Pruning shears
Pruning shears, also called hand pruners (in American English), or secateurs (in British English), are a type of
Loppers are a larger, two-handed, long-handled version for branches thicker than pruning shears can cut.
History
Cutting plants as part of gardening dates to antiquity in both European and East Asian topiary, with specialized scissors used for Chinese penjing and its offshoots – Japanese bonsai and Vietnamese Hòn Non-Bộ – for over a thousand years.
In modern Europe, scissors only used for gardening work have existed since 1819, when the French aristocrat Antoine-François Bertrand de Molleville was listed in "Bon Jardinier", as the inventor of secateurs. During the late 1890s, secateurs were sold all over Europe and the US. Today secateurs are widely used by gardeners, vintners and fruit farmers.
The world's first anvil pruners were developed and produced in 1923 by Walther Schröder in Kiel, Germany. The pruners were given the product name "Original LÖWE" and were distributed internationally as far back as 1925. Other companies producing anvil pruners include Bahco, Edma, Felco, Fiskars Gardena and Wolf Garten.
An extensive collection of historical variants of secateurs can be seen at Breamore House, Hampshire, England. They are housed in their countryside museum.
Designs
There are three different blade designs for pruning shears:
Anvil pruners have only one blade, which closes onto a flat surface; unlike bypass blades it can be sharpened from both sides and remains reliable when slightly blunt. Anvil pruners are useful for cutting thick branches; one can bite into the stem from one direction, swing the handle around and bite further through narrowed wood from another direction. The anvil is made of a material softer than the blade, so that the blade is not damaged when it meets the anvil. Suitable materials for the anvil are
Bypass pruners usually work exactly like a pair of scissors, with two blades "passing by" each other to make the cut. At least one of the blades will be curved: a convex upper blade with either a concave or straight lower one. Some bypass designs have only one blade, the lower jaw being broad (like an anvil) but passing the upper jaw. The ratchet pruner, which can handle stems thicker than two centimetres, fits in this category. Because they make a clean cut without crushing, bypass pruners are preferable for pruning live wood.[2]
Parrot-beak pruners consist of two concave passing blades, which trap the stem between them to make the cut. These are suitable only for narrower stems.[3]
Handle length
Secateurs have short
Type of blades
There are two different types of blades for pruning shears: Stainless steel and carbon steel.
In addition there are pruning shears that have
Stainless steel have a high corrosion resistance, due to the protective chromium oxide layer that covers the steel surface after heat treatment. On the other hand, they are not durable for long.
Carbon steel has a higher carbon content, which gives the steel a lower melting point, more malleability and durability, and better heat distribution. The disadvantages are the quick corrosion and staining.
Titanium coated blades offer a balance between durability, sharpness and anti-corrosion. Titanium is stronger, has higher corrosion resistance, and has about half the density (weight) of steel. The titanium coating helps strengthen the blade and prevent corrosion, and after being sharpened a few times it will expose the steel edge underneath, giving the best edge with higher strength and resistance to corrosion over the length of the blade. The titanium coating is recognized by the gold colored blade as opposed to the typical silver colored steel blade.[5][6]
See also
References
- ^ "Should You Choose Electric Shears or Manual?". Farmers Defense. 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ a b "Anvil or Bypass Secateur (Pruner) - which is best?". 23 December 2013.
- ISBN 0-600-61024-1.
- ISBN 0-19-861314-8.
- ^ "Professional Titanium Coated Pruning Shears, Best quality available". Amazon.
- ^ "Titanium Coated Pruning Shears". Amazon.
External links
- Media related to Secateurs at Wikimedia Commons