The pruning expert: Choosing a pruning saw

If you do a lot of pruning, a good saw is essential. If you only need one very occasionally, buy on price and do not expect much. As a professional, I expect good performance from my saws and I am willing to pay for quality if it gets the job done efficiently. All of my pruning saws are Japanese Silky Fox, they save me time and effort and the quality of cut is quite exceptional.

Silky Fox saws like all Asian saws cut on the pull rather than the push stroke and this reduces effort. The thin, high carbon blades need to be treated carefully, they can easily shatter. The saw should be allowed to do the work not the user; that's fine by me!

Some saws have impulse hardened teeth, these will stay sharp several times longer than non impulse hardened blades but they cannot be sharpened with a file as they are they are harder than the file. All Silky saws are Chromium plated but do not use this as an excuse to leave them in the wet, they will soon develop rust spots.

For sawing above head height, a curved blade is easier to use than a straight one. Large teeth will cut through thick branches faster than a saw with smaller teeth but for thinner branches it will be harder to get the saw to bite into the wood. For shrub pruning, I tend to use a saw with fine teeth.

I have no preference for fixed or folding saws and have both in my collection.

If Silky Fox saws are outside your budget, another brand ARS is pretty good as is Sumurai. Both of these brands are Japanese so will cut on the pull stroke and give you good service.

Of the European and American saws I would pick Bahco, Felco and Corona.

After use I wipe the blade with Camellia seed oil, apparently this was used by the Samurai to protect their swords, I treat my saws with the same reverence.