Okatsune 103 Bypass Secateurs

Product Information

How smoothly the contraption can be manoeuvred one-handed will impact the efficiency of your green-fingered endeavours. Just make sure you invest in a quality product – which means good, sharp steel. The sharper the blade, the stronger the cut and the less force is required, which makes it the gentler on the wrists, says topiary expert Darren Lerigo who runs the Modern Mint online tool and gardening shop. If the blades can be sharpened, all the better. These are, without a doubt, the best ratchet secateurs we have ever had the chance to review. We have tried quite a few ratchet secateurs in previous years and we can confirm we have never come across a better pair of secateurs with the ratchet feature.

Okatsune Secateurs - Standard No. 103 - Black Bough | Ludlow Okatsune Secateurs - Standard No. 103 - Black Bough | Ludlow

The non slip, red coated handles make these garden secateurs easy to find in sunny conditions (if your forgetful like me). They are comfortable in the hand and feel well balanced.Felco secateurs are regarded as the ‘finest in the world’. They really are the cream of the crop when it comes to secateurs. They may look like cheaper pruners, but that is because many cheap brands have copied the design but none have come close to the quality.

Secateurs 103 – Okatsune

A question asked frequently is what is the difference between anvil and bypass secateurs. The difference between these garden tools, bypass pruners and anvil versions is as follows. These bypass secateurs are the number 1 choice for professional gardeners in Japan, where pruning has been elevated to genuine art if the famous Higashizawa Rose Park is anything to go by. Our recommendation Bypass secateurs are for cutting living, green growth, for example live stems, branches and plant material . Anvil secateurs are used for cutting tough, old, dead wood. However, topiary expert Lerigo says he found the latch used to open them involved too much fumbling around on ladders for his liking, a situation not helped by cold, numb or gloved hands. As much as I wanted to love them, and despite the superior, precise blade, Lerigo was right: the catch mechanism used to open and close them is fiddly compared with its smoother competitors, and nigh impossible with gardening gloves on or one-handed, up a ladder, because the clasp requires a thumb to be operated. I also found that my own hands were slightly too small for them. No comprehensive guide to secateurs would be complete without referencing Wilkinson Sword: as well as Felco, these are some of the most ubiquitous, lower budget pruning shears to be found in the UK. I was reasonably impressed: they come with a 10 year guarantee and are made with fairly good quality SK5 Japanese steel blades. The cast aluminium handles are strong and lighter than many others (they weigh 216g in total), and the grip is fine.

We really like the lifetime warranty on this product because it means total peace of mind and, even so, parts are readily replaceable if necessary which is more than you can say for most other models. You definitely want a tool that won’t cause hand blisters and ligament strain, and this one is ergonomically designed to use comfortably all day long making it perfect for professionals who really do need nothing but the best tools. If you are a gardener by trade or wanting to invest in the ‘best secateurs’, then these Felco model 2are what you’re looking for. They also come with a lifetime guarantee, that no other company comes close to. With its ingenious rotating handle the P961 takes up to 3x less effort when pruning. This is due to the load being spread across all joints. Many people literally have secateurs for a whole lifetime. If you buy a decent pair then there is no reason you won’t have yours to pass on to future generations. With anvil secateurs, the blade comes down and meets the anvil to create the cut. Think of a crushing action.

the best secateurs for pruning your garden Our guide to the best secateurs for pruning your garden

Smooth blades all have their limits, says Jake Hobson. Steel is hard and sharp, but it can chip if abused. Try not to cut wire, metal, stone, plastic or any other hard material. Even bamboo fibres and some very hard woods, especially knots, burrs and dead wood, can damage steel edges. Another innovative feature of the Davoen Pro Bypass Secateurs is the finger protection guard located on the lower handle which we think is brilliant and very useful, especially if you are pruning spiky plants. This protects your fingers and hands against painful scratches from thorns and rough branches whilst pruning. Additionally, you can use it to push branches out of the way when trimming into hidden places.

And what’s more, being of such high quality steel you will be impressed at just how long you can go before the need to sharpen. The P961 is perfect for those who struggle with the aches and pains that pruning can cause with regular secateurs. The most important part of any bypass secateurs is the blade. Precise cutting, sharp blades will cut cleanly through stems and branches which reduces the chance of disease and infection spreading into the the pruned cut. Less effort will also be needed as a super sharp blade should the like cutting through cucumber on a chopping board. As the blades on bypass secateurs have a scissor design, they're generally best if you're right-handed. Left-handed pruners do exist, though, and most premium brands offer models for lefties. Blade cutting diameter According to Telegraph gardening expert Helen Yemm, secateurs usually jam because of a build-up of dried sap and general garden grot on the blades. A good clean, followed by a wipe with an oily rag, sorts the problem out. Presumably you have tried that.