Choosing the right scissors for your harvest is very important. These scissors will be in your hands all day so you need to find the right fit and type for whatever you’re doing. In this video, we go over the different types of scissors and their purpose. Hopefully we can answer any questions you might have on choosing the right type and brand of scissor.
[0:00] Eric: Hi, I’m Eric Singleton. Thanks for tuning in for another episode of the GrowPro channel. Today we’re going to be talking about-
[0:06] Object Claters
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[0:08] Eric: Today, we’re going to be discussing, scissors.
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[0:19] Eric: Scissors are a crucial part of the harvesting process, so today we’re gonna take a quick dive into the different types of scissors and their intended uses and specifications. Now, scissors are a very personal choice and we hope, by the end of this video, if you don’t already have a favorite pair, we can help guide you to your next pair of scissors. Because, let’s face it, if you’re not going to automate your harvest, these are gonna be in your hands, all day long. So, you better like the action, and you better like the feel, and you better like the cut.
Now, even if you do automate your harvest, you still need scissors in the equipment list. You’re gonna need them for touch up, you’re gonna need them for pruning, and branching.
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[0:55] Eric: Now, let’s talk about the main types of scissors and their intended uses in the gardening and cannabis cultivation space.
First, we have the pruning shears. This workhorse is great for cutting down small plants or the primary branch on larger plants. A subcategory in the pruning category is a bypass pruner and this is great for cutting larger branches. And the way a bypass pruner is set up is there is a cutting side and there’s a non-sharpened side. This prevents pinching on a larger cut so you get a nice clean cut.
Next up, and a very important scissor is the thinning shears. Thinning shears are really small tip scissors intended to make small cuts. Similar to what you would see somebody use to manicure a bonsai tree. So, these are perfect for canopy management.
Last, but certainly not least, is the needle-nose shears. These are gonna be your main trimming shears. There are three types of scissor shapes in the needle-nose category. You have slanted, straight, and curved. Straight, obviously being the traditional scissor, slanted so you can get it at an angle, and then some people really like a hawksbill curve to work in between the nodes and really do fine detail work.
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[2:07] Eric: So, let’s take a deeper look at some of the brands we carry here at Grow Generation and look at some of the different models and specifications that you’ll need to consider when picking your scissors.
First, let’s take a look at my personal favorite brand of scissors, Chickamasa. Chickamasas are from Japan and Japan is known for high-quality steel forging for, you know, the last thousand years. So, I really like their metal, the edges hold really well, and to me, the scissors just have a better action.
Here, we have the t550 which is a 48-millimeter high carbon steel thinning shear, perfect for lollipop projects. Then, we have the b500sf a needle-nose pruner which is a 35-millimeter high carbon steel blade. But the F stands for fluorine coating to help prevent sticking and easier cleaning. The B500h is that same scissor but without the fluorine coating. “H” standing for high carbon steel.
I personally prefer scissors without springs, but that’s up to you. I think it’s one less thing to break and I like the flow that it creates not having to resist the springs. But if you do like spring assisted scissors, we have a huge choice. Check out our house brand, Harvester’s Edge. Very affordable scissor with a great steel cutting edge.
Or, you can always go with the tried and true Fisker scissor which is, you know, the OG of scissor brands and very affordable and has a great edge and has different options in the spring-assisted category.
Saboten is another great Japanese brand that has a lot of different options for their coatings and their blade shape.
Now, we’ve already talked about how some of the scissors come with a fluorine coating to help prevent sticking. But there’s also another option, and that’s titanium. Now, titanium’s not gonna hold an edge as long as high carbon steel but it is going to be a lot lighter and more resistant to structural damage from drops. The Trim Fast brand has a lot of these options. They have curved titanium and straight titanium and they have high carbon steel curved blades and high carbon steel straight blades and they come with this neat little carrying case.
Now, you have to be honest with yourself. Do you take care of the things you buy? Because I would not buy the Chickemasas if you know you lose your scissors every week. I would go with something like Harvester’s Edge which is a really great scissor, it’s super sharp, it’s very affordable, and if you lose it you can just go buy another one.
Now, with the Chikemasas, you’re gonna pay a little bit more for those, you’re gonna have them resharpened, but, if you’re a connoisseur and you want the absolute best trim, I definitely recoommend going with a Japanese brand.
A Clean scissor is a happy scissor and a happy scissor cuts well so always have an Enzymes complete bath somewhere nearby for a quick cleaning, and definitely always use it to clean at the end of harvest so that your scissors don’t gum up and last longer.
Now, the scissors that we have here in the video are just a small selection of what we have available at Grow Generation and growgeneration.com so stop by one of our stores today, talk to a Grow Pro and find your next pair of scissors.
Hydrofarm Bonsai Shears, 60 mm
Shear Perfection Gold Trimming Shear – 2 in Straight Blades (12/Cs)
Grower’s Edge Dry Rack Enclosed w/ Zipper Opening – 2 ft (12/Cs)
Fiskars Softgrip Floral Pruner (6/Cs)
Fiskars Non-Stick Softgrip Micro-Tip Pruning Snip (2/Pk) (6/Cs)
