I would not consider myself to be a “gardener.” I spend hours every week in the late spring through fall doing garden-related tasks, but my contribution is largely relegated to watering, digging, and pruning the trees. I’m also traditionally on Japanese beetle patrol in the summer. My wife on the other hand, is planning, buying, planting, and constantly expanding our gardens. This year, she has increasingly come under the sway of British gardening shows (thanks, Netflix!), and that means we’ve been collectively ramping up the gardening efforts.
In a timely gesture, Fiskars offered to send a collection of its pruning snips to try out. I was only too happy to give them a shot. I’ve previously had great experience with Fiskars products (like the StaySharp Max Reel mower I reviewed a few years back), and most of the pruning tools I own were generic big box buys. After a year, these things tend to rust, chip, fall apart, and generally make pruning an even bigger chore than it needs to be. They also have a nasty habit of mashing the plant stems. Technically, they get the job done, but they don’t do it well and it can get tiresome to use them for any length of time.
The Fiskars precision pruning snips arrived in a box, each easily identifiable by the company’s traditional orange and black color scheme. I was a little confused by the variety—who kew there were so many different pruning snips? However, each proved to be razor-sharp, comfortable to use, and the spring-loaded versions moved precisely. And speaking of precision, I soon learned that these thin, pointed blades are ideal for cutting in tight spaces without accidentally lopping off all the nearby stems, blooms, and leaves as well.
We’ve only had these in use for a month, but so far they’ve stayed sharp, remained in one piece, and made pruning (which has ramped up considerably as a result of those gardening shows) a much less onerous chore. It’s almost relaxing, especially when wearing a good set of headphones… They carry a lifetime warranty as well.
I have no idea if I’m using the correct precision pruning snips for various tasks—I’m not sure when it is appropriate to switch between the regular blade, curved blade, and non-stick blade versions. I suppose binge-watching a few more seasons of gardening shows will clear that up. What I care about is they all cut precisely and with little effort, they’re comfortable to use, and if my past experience with Fiskars yard tools (plus that lifetime warranty) is any indicator, they should last.
Disclosure: Fiskars provided pruners for evaluation but had no input into this post.
