Hedge & Topiary Shears (including Single-Handed)

Traditional Japanese Karikomi Shears & One-Handed Shears

This category brings together two-handed Karikomi shears and single-handed hedge shears, hand-forged from high-carbon steel. Most of the pieces here are made by Tobisho, blacksmiths based in Yamagata; a smaller selection comes from Sasaoka, working in Tosa, Kochi.

Two-Handed Reach, Single-Handed Precision

Both types of shears in this category are built for the same basic task: trimming the outer surface of a hedge or shaped plant, not reaching into the canopy to remove branches from the inside. Two-handed Karikomi shears use their length and the leverage of both hands to cover a hedge face evenly, which is why they remain the standard tool for maintaining long hedges. Single-handed shears trade that reach for maneuverability: one hand can steady a branch or turn the plant while the other makes a precise cut, which suits detailed topiary work and tighter spaces where a two-handed shear cannot easily turn. Neither tool is a substitute for a bypass pruner, which is designed to reach inside a plant and cut branches at their base.

For details on blade type, size, and handle options for each shear, see the individual product pages below. If you need to cut suckers or thin roots close to the base of a plant, our Root Pruning Shears are built for that specific task; for lighter bud and shoot work, see our Bud & Harvesting Pruners (Mekiri-basami) collection.

14 items