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• Clipping Theory • Clipping Tools • Clipping Technique • Simple Shapes
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• Clipping Tools

Introduction
There are a range of tools available to consider when topiary trimming and training is required. The individual's choice is usually governed by the size and extent of the work to be undertaken.
One of the most important points to consider and maintain is the sharpness of the cutting edge. When these tools are new, they are very sharp and will all generally function well. Inevitably however, they will loose their edge and their continuing performance depends on the care the end user takes in maintaining them. One could quote the old saying here "A craftsman is only as good as his tools"or even "A poor craftsman blames his tools!"
The tool descriptions in order of size...

Secateurs
A good quality set of secateurs is an indispensable part of the Topiarist¹s armoury. They are, of course, much used in the formation stages of topiary development, but they also have their part in continuing maintenance.
Indeed, some features may be trimmed with secateaurs alone - especially
where formed from large-leaved species.

Very fine detail is often better trimmed using secateaurs or sheep shears and individual stray shoots or sucker growth is best removed using these tools.

Because they fit directly into the hand and are operated as an extension of it, it is particularly important that they are ergonomically as perfect as
can be arranged. At Levens we generally use Felco secateurs. Whichever brand you choose, ensure that the feel, weight and balance is right for you - and of course that they can be easily maintained and sharpened.
As with all tools, if abused they will be damaged, so don¹t be tempted to cut wire or wood of too great a thickness with them.

Hand shears
These are surely the mainstay of any Topiarist¹s tool kit and have been the traditional clipping tool for centuries. They are simple in operation and contain few moving parts. Although little can go wrong, looking after them and maintaining them properly will make all the difference to the level of pleasure you will have in using them.

Different models do have slightly different features and we will now examine this in more detail.
Firstly we will look at the sharp end of the tool, the blades. Usually both blades have cutting edges ground on them, but this is not always the case.
Certain shears have one flat striking edge and one opposing cutting edge.
When I have come across this particular design it is one which I favour- the point being that particularly soft growth is less likely to be folded over and squashed between the blades, but is more likely to be caught squarely and cut cleanly.
Some blades are straight throughout their length, while others are wavy
along their cutting edge, or even notched at the base. The idea with the latter two is that larger and harder growths are not just squeezed or pushed up and out of the blades, but are caught, held and cut. This too can be a very useful feature.

It is important too, for ease of use, that the blades as they cut should be touching at just that one point at any time, thus reducing friction and the hard work necessary to operate them.

Moving along the tool, the securing bolts should be removable for cleaning and maintenance of the tool and also adjustable in order to tighten or loosen the blades action against each other.
Rubber shock-absorbing stops should be provided, usually on the upper
handles. These greatly improve operator comfort by reducing the jarring which is otherwise communicated up the joints of the arms each time the shears snap closed.



Lastly, to the handles themselves. These may be of wood, plastic or rubber composite. Where made of wood, this is often either painted or varnished when new and one very good tip I would give is to get some glass paper and rub off this outer coating back to the smooth natural wood. This immeasurably improves the feel of the tool and in some way enhances the hand-craftsmanship aspect of its use. Hard plastic handles also benefit from being rubbed down with sandpaper - again this seems to subtly improve the grip and feel of the tool.
It is the grip and feel of the tools that is ultimately so important and governs greatly their pleasure in use. We need to grip more tightly when there is no natural adhesion or friction between hand and tool. This leads to extra fatigue and hand cramps more quickly. The slightly more porous, rougher surface, of sanded wood allows an easier grip, particularly when bare hands or wood are slightly damp. Craftsmen of old would spit on their hands before taking their grip on wooden tools!
Another technique for improving grip on these sorts of hand tools is to get a strip of replacement tennis handle tape. This is cheap and readily available from sports shops and because it is self adhesive can be wound around the handles giving excellent grip and potentially enhanced shock-absorbing characteristics.
Finally, I would recommend the use of lightweight gripper gloves. These come in many different forms for building and trade workers, but essentially are a light close-fitting glove with a soft gripping rubber coating of some sort. They are excellent for reducing fatigue when working, as only the slightest of pressure is needed to keep the tool correctly positioned in the hand.

Whilst covering the subject of hand shears, I would like to refer to the metal used in the blade and most importantly its potential for keeping sharp. All shears when new will be very sharp of course, but through use they inevitably become blunt. The blade material of some shears is made from a chrome hardened material which although keeping its edge well is difficult to resharpen.
A favourite with some of the pro's are a plainer steel which although perhaps more likely to go rusty if left out in the rain and perhaps slightly quicker to loose its edge, most importantly can be sharpened easily and effectively by the Topiarist to produce the finest of razor edges. At Levens we use Sandvik Pradines P51 shears and are very well satisfied with their balance, weight, blade quality etc. We certainly would have no hesitation in recommending these shears.
Note the other main part of the Topiarist¹s kit are the hand water sprayer, a cane, and a pocket diamond sharpener. But more of these later...

Safety
Bear in mind a good set of shears is very sharp and will cut you just as easily as it cuts plant material. Keep your hands (and children) well away from the blades. Wearing gloves may be prudent!

Electric clippers
Moving up the scale, and perhaps more appropriate for work of greater extent are various types of mechanical hedge trimmers. Generally speaking these all operate on a similar principle - reciprocating blades of varying length being driven by a motor of some sort. Electric hedge trimmers are probably the most popular and come from many manufacturers to many specifications.
In the UK, mains voltage is 240 volts AC and this can easily kill.
Electrical hedge trimmers usually have lots of safety features built in
however, but do bear in mind they are not for use in the wet! They should also be used in conjunction with an RCD circuit breaker which will cut the mains supply almost instantly if a fault occurs.
With all mechanical clippers, weight and balance become of prime
importance... It is no use having tools capable of doing large quantities of work if they are too heavy or awkward to use for long periods.

Increasingly with this type of tool, micro-switches are incorporated into each handle so that they can only be operated when both hands are firmly around both handles, and therefore away from the blades. Fast, 0.1 secondblade brakes are another feature to look for which will stop the blades moving the instant either of the handle switches are released. Single-sided and double-sided blades are available. Single-sided blades do not have the disadvantages they might at first appear to have. Slight reduction in weight allows a slightly longer blade, all other things being equal, and they are just as effective in use.
For intricate work, a shorter blade is definitely an advantage. But for
larger pieces, and particularly hedges, the longest blade you can handle should be chosen. It is far easier to create smooth, flat planes using a long tool in broad sweeps than nibbling away with short clippers.
Little Wonder clippers from the USA and are readily available in the inherently safe 110 volt versions. Safely supply power to them from centre tapped earth transformers which in effect, further reduce the potential shock hazard down to a very acceptable 55 volts to earth. They also have particularly light action hand switches - heavy springs in this area would make for greater operator fatigue in time.
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A bright orange or yellow flex helps to avoid us cutting through it. Also clipping the lead into a karabiner on the back of the belt helps keep it out of the way. Despite this the operator needs to be aware of its position at all times and should attempt to keep it behind them.
Generally speaking the more modern the clipper the more safety features it will have, but always be aware that the blades will cut fingers and thighs as quickly as twigs and hedges! Wearing stout gloves is always a good idea,also eye protection to stop those small bits of leaf and twig getting in and ear defenders.
Small battery operated clippers have also be devised, but be prepared to change batteries or recharge them more than once a day. On some, the battery pack is fixed at the waist or even mounted on a backpack and attached to the clippers by a short cable. These are very useful and convenient tools, particularly if reserved for more limited or lighter duties.

On many mechanical clippers more recently produced, the rear handle is
rotatable through 180 degrees. On long stretches of hedging where the
operator is working in one plane only and in one direction, this can be
useful. But normally it is better to leave the handle in the standard
position - thus allowing cutting strokes in all directions.

Petrol clippers
These mechanical clipping tools are the real heavyweights of the job. They usually pack more power than electrical equivalents and can cut into thicker branches. This only becomes of value however if more than this year¹s growth has to be removed, which will seldom be the case in topiary work.
They do however have the significant advantage in that there are no trailing wires, no depending on mains or generated electricity and most usefully, no danger of electric shock when being used in wet conditions. They are powered by small two-stroke engines running on petrol/oil mix. Their main disadvantage being the inevitable breathing in of exhaust fumes, and their weight and noise/vibration levels. Despite all this, my current mechanical clipper of choice is the lightest professional petrol clipper I could source - the Jonsered HT22.



Much larger petrol clippers are produced, but are aimed perhaps more at an agricultural market. They are very large and powerful so are not ideal for close accurate detail and their comfort in use is questionable for hour-after-hour, day-after-day, week-after-week use.
Another development in recent years has been the long reach hedge trimmer.
These are basically strimmer engines and long handles with an adjustable trimmer attachment fitted at the end. We find these tools incredibly useful for reaching that little bit further than standard clippers. They can also be used, if controlled carefully, to give a very flat finish to plane surfaces.

Their disadvantage of course is the extra weight and leverage that works back onto the operator's body. For this reason we see them more as a supplement to our standard tools, rather than a replacement. Again, for safety's sake, strong gloves, eye and ear protection should be worn when using any of these tools.

Pneumatic and Hydraulic Clippers
Pneumatic and hydraulic clippers have been developed for specialist fields, but neither has developed so far or as well as their petrol and electrical versions, so can be discounted here.

Maintenance and Safety
All clippers come with full manufacturers operating and safety instructions and these should, of course, be studied and followed closely.



Generally speaking though, gloves should be worn as a first line of defence from sharp blades. Eye protection and also ear defenders may be necessary.
We usually rely on a chain-saw operator¹s helmet for much of our clipping season. These have mesh visors which are particularly effective at stopping flying debris hitting the eyes, whilst unlike goggles, glasses or clear plastic visors they do not get smeared or steamed up. Ear defenders are built in and the helmets protect damage to the head. Usefully, they also have a small cape for protection in heavy rain - preventing run-off from going down the back of the neck.

The smooth operation of all clippers relies on lubrication of course.
Manufacturers instructions will detail grease and oiling points, but it is also vital to keep the cutters clean and lubricated during use. Light spray oils, such as WD40, can be used occasionally during the day, but would be costly and perhaps more importantly, damaging to plant and environment used more frequently. We have found that ordinary water is the ideal cleaner and lubricant. We carry a hand water sprayer with us at all times and are continually keeping the blades wet between clips - every minutes or so.



This has the most important effect of softening, dissolving and washing away any build-up of sap and green plant gums that would otherwise slow the shears, increasing the power needed to operate them. Perhaps most
importantly, it does not build up enough to force the cutting surfaces
apart. This would produce a mashed rather than cleanly cut leaf and
stripped rather than cut twigs - a poor finish known here as the candle effect'.
As for the sharpening and set of the clippers - well again it is wise to follow the manufacturers guidelines and instructions. Our petrol and electric clippers we have serviced, sharpened and set professionally once a year before the start of the clipping season. If not abused - i.e. used to cut through large branches or caught up in too much soil and stones at ground level, then this is usually perfectly adequate.
Sharpening these clippers is not too technical a task, but is time-consuming if done correctly - there are a lot of teeth on the average machine and every one needs individual attention. Note too that slower hand filing produces the best results... Faster power tool grinders can just overheat and soften the temper of the metal.
The set of the blades is also crucial. Reciprocating blades must run as tightly together as possible without actually being slowed down in any way.
Again refer to the manufacturers guidelines- some recommend the use of
feeler-gauges, others tightening fully then loosening off, and yet others by virtual trial and error!
Following each days work we usually hose the blades off (avoiding the motor end of course) before treating them with a light oil such as WD40.

Hand shears we maintain sharpness on ourselves, using small pocket-sized diamond surfaced files. Again, if during use they are kept clean and lubricated with a squirt of water every minute or so, then daily or weekly sharpening is no chore and all part of the craft. There is a great sense of pride and achievement to be had from topiary worked with razor sharp tools and razor sharp is just what must be aimed for... The shear should be capable of cleanly cutting a sheet of paper along its full length - if they don't then more sharpening work is needed.



Gloves for this task should be seen as essential and we always find a small diamond-faced flat file best. These seem to last so much better than metal files and despite only seeming slightly rough to the touch, remove metal quickly and efficiently. It is important the shears are held steadily for the operation. Perhaps a vice would be best, but in the field we jam the point of one of the blades into a handy support and work from there. It is important to maintain the angle that the shears were initially sharpened at and to only sharpen that particular side. The file may be passed along the other face flat to turn back the burr.



A thin wire burr or a roughness will build up at the edge of the blade and for the ultimate edge this can be removed using a steel (butcher¹s steel).
This hard steel instrument, if rubbed along the length of the edge at the same angle the filed was used, will eventually weaken and rub it off leaving it truly razor-sharp. Filings should be washed away with water.

The other indispensable tool of the trade
This is a thin stick or garden cane used to flick away the clippings from the worked surfaces. We often use a short 1 metre cane when working on small, detailed or easily accessible subjects. Or we use a longer 2 metre cane when working at full reach, across large surfaces.
A suitable stick can be cut from the garden to serve a similar purpose. Or particularly fine examples can be crafted from thin pliable twigs, branches or sticks tied to the end of a thicker stick. These mini witches brooms or beesoms are especially effective at their task.

Long straight canes also have another very important purpose - they can be used as handy straight edges to help eye in and compare straight sides on our topiary shapes. They may also be used as improvised measuring sticks when comparing one shape or part of a shape with a matching feature or matching piece.

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