Anvil vs Bypass Secateurs: Which Is Best for UK Gardeners?

Walk into any garden centre in the UK and you'll see two types of secateurs sitting on the shelf: anvil and bypass. They look similar, they both cut things, so what's the difference? Pick the wrong one for the job and you'll end up with ragged cuts, damaged plants, and a lot more effort than you needed.

Here's the short version: bypass is for living plants, anvil is for dead stuff. But like most things in gardening, the real answer depends on what you're cutting, how often you do it, and what kind of gardener you are.

What Are Bypass Secateurs?

Bypass secateurs work like scissors. Two curved blades pass each other as they close, creating a clean scissor cut on one side of the stem. The sharp blade slides past the thicker counter-blade, which means the plant stem is sliced cleanly rather than crushed.

This clean cut is important for plant health. A smooth cut heals faster and reduces the chance of disease getting into the wound. That's why bypass secateurs are the standard choice for pruning live plants, roses, fruit bushes, and green wood. The Felco 2 is the most popular bypass model worldwide, and for good reason. It's been made in Switzerland for decades with fully replaceable parts, so you can keep the same pair going for 20 years.

If you've got smaller hands, the Felco 6 is the same quality in a more compact frame. For heavier jobs or larger hands, the Felco 13 includes a rotating handle and lever action that reduces wrist strain.

The ARS HP-VS9Z from Japan is another top-tier bypass option. It uses a different blade geometry that creates an even cleaner cut than Felco, though replacement parts are harder to find in the UK.

What Are Anvil Secateurs?

Anvil secateurs use a different mechanism. The sharp blade cuts down onto a flat metal surface (the anvil), like a knife on a chopping board. This creates a crushing action rather than a clean scissor cut. The stem is pushed through between the blade and the anvil, which means it gets squashed on the bottom side.

That sounds like a bad thing, and for live plants it is. But for dead wood, thick stems, and tough material, the crushing action gives you more cutting power with less effort. The blade doesn't need to slide past anything, so there's less friction and more cutting force.

The Wolf Garten RS2500 Anvil Secateurs are a solid mid-range choice for UK gardeners. They've got ergonomic handles, a 10-year guarantee, and the anvil design handles dead wood up to 20mm without breaking a sweat. The Wolf Garten RS4000 steps up with a stronger build for regular heavy use.

If you struggle with hand strength, look for ratchet anvil secateurs like the Spear & Jackson 6258KEW Kew Gardens Compact Ratchet Anvil. The ratchet mechanism cuts in steps, so each squeeze only does part of the work. You can cut through branches up to 20mm with a third of the effort. The Gardena Comfort Ratchet Secateurs SmartCut are another excellent option with a 25-year warranty and a clever power-boost mechanism that switches between ratchet and direct-cut modes.

Key Differences at a Glance

When to Use Each Type

Use bypass secateurs for:

• Pruning roses and flowering shrubs
• Cutting back green stems and soft growth
• Deadheading flowers
• Harvesting vegetables and soft fruits
• Any job where the cut matters for the plant's health

Use anvil secateurs for:

• Cutting dead wood and dry branches
• Trimming back old woody growth on shrubs
• Cutting stems thicker than 10-15mm
• Jobs where crushing the stem doesn't matter
• Gardeners with arthritis or limited hand strength (especially ratchet models)

Many UK gardeners end up with both types in their shed. The bypass pair lives in your pocket for daily pruning rounds. The anvil pair comes out when you're hacking back the old growth or cutting up pruned branches for the green bin. Having both means you never have to force the wrong tool through the wrong job.

Can You Use Both?

Absolutely. In fact, that's what most experienced UK gardeners do. Bypass for the daily rounds - pruning roses, shaping shrubs, deadheading. Anvil for the rough stuff - cutting up pruned branches, tackling dead wood, trimming back woody perennials in late winter.

A good starter combo is a Felco 2 for bypass work and a Wolf Garten RS2500 for anvil work. Together they cost about the same as a single premium pair of Japanese secateurs, and they'll cover every pruning job your UK garden can throw at you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

Choose bypass secateurs if you mainly prune live plants, roses, and green wood. Choose anvil secateurs if you frequently cut dead wood, thick stems, or need extra cutting power with less hand strength. Choose both if you're serious about gardening, which is what most of us end up doing anyway.

For the money, start with a Felco 2 for bypass work and add a Spear & Jackson ratchet anvil for the rough jobs. That combo costs under £70 and covers every pruning job your garden will throw at you.

For a full breakdown of the best secateurs across both types, including prices and detailed reviews, check out our Best Secateurs UK 2026 guide.

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Last reviewed: July 26, 2026 · Evidence-based content · Contains affiliate links