Pruning tools consist of the cutters, knives, and saws used for shaping trees and shrubs. We’ve also included some other cutting gardening tools in this group, such as grafting knives and chain saws, as well as ladders and other tools frequently used in pruning.
Most of these tools are cutting tools and, like all cutting tools, work best when they’re kept sharp. Working with dull tools requires more labor to accomplish the same end, and is frustrating. There is a satisfaction to having a pair of loppers remove a branch with a snap, and a frustration in the cut not quite finishing, but leaving a little shred of wood that must be re-cut or torn loose because the loppers were not sharp enough.