Unlike the ubiquitous "dandelion weeder" that is really not a weeder at all but an asparagus harvesting knife under an assumed identity. This tool is properly designed to extricate tap rooted weeds without cutting them off. Instead of a shallow, sharp "V" notch it has a deep, square-sided notch that grabs the root by its shoulders. And it has a semi-circular bend just behind its tines that gives you a fulcrum for proper levering of the weed. The technique for wielding this weapon is to drive it straight down right next to the tap root or the center of a multi-rooted mass. Then rotate the handle downward to lever out the weed. Our tool, as usual, is a bit sturdier than most -- we forge it from half inch rod instead of 3/8 or 7/16.