{"product_id":"bypass-secateurs-precision-pruning-for-live-stems-rhs-by-burgon-ball","title":"Burgon \u0026 Ball RHS Bypass Secateurs","description":"\u003cp\u003eIf you only own one pair of secateurs in your gardening life, this is the kind it should be. Bypass secateurs handle the everyday work of a cottage garden — pruning roses, deadheading larger perennials, cutting back salvias and lavenders in late summer, taking out the spent canes of raspberries and fuchsias. The work that brings you out of the kitchen on a Saturday morning and keeps you outside until the light starts going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eBurgon \u0026amp; Ball RHS Bypass Secateurs\u003c\/strong\u003e are exactly the right version of this everyday tool. Hardened and tempered high-carbon steel blades that hold a proper edge, lightweight alloy handles with a bright terracotta grip (genuinely findable when you put them down in a border), and rubber cushion stops to absorb shock during longer pruning sessions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003cstrong\u003eBurgon \u0026amp; Ball\u003c\/strong\u003e, the Sheffield toolmaker who've been making garden tools since 1730. RHS-endorsed and backed by a \u003cstrong\u003e10-year guarantee against manufacturing defects\u003c\/strong\u003e. Supplied to us through our partners at \u003cstrong\u003eAllotMate\u003c\/strong\u003e, who curate proper, well-made tools for gardeners and allotmenteers who'd rather buy once.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBypass or anvil — which do you need?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWorth understanding the difference between the two, because they do quite different jobs:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBypass secateurs\u003c\/strong\u003e (these) — two curved blades that pass each other like scissors. They give a clean, precise cut and are the right tool for green, living stems — roses, perennials, soft growth. The everyday workhorse for most gardeners.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAnvil secateurs\u003c\/strong\u003e — one sharpened blade that presses onto a flat plate. The mechanism delivers more force with less effort, which is what you want for harder, woodier, drier or dead material — old shrub stems, woody perennials, the gnarlier end of pruning.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMost gardeners eventually own both. \u003cstrong\u003eIf you only have one pair, bypass is the more versatile starting point\u003c\/strong\u003e — most pruning is green-stem work, and bypass secateurs do it cleanly without crushing the cut, which matters for plant health. Anvil secateurs become essential when you have mature shrubs, an established rose garden, or a lot of woody clearing-up to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe stock both versions: the \u003cem\u003eBurgon \u0026amp; Ball Anvil Secateurs\u003c\/em\u003e are the matching companion to these for the harder pruning jobs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCutting capacity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Up to 25mm (2.5cm) stem diameter — comfortably handles roses, shrubs and most pruning\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlade:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fully hardened and tempered high-carbon steel — holds its edge well\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMechanism:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bypass — clean scissor-style cut for live stems\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHandles:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lightweight alloy with non-slip terracotta soft-grip\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCushion stops:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rubber, to absorb shock and reduce hand fatigue during longer sessions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSupplied with:\u003c\/strong\u003e A replacement blade and spare spring\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGuarantee:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10 years against manufacturing defects\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEndorsement:\u003c\/strong\u003e Royal Horticultural Society approved\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMade by:\u003c\/strong\u003e Burgon \u0026amp; Ball, Sheffield (since 1730)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSupplied through:\u003c\/strong\u003e AllotMate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat you'll use them for\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBypass secateurs are the everyday pruning workhorse. The most-used tasks they cover:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePruning roses\u003c\/strong\u003e — particularly the late-winter and spring shaping cuts where a clean angle matters\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCutting back perennials\u003c\/strong\u003e in autumn — salvias, lavenders, perovskia, hardy geraniums, anything with a soft-to-firm stem\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDeadheading\u003c\/strong\u003e larger blooms and tougher stems where snips would struggle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCutting flowers for the house\u003c\/strong\u003e — sweet peas, dahlias, cosmos, anything with stems too thick for snips\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoft fruit pruning\u003c\/strong\u003e — raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, taking out spent canes after fruiting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight shrub pruning\u003c\/strong\u003e — formative cuts on young shrubs, tipping back wayward stems\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGeneral garden tidying\u003c\/strong\u003e — the various small cuts that punctuate a session\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor genuinely woody material — old shrub stems, dead wood, anything dry or hard — the anvil version is the better choice. These bypass secateurs are for the live, green, growing work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe thoughtful details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA few small features worth noting:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe terracotta-coloured grip\u003c\/strong\u003e is a genuinely thoughtful design choice. Most gardeners know the particular sinking feeling of misplaced secateurs — putting them down on a green lawn or in a leafy border and finding twenty minutes later that they've vanished. The bright orange-red is properly findable\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRubber cushion stops\u003c\/strong\u003e absorb the small shock at the end of each cut. Over a long pruning session — half an hour with the roses, a morning of shrub work — the cumulative reduction in hand fatigue genuinely matters\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe replacement blade and spare spring\u003c\/strong\u003e mean these secateurs are designed to be maintained rather than discarded. Springs are the most common failure point on quality secateurs; having a spare in the box from day one is properly considerate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLightweight alloy handles\u003c\/strong\u003e — durable enough to withstand serious use, light enough to handle comfortably for hours\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking after them\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA good pair of secateurs will last decades with minimal care. The small habits that get you there:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWipe the blade clean\u003c\/strong\u003e after each use, particularly after cutting damp or sappy growth (rose sap can be properly sticky)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA drop of light oil\u003c\/strong\u003e on the pivot occasionally keeps the action smooth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSharpen as needed\u003c\/strong\u003e — high-carbon steel takes a sharpening stone beautifully, though bypass secateurs only need one blade sharpened (the cutting blade, not the bypass plate)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClean and dry properly\u003c\/strong\u003e after wet use rather than leaving them on the bench\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReplace the blade and spring\u003c\/strong\u003e using the supplied spares when the originals reach the end of their working life — usually after years of regular use\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStore dry\u003c\/strong\u003e rather than left out in the rain or shed condensation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTreated this way, these are tools you'll still be using in twenty years and quietly recommending to your grandchildren.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAs a gift\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePremium secateurs are particularly thoughtful gifts because they're often the kind of thing people put off buying for themselves — they make do with cheaper pairs that bend, lose their edge, or break. A proper pair changes how it feels to garden. Particularly suited to:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA gardener upgrading from cheap kit\u003c\/strong\u003e — replacing a series of mediocre pairs with one good one\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA new gardener with serious intent\u003c\/strong\u003e — investing in the right tools from the start\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA rose grower\u003c\/strong\u003e — secateurs are the rose grower's most-used tool, and a proper pair makes the difference\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAn allotmenteer\u003c\/strong\u003e — daily pruning, deadheading and harvesting earns a quality pair very quickly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA retirement gift\u003c\/strong\u003e for someone moving into more time-rich gardening\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas\u003c\/strong\u003e — premium-feeling kit at a sensible gift price\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePair with our \u003cem\u003eBurgon \u0026amp; Ball Anvil Secateurs\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e for a complete pruning kit covering every kind of cut\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOr pair with the rest of our Burgon \u0026amp; Ball range\u003c\/strong\u003e for a substantial RHS-endorsed gift\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout Burgon \u0026amp; Ball\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBurgon \u0026amp; Ball have been making garden tools in Sheffield since 1730, drawing on the city's centuries-old expertise in steel. They hold the official Royal Horticultural Society endorsement — a designation given to tools that meet exacting standards for performance, durability and design. We're proud to stock their range; British-made tools at this quality are increasingly rare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA small thought: the right pair of secateurs is a quietly transformative thing. Cheap pairs make every cut a small struggle — the blade catches, the spring sticks, the action feels effortful. A proper pair just cuts. The work flows. You stay out longer. The garden gets the attention it deserves. We make a fuss of trowels and spades because they do the hard visible work, but secateurs do the small frequent work that shapes a garden over years. Worth making a fuss of.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AllotMate Essentials","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57145125568889,"sku":"5019360002772","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0576\/6004\/7547\/files\/GTO-SC-burgon-and-ball-bypass-secateurs-03_large_531ccb10-66d5-4690-83cd-285e8b135073.webp?v=1779887958","url":"https:\/\/www.bishybarnabeescottagegarden.com\/products\/bypass-secateurs-precision-pruning-for-live-stems-rhs-by-burgon-ball","provider":"Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd","version":"1.0","type":"link"}