Secateurs

Secateurs Overview

Our secateurs are manufactured in Japan according to traditional standards, in an area which has been well known for tool manufacturing for many centuries. Building on this long tradition of quality manufacturing and utilising the latest technology in the production of quality hand pruning tools, our range of Quality Japanese bypass secateurs are designed to meet the requirements of professional horticulturalists and gardeners as well as home gardeners looking for quality, long lasting secateurs.

In addition to our range of secateurs we also stock long reach fruit pickers which can also be used as light pruning secateurs. Operated with one hand these are ideal for pruning roses (and picking their flowers) and other thorny bushes without getting your hands and arms too close to the thorns .

"Just confirming I have received the secateurs. Very happy with them!"

We also have the excellent Chikamasa PSA -G8 professional quality bypass secateurs and the Chikamasa PS-20R lightweight secateurs from this well regarded Japanese manufacturer. For quality and price, these secateurs cannot be beaten.

To compliment our range of secateurs please see our selection of harvesting scissors which provide a good range of light secateurs/trimmer options.

In addition to secateurs Lakewood products also carry a range of pruning saws, diamond sharpeners, loppers, long reach loppers and fruit pickers manufactured by Niskigaki and Chikamasa.

Key features to look for in secateurs 

• High-Quality Steel: Secateurs with blades made from hardened carbon steel or drop-forged carbon steel, Blades can be extremely sharp and hold an edge well.
• Durability: Look for good quality secateurs, made from materials that are built to last for decades and with spare parts available. With consistent maintenance and care, e.g. wipe down with an oily rage after use and keep the cutting blade sharp, these tools will last for many years.
• Ergonomics: Secateurs should have an ergonomic design, comfortable handles, and strong but lightweight construction. Extended use should not tire your hands, e.g. a soft spring (but still strong enough to return the secateurs to an open position.
• Japanese secateurs offer extremely good design and build quality at very competitive prices. Japanese garden tools generally have a well thought out and refined design, build with quality materials.

Care For your secateurs

• The secateurs we sell have carbon steel blades. Carbon steel is used as it it harder and holds a cutting edge better than stainless steel, however it will rust if left with surface moisture. Rub down with an oily rage after use. To help remove sap, use a mixture of oil and methylated spirits (approx. 75/25).
• Secateurs will occasionally require to be taken apart for a full clean or when replacing blades. A key point to note when re-assembling:- tighten the centre bolt and nut until the secateurs remain shut (i.e. the force of the spring will not be enough to return the secateurs to an open position). Loosen the nut just enough to allow the spring to return the secateurs to an open position. Tighten the lock nut/screw. With lubrication this should allow the secateurs to open and close with ease while not allowing the blades to spread, i.e. no gap or movement at right angles to the face of the blades.

How to sharpen secateurs in NZ

Keep the secateur blades sharp, do not wait until they get blunt. A few strokes with a diamond sharpener (or fine stone) before use will keep them sharp. Sharp blades will extend the life of the blade and reduce stress and wear on other parts of the tool, and your hands. Using secateurs with blunt blades will increase the effort required for cutting, this increases the pressure on various parts of the secateurs. Harder cuts can also lead to unintentional consequences, i.e. With harder cuts some users can inadvertently twist the secateurs in the cut. Over time this can result in a gap forming between the blades, these gaps cause a less than clean cut, a roughness at the end of the cut.

The following instructions are based on using a set of coarse and fine diamond sharpeners, e.g. the blue and red DMT diamond sharpeners

• Do not let the blade become overly dull or blunt. Diamond sharpeners are designed to maintain a sharp blade, not to restore a blunt blade. For a blade that has become overly blunt, you will first need to use a file or coarse stone.
• If necessary, clean the blade prior to sharpening. We recommend using a 75/25 mixture of salad cooking oil and Methylated spirits as a lubricant. This mixture keeps the secateurs lubricated and clean and the methylated spirits softens any sap build up. The diamond sharpeners can be used lubricated or dry.
• Note the small bevel on both sides of the cutting edge, maintaining these angles will give the best cutting performance.
• For best results, use a sharpener that fits easily between the blades and will sit flat on the bevel.
• Use the blue DMT 45-micron diamond sharpener first, this will remove any burrs or rough spot on the blade
• Hold the handle of your diamond sharpener in one hand, lay the sharpener at an angle, roughly perpendicular to the cutting edge, and sitting flat on the bevel.
• Using a circular motion with the sharpener to run the sharpener over the length of the blade while keeping it flat on the bevel.
• Do not apply excessive pressure on the blade, let the sharpener do the work with a light touch.
• Note there is a cutting bevel on the mating face of the cutting blade, sharpen this as well. If you don’t you will find over time it gets rounded and can cause the blades to spread apart and not give a good clean cut.
• Repeat the process using the red (fine) DMT 25-micron diamond sharpener. Fine sharpeners finish the sharpening process, smoothing and polishing the cutting edge, removing any remaining small burrs and scratches.
•  As the diamond sharpeners work quickly, there is no need to spend a lot of time sharpening. Only about 10 rotations of the sharpener on each side is enough. Secateurs should only need sharpening once a day for a full day's work.

Anvil vs Bypass secateurs - which to use?

The cutting action with an anvil is like cutting with a knife onto a hard surface. The action with bypass secateurs is like scissors where the blades pass (bypass) each other. The anvil action can damage (crush) the plant, particularly soft stems but are well suited to cutting back (hard) dead wood. Well maintained and sharpened bypass secateurs will cause almost no damage to cut stems and have a wider general use than anvil secateurs.

Japanese Secateurs available from Lakewood Products

Lakewood products' range of quality Japanese made secateurs cover heavy duty professional secateurs, lightweight garden secateurs, secateurs for small hands, secateurs for rose pruning and traditional handcrafted secateurs. We also have an extensive range of garden scissors which also double as secateurs for light pruning work.

Chikamasa PSA-G8 - Heavy-duty professional secateurs for orchard and vineyard pruning work

Chikamasa PS-20R - Lightweight secateurs, ideal for general garden pruning and cutting, when heavy-duty pruners are not required.

Nishigaki N-110 - 0.6m fruit picker, also doubles are an ideal pruning secateur for roses and other plants with thorns. Also for picking flowers.

 Onoyoshi Type A traditional handmade secateurs, designed for professional gardeners, landscapers and keen gardeners. 

Arvipo PS27 electric pruners, reducing the physical effort, hand strength, and repetitive squeezing motions required when pruning, helping to minimise joint pain, hand strain, and fatigue.