so I’m glad I opted for that instead of the birch.