Garden shears are an essential tool. Whether you’re shaping a boxwood ball into an ethereal cloud or simply trying to tame the blades of grass alongside a driveway, a sharp pair of long blades is the key to success. Here is a list of our favorite garden shears and trimmers for precision clipping:
![Japan-based designer Daisuke Tajika carries on the family tradition started by his great grandfather in \19\28. His \13-inch forged steel Long Landscaping Shears are ideal for shaping hedges and cutting through dense growth; \$3\25 from Nalata Nalata.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/landscaping-shears-japanese-tajika-nalata-nalata-gardenista.jpg)
![A pair of Forged Hedge Trimmers with beechwood handles have chrome-plated carbon steel blades for extra strength. A serrated edge cuts even a single blade of grass cleanly. A pair of trimmers is €76 from Manufactum.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/forged-hedge-trimmers-clippers-gardenista.png)
![From Hiroshima-based Okatsune, \2\20;this short, lightweight model is ideal for topiary boxwood or the Japanese garden (o-karikomi), because you are close to the work,\2\2\1; notes the manufacturer. Handles measure 30 centimeters (about \1\2.8 inches long) and the blades are \175 millimeters (approximately 7 inches long). A pair of Okatsune \2\17 is €84.95 from Okatsune Europe.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/hedge-shears-boxwood-gardenista-e1464708884736.jpg)
![\2\20;Ideal for box clipping, topiary, and other delicate jobs,\2\2\1; says Jake Hobson of Niwaki, a UK-based purveyor of high-quality Japanese garden tools. A pair of Masanume Shears Short has Aogami Blue Paper Steel blades and white oak handles; £\1\24.\17 from Niwaki.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/masamune-garden-shears-short-gardenista-e1464019842243.jpg)
![From Burgon & Ball, a Precision Shear has an ergonomic design to prevent gardener\2\17;s fatigue. A pair is £34.95 from Amazon UK.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/burgon-ball-precision-shears-gardenista-e1464706858250.jpg)
![A pair of Okatsune Shears No. 60 are ideal for clipping yew and boxwood hedges: \2\20;Blades are made of hot hammer-forged Izumo Yasuki Steel, which is used in Japanese swords—giving them maximum sharpness and cutting power.\2\2\1; A pair is \$\1\29.69 from Amazon.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/okatsune_japanese_garden_shears_gardenista-e1464707314830.jpg)
![From a family-run company based in Germany, Berger Hedge Shears measure 3\2 inches and have chrome-plated forged aluminum blades to resist rust. A pair is \$88 from Terrain.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/berger-hedge-shears-gardenista-e1464707801130.jpg)
![With carbon steel blades and ergonomically designed handles, a pair of Jakoti Hand Shears is the right tool for many jobs: trimming ornamental grasses, deadheading, shaping topiary, and clipping shrubbery. A pair is £\29.99 from Handshears.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/jakoti-garden-hand-shears-gardenista-e1464029105631.jpg)
![A pair of Berger Waved Hedge Shears \2\20;feature a self-sharpening design plus a waved shape to keep branches from slipping,\2\2\1; notes retailer Terrain; \$68.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/berger-wavy-hedge-shears-terrain-733x733.jpeg)
![With a handle that rotates 90 degrees, a pair of Grass Trim-Shears made in Italy can cut \2\20;grass growing right up to the edges\2\2\1; of a path or driveway; \$\24.30 from Garrett Wade.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/grass-trimming-shears-garrett-wade-gardenista.jpg)
See our newly updated 10 Easy Pieces archives for more last-a-lifetime tools, including Bulb Planters and Weeding Forks. Read more:
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