Just because trees are dormant, doesn’t mean the home gardener can be, too. Winter is tree-pruning season and the proper arsenal includes a pruning saw (for the thicker branches when pruning shears or loppers aren’t enough). Here are ten to consider.
See our earlier post “DIY: Pruning Fruit Trees in Winter” for inspiration and tips.
Wood Handled
Above: The Opinel Folding Saw No. 18 has a beechwood handle and a 7.125-inch long stainless steel blade that folds into the handle for easy and safe storage. This saw can take on branches up to 5 inches in diameter; $47.95 through Opinel.
Above: In the Department of Japanese Gardening Tools: The all-purpose Silky New Mebae Pruning Saw works well for most pruning tasks. It has a wooden handle and sheath (replacement blades are available); $47.90 to $58.90 depending on size at Hida Tool and Hardware.
Above: The Corona Clipper 14-inch Folding Pruning Saw has a curved steel alloy blade designed for faster cutting. It measures 17-inches when folded; $23 through Amazon.
Above: In the UK, consider Joseph Bently pruning saws. The Joseph Bentley Wooden Handled Curved Pruning Saw (top) has a curved handle and blade. Alternatively, the Joseph Bentley Wooden Handled Pruning Saw (bottom) features a solid oak wooden D-handle and straight carbon steel blade; £12.99 each at Amazon.co.uk.
Above: The Fiskars D-Handle Pruning Saw features a fixed carbon steel curved blade and comfortable wood handle; $24.99 at Clean Air Gardening.
Non-Slip Handles
Above: A perfect partner to Felco shears for pruning smaller branches (up to 4-inches in diameter) and shrubs, the compact Felco 600 Folding Pruning Saw has a 6-inch hard-chromed blade that folds into an ergonomic handle for safe keeping; $31.50 at the Garden Tool Company.
Above: The Felco 611 Pruning Saw packs a punch, able to handle limbs of up to 9-inches in diameter. The 12.5-inch long blade is thicker at bottom and cuts amazingly smooth and fast. The fixed blade comes with a protective sheath; $61 at Garden Tool Company.
Above: Add to your collection of Japanese garden tools with a pruning saw. The red handle of the Fugaku Namaki Pruning Saw denotes good luck (it is based on the color of the sunrise at Mt. Fuji). It is an all-around pruning saw that features fine teeth near the handle that get progressively larger and coarser towards the tip offering smooth and easy cutting starts; $36.90 at Hida Tools.
Above: The Burgon and Ball Pruning Saw features a patented tooth design, with three cutting faces per tooth, for optimal cutting performance. The saw has a secure blade lock mechanism for safety; £22.95 at Burgon and Ball.
Above: A super-compact choice is the Silky Pocketboy Folding Saw with a 130mm (about 5-inches) blade that offers surprisingly strong cutting capability, like an oversized pruning knife, good for small branches and general gardening work. Each Pocketboy has a color-coded handle associated with the teeth configuration: red equals large teeth, black is medium, yellow has fine teeth, and purple has extra fine teeth; starting at $32.99 at Woodcraft.
For more pruning tools, find out which pruning knife is best for you. See more Japanese Garden Tools in our Gallery.
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