Okatsune 103 Bypass Secateurs

Quality item. Really sharp and easy to grip and use and most importantly easy to close one handed. Have bought for other gardening friends and will buy again.

Worth every penny. Nicely heavy, superbly efficient, clean cutting, no crush damage, also tackles pruning woody stems like a knife through butter: these are fantastic. I even clean and oil them after only a couple of uses, I so value them. My husband is not allowed near them - they are kept hidden, they are so good. Not going to hunt for these where he put them down somewhere in the garden - they're MINE!

Brilliant. Cuts beautifully. Well worth the cost.

I like these secateurs very much: they feel robust, are well made, and they're definitely a step up from the entry level pruners I had to replace following a breakage. Better still, they have a very definite centre of gravity, so although they have a reassuring weight to them, and aren't at all flimsy. The pruners are also very balanced: a feature which is likely to minimise fatigue for some people as there is a definite centre of gravity there. As other people have commented, the retaining catch which holds the handles together can bite back if one isn't careful, but I actually don't mind that, as it's a very positive fitting, and I consider it a safety feature. I also don't mind tools which need a bit of forethought to use. These secateurs are razor sharp, making very short work of the spiraea I tested them out on. For me, these are a perfect balance of quality and cost, and a tool I can't afford to be without.

These are just the right size, feeling much smaller than other secateurs, but just right for me as a man with average sized hands. They cut really well through large sticks and are very sharp. The secure clip at the end is excellent once you get used to it, but when you first get them you curse when you trap your finger in it , but you quickly learn not to do it again!! Definitely recommended.

Having read a review of these in a gardening magazine I decided to make a break from a lifetime of Felcos and give them a try. They are not cheap but they are seriously good, very well made, secateurs and I am very happy with them, so much so that they have now replaced the Felcos as the secateurs of choice in my holster ( and come on, if you haven't got yourself a leather holster for your secateurs by now then you don't know what you have been missing. Ignore the cowboy references and just get one!).Firstly, they are very sharp and easily pass the bamboo cane test. The blade is sharp enough to use as a razor for opening bags of compost, cutting string etc. I know that's not the point of them but it illustrates the razor like quality. They are comfortable but also quite small so, if like me you have large hands, then go for the 103s which are the largest and would probably still suit someone with medium hands. They have a very clean cutting action, with a satisfying 'clack' sound, and are equally good at snipping off flower heads or taking small branches from fruit trees.What does take a bit of getting used to however is the action. If you are used to the 'thumb flick' opening and closing action of Felco and ersatz Felco secateurs then you might find the opening and closing action of the Okatsune secateurs takes a bit of getting used to. The clip at the base needs to be flicked open and then flicked closed after use. Here is a word to the wise: don't get the skin of your hand caught in the closing mechanism! The spring snaps it back into place and there is potential for a real 'ouch!'- or worse - moment. Having been stupid enough to catch my hand three times I now flick them open and closed by pushing the base of the secateurs against my hip. It works for me; you find your own way.

Excellent quality and comfortable to use.

Having bought another brand of Japanese Secateurs before I thought I would try these after reading reviews on Gardeners World amongst others. My previous Japanese branded secateurs were good, sharp and made from Japanese steel but actually constructed in Taiwan. These are made entirely in Japan and the first thing I noted was how good the finish on the steel is. Sure the safety latch is a bit clunky but it wasn't an issue for me and it has a reassuring clunk when fastened. I have big hands and the sizing is plenty big enough for me as well. And finally the blade, well my previous Japanese pair were very sharp but these are on another level. The steel is definitely of great quality and the sharpness beats anything I have ever purchased in the £30-£50 bracket for secateurs or even kitchen knifes. Highly recommend.