217 Okatsune 7744ai Trimming Shears, Type 60, Short Handle

I work as a freelance gardener and sometimes that means trimming a hedge. I don't use gas powered tools. Prior to purchasing these Okatsune shears, I owned a very basic and somewhat heavy set of shears and I didn't particularly enjoy hedge trimming. All of that completely changed after I bought these shears. Firstly, as a female gardener, these are really enjoyable to use because they are incredibly light weight and nimble so there is absolutely no arm or back fatigue using these as opposed to using heavier shears. Secondly, they are super sharp and trimming with them results in a beautifully precision cut hedge. Thirdly they allow me to get my work done faster. These shears are a dream to work with, I love using them for work and now I can say I really enjoy trimming hedges.

My "orange handled" hedge shears were not working right - something out of alignment so I was looking and found these rave reviews for OKATSUNE shears. The price was a little high but I am drawn to QUALITY so decided to take the plunge. Bought these 217 shears. They arrived new and sharp and clean. I did not use them as right after I ordered I saw some other reviews theorizing that Stihl Heavy Duty shears are made by Okatsune. Yet the picture didn't quite match these. I dug further and found that Okatsune also makes a 231 model which is same medium length handles but the blades are around 1" longer. THAT picture matched exactly to the Stihl product. So I went to local A hardware store and got those kind for a lower price. I like that I get more blade length for less money. Either way you can't go wrong I think. THESE ARE SHARP and I made quick work of my yews and boxwoods. These cut the boxwoods like buttah! On the yews they also cut like buttah and even on the thicker clumps of stems that are up to 1/2" in diameter, a little arm power and they slice through those too. I cleaned them off after to get the sap off then oiled them. I probably should have oiled them FIRST before using to make clean up even easier. I think they will last a long time. I am a little wary that the oak handles will be the thing that breaks at some point but hopefully not for awhile. They are attached by a couple rivets on each side.

I've had these shears for exactly one day .... I'm in love! Spent the afternoon trimming my Japanese hollies (what else?!). The shears are basically a very large pair of scissors... a very sharp and wonderfully crafted pair of scissors. Very light weight and perfectly balanced -- does not tire your arms or hands. The cut is effortless and clean. I don't know what took me so long to get these! Worth every penny!!

I used this to chop off the tops of the ton of thyme and mint I have to encourage growth and keep the bees under control. The cuts are super sharp. Be careful. I actually cut my finger while using rubbing alcohol to clean the blades. Wow that hurt. These are super light. I'm a 63 yo female and carried them around my hard for 3 hours. Tomorrow I'll use these to tackle all of my boxwood. I bought the whetstone to keep them sharp . Great shearers. The ones I have from ace just basically smushed the stems instead of cutting them. I'm wondering if all Okatsune products are as excellent as these shears.

I absolutely LOVE these shears! I decided to splurge and get some really good hedge shears for myself. I’m 80 and still working in the yard, pruning and trimming and whatever else needs doing and these wonderful shears make yard work a pure pleasure again. I had gotten to the point I was ready to give up gardening because pruning had gotten so hard to do BUT today I received my Okatsune shears and immediately went out and used them, I was blown away, compared to 5 or 6 other top name shears I have these far surpassed them all. I especially like the size and balance, I call them Lady Shears because they are Lady sized; amazing Japanese blades; makes work seem like “cuttin buttah”! Thank you Okatsune and Amazon!!!!!

Compared to electric or gas trimmer, better for small- medium property. Pro: They are light and sharp. This means I can get anywhere on the bush or tree easily. I can work for hours without getting tired. I can trim any time, any day. So also can anyone in my family. These are small and light enough to keep in the house with other small tools. Easy to control for very light work to average hedge work. I just trimmed 5 big hedge bushes, two ten foot trees, and 5 misc. 4 foot tall plants in 2 hrs, and I am not anywhere near tired and annoyed as I am after using an electric or gas trimmer. I have spent countless hours repairing those devices. They are not resilient. My hope is that these sheers will last if I keep them clean, sharpened, dry and lubricated. Working with these clippers is peaceful. No noise or smell. No need to make a production of it. You can take your time and enjoy the outdoors, not stress about equipment or fuel. Cons: You will not get a fast buzz cut with these. I had to go back over stuff a few times, but no problem because I was not tired. I felt like it would damage the blades if I cut pencil thick wood branches. To be clear, anything reasonably thin and green will cut with barely a thought. Warning, that could include fingers, the siding on your house, etc. The tool demands respect and a watchful eye.

These work great. They're smaller than I thought they'd but get the job done and are light. From friends who only buy Japanese yard tools, they'll probably outlive me. If anything, they're TOO sharp. I was cleaning the blade with a cloth and my thumb my have grazed the edge and it slit me wide open. So keep away from children. After a couple months, the blades seem to have rusted though I always put them away dry so I may need to oil.

Well balanced, comfortably weighted, narrow blade, keeps an edge for a long time. I like the shorter handles for being able to get into tighter spots. I look forward to entire days of shearing with these shears. Worth every penny!