Anvil vs bypass pruning shears: Design Anvil Bypass pruning shears look quite different from anvil pruners, which are much heavier looking. Matt Moniz, landscaping and gardening expert at Maverick ...

The terms pruning shears and hand pruners are used interchangeably. Hand-held pruning shears are best suited for cutting woody or semi-woody stems and branches less than ¾ an inch in diameter.

Its blade is stainless steel, and the body and jaw are glass fiber-reinforced plastic. It's rated to cut a 1 1/2-in.-dia. branch. It costs about $30 at hardware stores and home centers.