Traditional Anvil Secateurs

How to maintain and care for your Garden Tools

It is very important to take proper care of your garden tool so that it continues to perform at its peak. Do not leave your tool outside, always store it away after use in a dry environment. Even in dry weather conditions your tools, if left outside, are exposed to moisture from wet grass and dew.

Cleaning and drying your garden tools will keep them in good working order. Always remove all of the soil from your digging tools after each use by washing the dirt off.

Never put your tools away wet. Allow them to dry completely before storing to prevent rusting and handle rot. For all wood handled tools apply a light coating of boiled linseed oil to help prevent the wood from drying out and cracking. If a wooden handle is very dirty, remove as much of the soil as possible with a stiff brush. If you need to use water, gently wet the handle with a damp cloth, making sure that you don’t soak the wood, as this may cause the grain to lift and the handle to swell.

Thoroughly clean any tools which have been used for chemical applications. Fertilisers and other chemicals will rapidly corrode any metal.

• Use a pair of anvil secateurs to cut mature hard and dead wood rather than a bypass style. Because this will crush and bruise live wood stems as well as blunt the blades on your anvil secateurs
• Anvil action secateurs have one blade that closes onto a cutting block.  An anvil cut is more powerful than a bypass cut with minimal effort required. Ideal for pruning for mature hard and dead wood
• To keep these blades in good condition wipe with an oiled cloth after each use and sharpen when necessary

For any questions or advice, please contact our technical advice line on 01480 443789 (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm) or email customerservice@westlandhorticulture.com