Yamahiro Bud Scissors

Hand-hammered, double-edged scissors crafted from steel and straight from Japan. A fine specimen of Japanese snips, they would make a thoughtful gift for the avid gardener.

These scissors have thin and sharp blades, making them ideal for detailed work such as ‘sentei’ AKA pruning, thinning, dead-heading, cutting fresh flowers and of course shaping bonsai. Particularly good for bonsai and decorative plants where detail is important: the double-edged blade makes for a very clean cut.

They’re made in Yamagata City, one of the last remaining blacksmith industries in Japan. Metalworks in Yamagata date back nearly 700 years, from when it flourished as a village of swordsmiths. The techniques have been passed down over generations and are still used in today's tool making.

"Yamagata Hamono" is hand-made and hand-polished. The craftsman is Yamakawa san, who goes by the name Yamahiro 山広. Unlike the mechanical polishing used by most scissor manufacturers, Yamakawa san sharpens all his tools by hand. By adding a special twist to the tip during hand polishing, the blade gives a good cut and retains its sharpness for longer.

This is a traditional feature of Yamagata's handmade tools, and one of the reasons why they are loved by many professional users.

These snips have an ergonomic “S’ shape curved handle for a comfortable grip, and spring cushioning for easy repetitive use.

And a good pair of scissors has a slight gap between the blades when closed, just like these. It means there’s a bite point where the two blades meet, unlike flat machine-made scissors which just wrap around whatever is being cut and lose sharpness quickly. The gap is a marker of quality.

Presented in a gift box.