Why Are My Secateurs Making Jagged Cuts?
Sep 24, 2026
Quick answer: if your secateurs are crushing, tearing or leaving ragged edges instead of making a clean cut, the blade may be dull—but that is not the only possibility.
Sap buildup, a damaged cutting edge, poor blade alignment, using the tool on material that is too hard or thick, or making the cut in the wrong part of the blade can all produce a poor result.
Before sharpening, identify what has actually changed.
1. Is the cutting edge dull?
A dull edge is an obvious place to start.
As the edge loses sharpness, more force is required to complete the cut. Instead of passing cleanly through the plant tissue, the tool may begin to compress, tear or partially cut the stem.
A simple warning sign is that pruning suddenly feels harder than it used to on material the secateurs previously handled easily.
But do not immediately grind the blade every time a cut feels poor.
First clean the secateurs. Sap and dirt can imitate some of the symptoms of a dull edge.
Our Secateurs Maintenance Guide explains how to sharpen the blade while preserving its original geometry.
2. Are the blades covered in sap or plant residue?
Pruning blades gradually collect sap, moisture and fine plant debris.
That residue can become sticky and interfere with the smooth movement of the blades.
If the secateurs feel reluctant to open or close, or if the blade surfaces are visibly coated, clean them before assuming they need sharpening.
Fresh residue is much easier to remove than hardened sap.
For stubborn buildup, our Rust & Sap Remover can be used carefully with a suitable blade oil, after which the tool should be wiped clean and dry.
A clean blade also makes it much easier to inspect the cutting edge properly.
3. Is the branch too thick—or simply too hard?
A secateur's cutting capacity matters.
The fact that a branch fits between the blades does not mean the tool is designed to cut it.
For example, several of our general SUWADA garden secateurs are intended for live wood up to approximately 15 mm, while compact and fine-pruning models have different limits.
And diameter is only part of the story.
Dry, dead or unusually hard wood can require substantially more force than fresh live growth of the same thickness.
If you need to twist the handles, repeatedly bite into the same branch or use excessive force, stop.
Move to a tool designed for heavier material rather than forcing the secateurs through it.
Our Japanese Secateurs Choosing Guide lists the verified cutting guidance for the current models.
4. Are you cutting in the right part of the blade?
Cutting capacity is not always equal from the tip to the pivot.
Some SUWADA models specifically have different guidance depending on where the branch sits.
- S-19: approximately 5 mm near the tip and 10 mm near the base.
- S-25: approximately 5 mm near the tip and up to 15 mm near the base.
The base of the blade is closer to the pivot and has greater leverage.
Trying to cut a relatively thick stem near the tip can therefore produce a much poorer result than positioning suitable material deeper into the cutting head.
Do not interpret a model's maximum capacity as meaning the entire blade can cut that diameter equally well.
5. Are the blades meeting correctly?
Sharp blades still need to meet properly.
If the pivot has become loose, the blades are misaligned, or one part has been bent or damaged, the cutting surfaces may no longer pass each other as intended.
Possible warning signs include:
- the blades moving sideways against each other;
- an obvious gap where the cutting surfaces should meet;
- one part of the blade cutting while another does not;
- the tool no longer closing normally;
- a sudden change in cutting performance after being dropped or forced.
Do not try to correct serious alignment problems by aggressively grinding the blade.
If a SUWADA secateur is chipped, bent, badly misaligned or no longer closes correctly, contact us before removing additional metal.
6. Is the blade chipped or damaged?
Look closely along the cutting edge.
A small chip or rolled section can interrupt an otherwise clean cut. Damage can occur when secateurs are forced through material outside their intended capacity or used on inappropriate materials such as wire.
Garden secateurs should not be used as wire cutters.
Minor loss of sharpness and a damaged cutting edge are different maintenance problems.
Routine sharpening may restore a dull edge. A badly chipped or distorted blade may need professional attention instead.
7. Could your cutting technique be contributing?
Yes.
A clean pruning cut should normally be made in one controlled action using an appropriate part of the blade.
Avoid:
- twisting the secateurs while they are embedded in the branch;
- repeatedly rocking the handles from side to side;
- forcing a branch that clearly exceeds the tool's capacity;
- using the very tip of the blade for a cut that requires more leverage.
For bypass-style pruning tools, blade position relative to the part of the plant being retained can also affect the quality of the cut.
If the tool cuts cleanly on some branches but tears others of similar material, look at positioning and technique before assuming the blade is defective.
A quick diagnosis
If your secateurs have started making poor cuts, check them in this order:
- Clean the blades.
- Check the branch diameter and whether the wood is live, dry or unusually hard.
- Try the correct part of the blade.
- Inspect the cutting edge for dullness or damage.
- Check that the blades meet correctly and the pivot is moving normally.
- Sharpen only if the edge actually needs sharpening.
That order matters.
Sharpening a dirty tool will not solve the dirt. Sharpening a misaligned tool will not correct the alignment. And sharpening perfectly good secateurs will not make them suitable for a branch that is simply too large.
If the edge genuinely needs attention, follow our Secateurs Maintenance Guide. If the issue is tool selection, compare the models in our Japanese Secateurs collection or read What Size Secateurs Do I Need?
Sources
For general pruning-tool guidance, see the Royal Horticultural Society's sharpening guidance, its tool-cleaning guidance, and the University of Maryland Extension pruning-tools guide.
