Kitchen Garden Forum

PLUMPUDDING wrote:They certainly look like your hoof shears, but what a steelworker who lived on a council estate and grew veg in the back garden would be doing with hoof shears is anyone's guess.

Cutting steel with them, probably. Certainly they're up to the job. I don't suppose for a minute they were misappropriated.

Have you tried using them as secateurs? You'll find that that straight blade doesn't make a fist of cutting plant material, unless it is extremely soft, which is why secateurs are curved, or wiggly like the old parrot bills.

They make excellent secateurs, the toothed blade stops them slipping and they cut smoothly through finger thick twigs with a good clean cut.
I've had an enjoyable summer pruning and tidying up session trying them out.

I must say I wondered about his toe nails!

Have you tried sending your photo to Wilkinson Sword? They might be able to date them and settle the discussion about what they were originally designed for.

Good idea Geoff, but you've seen what happened at my first attempt to put a photo on here.

I think you might have a problem as they don't seem to trade any more, if you search you get this :

"Wilkinson Sword Garden tools were manufactured under license by Fiskars UK Limited.
The trademark licensing agreement between Wilkinson Sword GmbH and the manufacturer has now come to an end.
If you purchased a Wilkinson Sword garden tool and have a question please contact Fiskars on 01656 655 595 or email custserv@fiskars.co.uk
Please note that your manufacturers' guarantee is with Fiskars, the manufacturer, and is not affected by this change.
To be re-directed to Fiskars, click here.
To contact Wilkinson Sword you can write to them at Sword House, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP13 6DG or visit their website www.wilkinsonsword.co.uk
Wilkinson Sword is a registered trademark of 'Wilkinson Sword GmbH'"

- and yet they still seem to be advertised.