Vintage Pruning Shears - Made in Italy

[outofbounds]

Found these in a "box and contents" that I was sorting out over the weekend. I know nothing about various spring technologies, but I find this one fascinating and have never see it before. Works like it must have 75 years ago. Stout sturdy and smooth. Is there a term to describe this spring?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Is there a term to describe this spring?

Yes. Volute.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Casualmente, I just found a pair of 'MADE IN ITALY' pruning shears last month and I wholeheartedly share your assessment and enthusiasm, as the guys on the Garage Sale thread can attest. They also have a volute spring. Even more interestingly, we are demonstrating in two posts the difference between bypass pruning shears or snips (yours) - used for clipping live growth, and anvil pruning shears or snips (mine) - used for clipping dead shoots. I didn't post them here, but I am glad you started this thread!

 

[four.cycle]

There were a LOT of pruners made in Italy. I just acquired this set - interestingly branded Seymour Smith. (See the "Ladies Snap-Cut" anvil pruners I recently acuired for my girlfriend in post #8 of that thread.) These use a different type of spring than your examples above:



Here are a couple pairs of Italian-made bypass pruners, each stamped with a different brand name, but both having the same logo forged into the inside of the handles and the same pattern on the handles and both using the "volute" spring:





Seymour Smith also used the "volute" spring on these Italian-made model 124 bypass pruners:



(* sorry about the bicycle wrench image - that was supposed to be an image of the "star in the circle" logo on the "Unsco" pruners - this is the reason we should be able to delete posts! *)

 

[four.cycle]

(* logo forged into inside of handle on the "Unsco" brand Italian-made bypass pruners in post just above: *)



... and then here is my old pair of Italian-made bypass pruners, with the same pattern on the handles as my examples above, but absent the "star in a circle" logo like the ones above.

 

[macgee]

I have these HK Porter and Swiss made Felco cable cutters with same spring.

 

[Gasgt1]

I am a nurseryman by trade and have been picking up old pruning and hedge shears for years.
Here are some that are in our office.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Wow! Nice collection, it's always nice to see something other than automotive tools here, and some of those look very cool and interesting. I like all the rotaries (correct name is...?) and I especially like those triple shears on the upper left in Pic 2. Staying with Pic 2, do those shears on the right have "Perfect Handle" handles?! Who made those? Last questions, in Pic 1 what are those wide hedge clippers with the handle in the back and the second perpendicular handle on the side for the spring-actuated shearing action called? And are those considered a one- or a two-man operation?! Gotta be two right?

 

[four.cycle]

Gasgt1 I'll echo Private Lugnutz's comments and questions. That is an awesome collection there.
The little wheels in my brain are spinning at light speed looking at a few of those!

 

[RTM]

Looks like lower right in 1st pic might be PH also.

 

[Gasgt1]

There is quite an array there.
More stashed in a couple of drawers as well.
When I’m in the office I will look closer and get more answers
I’ll try to get some pics of some of the more unique ones.
There is a hand crank trimmer not pictured that is really cool

I’ve never run into anyone else that has many of these

And yes, there are some perfect handles in there

 

[Private Lugnutz]

And yes, there are some perfect handles in there

Please confirm that by this you mean they are actually H.D. Smith "Perfect Handle" branded or just "perfect handle" type made by someone else. I have never seen or heard of H.D. Smith shears! Very cool if so.

 

[didit]

This is another brand name of the same or similar design made in Italy pruners that have the same star symbols on the inside of the handles. These have been in constant use in my family as long as I can remember and I'm in my 70s now so early 50's at least. They all seem to have the built in wire cutters. This one also has a hole that I'm guessing is intended for bending/twisting wire?
I seem to remember them having a finish reminiscent of gun bluing years ago
Very hard steel. This pair also has a glass cutter at the very tip of the narrow scissor. If I look at it any more I likely will find another use. It's a not so obvious multi-tool.

 

[Gasgt1]

Both of the hedge shears with the perfect handle type grips were made by Wiss

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks. Those are sweet.

 

[Gasgt1]

Here is a pretty interesting set
They are Greensleeves from England

 

[RTM]

Looks like those Wiss shears are circa 1929, not in 1925 or 1934

https://archive.org/details/wiss-catalog-52-29-1929/Wiss Catalog 52-29 1929/page/n71/mode/1up

Found out a pair I have are Circa 1939, not nearly as fun as the PH ones

 

[SweetD]

Even more interestingly, we are demonstrating in two posts the difference between bypass pruning shears or snips (yours) - used for clipping live growth, and anvil pruning shears or snips (mine) - used for clipping dead shoots.

That IS interesting, I never knew that. Thanks!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I don't think it's as honored like a sacrosanct principle among modern nurserymen as it used to be. Maybe Gasgt1 will chime in.

 

[four.cycle]

Never prune your rose bushes with anvil pruners.
The anvil pruner crushes the stem below the cut and leaves it more susceptible to insects, fungal infections, and disease.

I don't even use anvil pruners - only bypass pruners and loppers.

 

[Gasgt1]

I don't think it's as honored like a sacrosanct principle among modern nurserymen as it used to be. Maybe Gasgt1 will chime in.

We only use bypass pruners, Felco #2
I do not even know anyone in the business that uses anvil pruners.

I'm not a fan of anvils.
I really only even look for bypass on my old stuff.
I do pick up a set of anvils on rare occasion but most times just pass them by

 

[Gasgt1]

Unmarked pruning shears with pruning hook and a pair from Seymour Smith with a coil spring

 

[Gasgt1]

Little Wonder Hedge trimmers
Definitely a two man job

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Outlaw and I occasionally talk about the weirdly synchronous, coincidental (and perhaps subconsciously causal) "runs" the forum seems to go on from time to time, and it just happened again with cherry pickers on the Garage Sale and BELL SYSTEM threads.

When I found the MADE IN ITALY brass anvil pruning shears a few weeks ago (see post #2), I don't recall ever seeing anvil-type pruning shears at my flea market before, I had never seen pruning shears posted here on GJ before, and all of a sudden there was a thread started by someone else who just found MADE IN ITALY pruning shears.

Today at my flea market I spotted not one, not two, but three different anvil-type pruning shears on three different vendors' tables. Is it because I had never noticed them before? Or are pruning shears trending?

These two were modern, cheap, and nothing special, and I passed on them.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I snapped up these Seymour Smith Original #119 Snap-Cut jobbies in a hurry, though! I am happy they aren't the 'Ladies' version. See Pic 7 for the patent (1,831,609), granted in 1931 to Walter Schroder and assigned to the Fritz Howaldt company in Kiel, Germany. I am guessing that Smith paid a licensing fee.

 

[four.cycle]

I got those "Ladies Snap Cut" pruners for my girlfriend to carry on some of the trails she walks on - because they're really small and very light, which is what I'd hoped for when I ordered them:



(same patent number as your set above)

Because the stuff she'll use those for is undergrowth hanging out over the trail, anvil pruners are perfectly appropriate.

these are the wrong photos below:

 

[woody 73]

Somewhere way back in one post or another I wrote about my trip to the 127 (I think ?), and stopping by all the flea places. Anyhow I was covered in mud and sinking by the second when I grabbed a plastic bucket just filled with rain water and my old eyes caught a Felco pruner, oh sure it had a broken blade but no big deal as you can buy replacement blades.

My wife just rolled her eyes...Too much mud I guess but I still use those hand pruners to this day.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Found these Sargent & Co era BERNARD brand "Parrot Head" pruning shears at the flea market this morning. Anvil type.

 

[RagTopTA]

Here are some 6 1/2" Wiss I found at rhe flea market. They are very smooth and srill oretty sharp. No clue what year they were made... Yet.

*Eye balls Lugz

 

[RTM]

Vintage Pruning Shears - Made in Italy

Found these in a "box and contents" that I was sorting out over the weekend. I know nothing about various spring technologies, but I find this one fascinating and have never see it before. Works like it must have 75 years ago. Stout sturdy and smooth. Is there a term to describe this spring?

www.garagejournal.com

Or if the link breaks

Wiss Shears, Scissors, Tinners' Snips, Pruning Shears, Hedge Shears, Grass Shears : Catalog No. 52-29 : J. Wiss & Sons Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

94 p. illus., 22.8 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

 

[RagTopTA]

Very cool! Thanks RTM!! 1929!! And still smooth working

 

[torontotools]

I would call these loppers myself, but they are labelled as a pruner 24 inches total length. . H.K Porter No.124 P Pointcut Pruner Made in U.S.A H.K .Porter Inc. Boston43, MASS. Is this the same HK Porter that made locomotives? Any hints on age of these woudl be appreciated. They are in great shape apart from the rust. I have had them for a few months now.

 

[rogerpenn]

There were a LOT of pruners made in Italy. I just acquired this set - interestingly branded Seymour Smith. (See the "Ladies Snap-Cut" anvil pruners I recently acuired for my girlfriend in post #8 of that thread.) These use a different type of spring than your examples above:



Here are a couple pairs of Italian-made bypass pruners, each stamped with a different brand name, but both having the same logo forged into the inside of the handles and the same pattern on the handles and both using the "volute" spring:





Seymour Smith also used the "volute" spring on these Italian-made model 124 bypass pruners:



(* sorry about the bicycle wrench image - that was supposed to be an image of the "star in the circle" logo on the "Unsco" pruners - this is the reason we should be able to delete posts! *)

Those No 128's are exactly what I have and the spring broke and I don't have it for reference. Any chance you can tell me anything about the dimensions and hole size of the spring?

 

[four.cycle]

Seymour Smith 128 bypass prunes 09/04/25

 

[rogerpenn]

Seymour Smith 128 bypass prunes 09/04/25

Wow! Fantastic! Thank you, that was above and beyond and very helpful!

 

[four.cycle]

No problemo. You should be able to find a spring that will work at ACE Hardware if they have a good selection in their "Hillman" bins.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Is this the same HK Porter that made locomotives?

Yes. Well known for their compound bolt cutters, it makes perfect sense they would make what look to be very effective loppers. That's a nice find.

Any hints on age of these would be appreciated.

From the HELPFUL HINTS section of the Sticky...

- Postal Codes (2-digit numbers) were established in 1943
- Zip Codes (5-digit numbers which embed older 2-digit Postal Codes) were established 1963

 

[DifficultDave]

L.B. ITALY dropped forged with the diamond pattern grip, wire cutters and a hole for wire bending ? What’s the hole for? Lubricant?

Length : exactly 9 inches

Never heard of “L.B.”
“L.B. ITALY inside of a Diamond”

But hey, there is NO STAR ON THE INSIDE OF HANDLE …

these are probably 1950’s or 1960’s i think.

WHO patented this handle grip?
How can so many tool manufacturers have the same grip pattern ?
Or is it one maker selling to all of these tool brand names ?

 

[four.cycle]

Ahh... the mysteries we delve into here....

Welcome to the site, @DifficultDave - glad to see you were able to find the correct thread.

Your question causes me to wonder if perhaps Italy enacted some federal mandate that required all hand-held bypass pruners to have the same handle patterns, perhaps?

 

[RTM]

Or is it one maker selling to all of these tool brand names ?

Somewhere I posted a saw set @Old Man Roger that I think was mass produced, then a small stamp was added for the distribution site. Many German made showed up, looking very similar, with a different logo in one spot.

So it would not surprise me to know that Italy had a similar set up