There comes a moment in every garden — usually around late winter — where you find yourself standing in front of an overgrown rose, a tangle of dogwood, or the dead heart of an old hydrangea, and your sharp little bypass secateurs simply aren't going to manage. That's the moment for an anvil pair, and these are a particularly fine example.

From Burgon & Ball, the Sheffield toolmaker who've been making garden tools since 1730 and remain one of only a handful of British manufacturers carrying the official RHS endorsement. Supplied to us through our partners at AllotMate, who curate proper, well-made tools for gardeners and allotmenteers who'd rather buy once.

Bypass or anvil — which do you need?

Worth understanding the difference before you choose, because they do quite different jobs:

• Bypass secateurs have 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.
• Anvil secateurs (these) have one sharpened blade that presses down 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.

Most gardeners eventually end up owning both. If you only have one pair, bypass is the more versatile starting point — but if you've got mature shrubs, an established rose garden, or a lot of woody clearing-up to do, anvil secateurs earn their keep quickly. Our Burgon & Ball Bypass Secateurs are the matching companion to these, for the live-stem work.

Specifications

• Cutting capacity: Up to 20mm (2cm) stem diameter
• Overall length: 20cm
• Blade: Fully hardened and tempered high-carbon steel — holds its edge well
• Anvil: Durable resin (gentler on the blade than metal-on-metal designs)
• Handles: Robust alloy with non-slip terracotta grip
• Endorsement: Royal Horticultural Society approved
• Made by: Burgon & Ball, Sheffield (since 1730)
• Supplied through: AllotMate

What gardeners and the press say

The English Garden magazine featured these in their roundup of the best anvil secateurs available in the UK — particularly praising the sharpness of the blade, the build quality, and how easily they handle thicker stems.

The terracotta-coloured grip is a thoughtful touch beyond aesthetics: it makes the secateurs much easier to spot if you put them down in long grass or a flowerbed mid-prune. Most of us know the particular sinking feeling of misplaced secateurs.

Looking after them

A good pair of secateurs will last you decades with minimal care. A few small habits that help:

• Wipe the blade clean after each use, particularly after cutting damp or sappy growth
• A drop of light oil on the pivot occasionally keeps the action smooth
• Sharpen as needed — high-carbon steel takes a sharpening stone beautifully
• Store dry rather than left out in the rain or shed condensation

Treated this way, these are the sort of tool you'll still be using in twenty years and quietly recommending to your grandchildren.

About Burgon & Ball

Burgon & 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.

Equally at home on an allotment or in the back garden — and small enough to live in a coat pocket on a winter pruning walk.