Chikamasa T-55C Pruning Shears | Carbon Steel Blade, Coil Spring, 190 mm

Chikamasa T-55C, a Carbon Steel Shear for Picking

Chikamasa labels this one a professional pruning shear. The packaging spells out its purpose plainly: picking fruit, vegetables and flowers. The blade is high-quality carbon steel, which takes a keen edge and sharpens back up quickly. The whole tool is 190 mm long, a size that sits across the palm with room for a gloved hand. Its handles are pressed from steel plate and dipped in a non-slip PVC coating. Three holes in each grip lock that coating in place, so it does not peel away after a season of wet work. Between the handles sits a coil spring, a design Chikamasa chose because it is hard to knock loose. A safety band loops over the handle ends to hold the blades shut and releases easily. The result is a plain, tough harvest tool rather than a delicate trimming scissor. It is at home in a bucket of dirty snips at the end of the row.

Picking Snips for Fruit, Vegetables and Cut Flowers

Growers reach for this shape when the job is harvest, not manicure. It clips peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplant from the plant without tearing the stem, and takes cut flowers at the bench. Mushroom growers use snips like these to trim clusters at the base, where a longer blade gets in the way. In a flower room it is useful for taking down branches and clearing stems before the trim table. The spring and heavier steel handles make it less nimble than the B-500 scissors for fine detail work. Carbon steel is the other trade-off to plan for. It will rust if put away wet, so wipe the blade dry after use and keep a light coat of oil on it between harvests. Sap and plant juice also dull an untreated edge faster, and a quick wipe during long picks helps. Keep it away from thick branches and hard material, which chip a fine edge. For woody growth, a bypass pruner such as the PS-8PLUS-R is the better tool.

Key Features

• High-Quality Carbon Steel Blade: Takes a keen edge that cuts fruit and vegetable stems cleanly and sharpens back up quickly.
• Coil Spring: A coil spring reopens the blades after each cut and is built to stay seated through heavy use.
• PVC-Coated Steel-Plate Handles: A non-slip PVC coating over steel handles keeps a firm hold in wet or gloved hands.
• Three-Hole Grip Anchoring: Holes through each handle lock the coating in place so it resists peeling over time.
• Safety Band: A band holds the blades closed for storage and slips off easily when it is time to cut.

Technical Specifications