Kitchen Garden Forum

Garden tools and Machinery . . . does 'Secateurs' come into it? I'm very green at this gardening bit all round, most of my tools, simple fork, spade etc., hand me downs from my late Father and Grandad.

That includes my 'Secateurs', they were my late Fathers:



Nothing fancy, Brand 'CK' 8", I seem to remember him buying them in the late 50's? . . . when we moved to our new house, new rose garden etc. I have no need for a fancy pair of choppers, no roses, just a grape vine that I use to provide natural shade in the greenhouse, so it does get trimed every couple of weeks, an old Ivy that needs keeping under control, and I trim the toms up a bit as the fruits ripen to let the sun get at them.

So the question, they seem to cope, but would a sharpen help? if so, any tips . . . or is it time to invest? Again, if so, any recommendations? Secateurs are not something one studies . . .

CJS

Wow they look so lovely and steeped in history - I bet they've seen some action

I'd be inclined to give them a sharpen at least once a year and get some oil in around the nutty bits.

I realise that last comment is open all sorts of interpretation but you know what I mean

The old ones are always the best.
A good rub down with some wire wool would do wonders for your secateurs - start with a coarse grade then move on to finer grades with the help of a little WD40. If you try to sharpen the blade yourself remember that it is only the top cutting edge of the larger blade (top one in your photo) that should be sharpened at an angle all the other cutting surfaces must be kept smooth, flat and clean. Tool places sell small stones for this sort of sharpening. Try to follow the original angle on the blade.

John

Yes Suzie, every time I pick them up the memories flood back. Happy memories, of the love my dad had for his roses, it was a tiny garden, half a dozen standards, a few climbers and bush roses. But he loved it for my mum . . . she loved the flowers. A few bedding plants in between, and then a blaze of colour around the standard roses in September from dahlias, yes many memories . . .

OK John, oil and wire wool, and a sharpen of the large blade.

CJS

What truly lovely memories

I was born into a gardening family as well, I can remember toddling down the rows of peas at one of Dad's allotments, he gave me the job of pea picking knowing full well I would eat a fair few.

I am a rose lover same as your Mum

Afternoon CJS, you should be able to ga a new spring for it as well, if you hae a good old fashioned hardware shop near you.

Suzie wrote:What truly lovely memories

I was born into a gardening family as well, I can remember toddling down the rows of peas at one of Dad's allotments, he gave me the job of pea picking knowing full well I would eat a fair few.

I am a rose lover same as your Mum

Sadly, the memories are all very old. I was a bit of a disappointment to my family . . . I hate football, did not go to uni and become a doctor and I did not take to gardening either.

Three years ago, Bob Flowerdew on GQT, went on about 'Sungold' tomatoes, I hadn't eaten a tomato since my auntie Ivy gave up growing toms 20 years back, you should have seen here picture postcard garden. Commercial toms are a wast of time IMHO . . . I had occasion to go to a very small local garden center in the late spring, soon after that GQT broadcast, 'Sungold' tomato plants for sale at 50p each, a rare find? . . . Three plants, a grow bag and £5 lighter . . . the rest is history.

Suppose I was a dormant bud? I moved to a new house in 2001, with a 20x10 greenhouse, all that gardening history just waiting to burst? My late wife Kathy was a keen gardener . . . one had not picked up a fork, (dig here please) since 1995

Its just a bit sad that I did not share my Kathy's gardening enthusiasm, or achieved my familys aspirations? They are all gone now, 'you dont know what you have until it's gone'.

Now? . . . life does go on, I have a new life and happy memories. Unfortunately, I'm a bit old to be as active as I would like to be . . . but I get there, slowly. Strange, my pleasure is veg, perhaps, coming from those early days of Grandad and Dad digging for victory as rationing was still on in my very early years? Kathy loved her flowers, it would have been a good combination, and we had a quarter acre garden!

I took a while for the bug to bite . . . and even now, I grow veg and salad only in the 'flower borders' The lawn is up for a digging . . . but I cant do to much in one go. The greenhouse was half cleared 2 years ago and totally cleared this winter.

Mmm . . . all this from a rusty pair of secateurs and a few old hand me down tools . . . At least the memories are good ones . . .

Wire wool? need to go to B&Q, I think I threw the pack I had out, went rusty . . . Hazel my partner, "try this scouring pad"? . . . Nice to have someone who cares.

CJS

oldherbaceous wrote:Afternoon CJS, you should be able to ga a new spring for it as well, if you hae a good old fashioned hardware shop near you.

Hi OH, . . . . the Aladdins cave of a hardware store close by, closed a year or so back, 'established 1800 and something' you know the type, small wooden draws, glass display counters, galvanised buckets hanging from hooks . . . very sad, there is still one I know of 20 miles away in Clacton, I visit it on occasions, when work takes me that way.

Such closures are driving me more and more to net purchases . . . I just dont like B&Q type stores, incidentally you noticed lately, B&Q seem to have rationalised their stock. It now seems to be 'expensive tat' IMHO, and poor choice in general?

CJS

CJS I love old tools ,we have a fork which will forever be "Aunt Sophies "fork.It's sharp and light and one of my special favourites.
I agree with you about B&Q type places ,we're lucky to have and old style hardware shop not too far away.They will even sell you a single washer.don't you hate having to buy a mixed pack of things like that when one is all you need and you know you'll never find the packet when you need the other size
Still I suppose it's a case of when you don't use it ,you lose it but I 'm pleased to say this little shop seems to flourish.

I just like some secateurs that last more than a couple of years before packing up!

Thanks all for the replies. Encouraged, I went down the shed, an hour later emerged with a 'new pair of secateurs' digging around, I actually found a second pair, not so good, so the plastic covers to the handles were removed.

I Dismantled and cleaned the originals up, enough, but I did not want to remove all the patinae of memories I found an old oil stone that was worn perfectly to suit the blade shape, it put an edge on the blade in no-time that did the old 'newspaper test' . . . old steal takes the best edge.

Reassembling was fun, you cant put two sections plus a bolt together wrong, especially when they are handed . . . well . . . I have not been at my best to day thats my story and I'm sticking to it Fought the reclaimed covers on to the handles, much more comfy than cold steal. Hopefully, I have a pair of secateurs that will last a good few years to come.






As far as old shops and the like, because we are loosing such emporiums. I tend to have a squirrel mentality, throw nothing away, "be useful one day" . . . like the second pair of 'old secateurs', they are poor quality, but finally the handle covers have come in handy, the spring will be a spare as well . . . Some would say the 'squirrel mentality' has more to do with the size of my brain

Personal, I have a yearning for the old days, old values . . . 50's and 60's, was a good times in which to grow up, IMHO.

CJS

CJS's secateur refurbishing company.

Hi folks, I'm new to the Forum and just browsing some topics I came across these exchanges on Secateurs, I thought that members might be interested in my recent acquisition. A couple of years ago I needed to replace my old Rolcut anvil secateurs, and was delighted to find Loewe secateurs from Germany. Website www.original-loewe.de The historic link with Rolcut is very interesting. (There is a drop-down to English version on the little globe icon, top right)

(and yes, I do a lot of pruning work, so have Felcos as well)