Flower shears commonly have straight or curved blade shapes for precise trimming and shaping. Many consumer pruners use a bypass-style cutting action, which makes clean cuts on stems and light branches.
Overall lengths vary widely: compact mini pruners can be about 7.28 inches, typical hand pruners are often in the 8–12 inch range, and long-reach pole pruners can be as long as 30 inches.
Many shears include locking mechanisms or sliding catches to keep blades closed for safe storage. Some sets come with a canvas storage case, and listings commonly recommend storing tools in a dry place to prevent rust.
Maintain blades by: cleaning and thoroughly drying them after use, oiling the blades to preserve sharpness and prevent corrosion, and storing the tools in a dry place to avoid rust.
Blade lengths vary by model — examples in the listings range from about 1.69 inches and 2.3 inches up to 3 inches and as long as 6 inches. Some long-reach models do not specify a blade length in their summary.
One long-reach pruner in the listings specifies a cutting capacity up to 5/8 inch. Other hand pruners are described for trimming flowers and “light branches” without giving a numeric thickness.
Blade materials mentioned include steel, high-carbon (carbon) steel, and specifically SK5 carbon steel in one listing.