[Tobisho] Tobisho-type Pruning Shears 195mm (7.7") [TBS011701]

The first pruner to carry Tobisho's own name. — Premium Japanese Hand-Forged Pruning Shears

About the Tobisho-type Pruning Shears

While developing the Hiryu and Asuka, and later the Hisui and Hirei, Tobisho found itself asking a different question: could the best of all four be brought together in one shear? The Hiryu and Hisui share Tobisho's own non-contact blade mechanism; this time, Tobisho worked instead with the logic behind the Asuka and Hirei, blades that meet and slide against each other in the traditional way.

The result is the Tobisho-type, released in 2024, the first pruning shear in the lineup to carry the Tobisho name itself. It takes the ergonomics developed for the Hisui and Hirei and scales them up to a standard size, built for gardeners and orchardists who spend long days pruning branch after branch.

About Tobisho-type Pruning Shears 195mm (7.7")

The Tobisho-type 195mm (7.7") is right-handed only. Steel: Premium Blade Steel (undisclosed grade), full-body forged in Yamagata, Japan.

The blade finish looks close to the Asuka's at first glance, but it carries a slightly steeper tilt (kashigari), letting the shear approach a branch at a more natural wrist angle. The body itself is a size up from the Hisui and Hirei, built for volume: orchard work, vineyard pruning, and the kind of professional gardening where the branch count adds up fast over a day.

The asymmetric handle, carried over from the Hisui and Hirei, is shaped for a secure, fitted grip. Two internal springs cut down on hand shock with every cut, and the well-balanced construction is built to hold up over years of regular use. No dedicated leather sheath is currently available for this model.

How to Maintain Your Tobisho Pruning Shears

How do I keep the blade in condition?
Wipe off resin after every use, ideally. Resin buildup gradually forces the blade trajectory outward, the two cutting edges stop meeting cleanly, and the pivot bolt begins to wear along that same outward path, compounding the problem. If wiping after every use isn't practical, clean the blades regularly. Carrying a small cloth and blade cleaner means you can do it on a break.

How do I lubricate the pivot?
Ideally, remove the bolt periodically and pack grease inside, grease holds longer than oil. That said, this requires skill and confidence to do correctly. A practical alternative: one drop of oil on the pivot once a month. It's not the full solution, but it keeps things running smoothly.

Can the shear get wet?
Avoid it where possible, and never leave the shear wet. After working in rain or morning dew, wipe it dry thoroughly. The pivot area retains moisture longest, use a blower or compressed air if you have one. Regular oiling helps here too: a well-oiled blade sheds water rather than holding it.

What if I drop it?
It depends on how and where it lands. A handle-first drop can bend the handle, affecting feel and the locking mechanism. A blade-first drop risks chipping. As a general rule: the sharper the blade, the harder and more brittle the steel, and the thinner the edge. Handle forged Japanese blades accordingly.

Can I sharpen it myself?
Yes, if you understand the blade geometry and have the skill. Sharpening scissors is significantly harder than sharpening knives: you are managing the contact between two blades, and as you sharpen, the blade face recedes, which can cause the edges to lose contact. If you are confident, sharpen only the face of each blade, never the inner flat side. When the blades stop meeting cleanly despite sharpening, that is the point to send it back to the maker. If you are not confident, leave it to a professional. A blade sharpened incorrectly is harder to recover than a dull one. That said: when you reach the point where you can sharpen your own tools, your relationship with them changes entirely.

What if I force it through a branch that's too thick?
Don't. Twisting or levering the shear to force a cut transfers lateral stress directly to the blade, chipping, blade separation, handle damage. Pruning shears, regardless of maker, are not designed for branches thicker than a little finger. That is what a saw is for. The boundary is the thickness of a little finger. Remember it.

About Tobisho: Four Generations of Pruning Shear Hand-Forging

Tobisho has been forging blades in Yamagata since 1804, ten generations of blacksmiths, four of them dedicated to pruning shears. It was Syojiro Tobitsuka, the seventh-generation bladesmith in his family line, who founded Tobisho as a pruning shear forge in 1930, making him the first of four generations dedicated to shears.

Syojiro's shears served both the silkworm farmers already working the region and the orchardists who followed as Yamagata became one of Japan's great fruit-growing prefectures. The tools had to work. His name is still stamped on every Karikomi Shear Tobisho makes.

Generation by generation, the shears got better. What Tobisho is known for today, their heat treatment, their distinctive surface finish, is accumulated experience, made visible.

The late master Yasuhito Tobitsuka, third generation, developed the SR, the Hiryu, and the Asuka, and redesigned the A-type's handle. Daiki Tobitsuka, the fourth-generation master working at the forge today, has added the Hisui, the Hirei, and a Damascus steel A-type. His philosophy: "Cutting well is the baseline. Beyond that: simple and sturdy.", 質実剛健

Forging the Handle

Sharpening the Blade

Notes on use

IMPORTANT: This shear is made of High-Carbon Alloy Steel (Not Stainless Steel). It is exceptionally sharp but prone to rust if not maintained.
Do not twist or lever the blade during a cut.
Handle with care, blade-first drops risk chipping.
For one-handed use only. Right hand.
Designed for branches up to the thickness of a little finger. Use a saw beyond that.
Oil and clean regularly to prevent rust and blade separation.
Do not use on wire, rope, or any non-plant material.
Keep out of reach of children.

💬 Story of This Model - By Shop Manager

Topic: The pruner that finally carries Tobisho's own name.

Hiroshi Urata

I've long described the SR-1 as the flagship of the standard lineup, and the Hiryu as the flagship of the high-grade lineup. For a while, I'd found myself thinking: there's no pruning shear that actually carries the company's own name. Then this one showed up. Hisui and Hirei are models the fourth-generation master, Daiki, poured everything into developing, born from a request to realize that quality in a smaller shear. The Tobisho-type came from the opposite direction, wanting that same Hirei quality, but at a standard size.

➔ Read more: Hisui Pruning Shears 165mm (6.5")