Niwaki GR Pro Lightweight Garden Secateurs

These 'double yellow' lightweight secateurs from Niwaki are ideal for lighter pruning and if you find gripping difficult. Use them for precision tasks made easier thanks to the slender blade. If you've misplaced them after a long day in the garden, the yellow vinyl grip handles will stand out and show up so they can be safely put away.

Hand-forged in Sanjo, Japan from KA-70 carbon steel, these secateurs have a solid, chunky catch at the bottom and a robust spring.

Niwaki's GR Pro range is made by a small family business in Yamagata, Japan. Second-generation Mr Kudo still puts in a full day’s work as he approaches 80, assisted by his wife and their two sons.

How to care for your new secateurs:

• Clean with a Crean Mate and Camellia oil and then sharpen with a Niwaki #1000 stone every few weeks. Your new tool won't need sharpening for some time, but after a while you'll notice it will gradually lose its edge
• Do not cut wire, metal, stone, plastic or any other hard material. Even bamboo fibres and some very hard woods, especially knots and burrs, can damage steel edges
• Do not twist or apply uneven pressure
• Cut diagonally across branches rather than straight across so you cut along the fibres
• Pay attention to maximum cut dimensions, and don’t overdo it
• Use the base of the blades, not the tips, for heavier cuts