
Opinel
Beech Wood And Steel Pruning Shears
These Opinel pruning shears feature a stainless steel blade with a 20 mm cutting capacity and a beech wood handle from PEFC-certified French forests. The three-setting design adapts to various branch diameters and hand sizes, while the polyamide guard and handle provide a secure grip and the hidden spring reduces dirt accumulation and pinching risks. The handle length is 9 cm and the product is made in France.
- Color
- Beech
- Material
- Stainless steel, beech wood, polyamide
- Style
- utilitarian, classic
- Category
- Home & Garden > Lawn & Garden > Gardening > Gardening Tools > Pruning Shears
Color
Size
Specifications
Opinel three-setting pruning shears with stainless steel blade and beech wood handle, designed for outdoor maintenance.
Three cutting settings; stainless steel blade with 20 mm cutting capacity; beech wood handle; polyamide guard; locking system; hidden spring; varnished handle for moisture protection.
- Color
- Beech · brown
- Material
- Stainless steel, beech wood, polyamide
- Secondary
- wood, nylon
- Style
- utilitarian, classic
- Gender
- unisex
- Age Group
- adult
- Condition
- new
- Category
- Home & Garden > Lawn & Garden > Gardening > Gardening Tools > Pruning Shears
Additional Attributes
- stainless steel blade
- beech wood handle
- PEFC-certified wood
- varnished handle
- polyamide guard
- locking system
- hidden spring
- three cutting settings
- 20 mm cutting capacity
- made in France
Product Insights
The Opinel Beech Wood And Steel Pruning Shears offer a lightweight, ergonomic design with a natural beech handle that dampens vibration and resists splintering, reducing hand fatigue. Its innovative three-position lock includes a partial-open deadheading setting that minimizes effort, while the hidden spring eliminates pinch points and keeps the mechanism clean. The Sandvik steel blade rolls rather than chips on impact, sharpens easily, and resists corrosion, though periodic wood conditioning is needed to prevent cracking. Crafted in France from PEFC-certified beech, these shears combine Opinel's 130-year tradition of artisanal quality with sustainable materials, though the hidden spring and wood care requirements present tradeoffs for maintenance and accessibility.
Verified claims
- Lock mechanism
- Protected enclosed spring and three-position lock with partial-open deadheading setting prevent pinching and dirt.
- Hidden spring
- Hidden spring eliminates pinch points and keeps mechanism clean.
- Deadheading setting
- Partial-open lock position reduces hand fatigue during deadheading.
- Lock adjustment
- Lock slider moves between three positions with one hand.
- Weight and handle comfort
- Lightest in class; beech wood handle dampens vibration to reduce fatigue.
- Cutting effort reduction
- Deadheading setting and internal spring reduce hand effort and prevent pinching.
- Grip comfort
- Natural beech handle absorbs vibration, reducing hand fatigue during pruning.
- Handle durability
- Beech wood handles resist splintering and deformation from clamping force.
- Handle care
- Varnished beech resists moisture; conditioning prevents cracks.
- Heritage
- PEFC-certified beech from France; same wood as Opinel's classic knives with a warm natural grain.
- Blade chipping resistance
- Edge rolls rather than chips on impact, allowing correction with honing.
- Sharpening
- Sharpens easily with a stone and dulls uniformly.
- Corrosion resistance
- Resists rust from garden moisture; rinse clean, no oiling needed.
- Edge retention
- Holds cutting edge longer than carbon steel models.
- Wood handle
- Beech wood from PEFC-certified French forests, a 130-year Opinel tradition.
- Wood care
- Opinel recommends periodic wood conditioner to prevent drying and cracking.
- French origin
- Manufactured in Savoie, France, continuing a 130-year production legacy.
- Beech wood
- Beech wood handle is PEFC-certified from Jura and Vercors, a wood used on 80% of Opinel knives.
- Use case
- 20 mm capacity with a partial-open lock setting for efficient deadheading
- Ergonomics
- Lightest in class, with a wood handle that dampens vibration and a concealed spring for safety.
- Set coordination
- Shares beech handles, Sandvik steel, and one-handed operation with other Opinel garden tools.
- Design aesthetic
- Buyers call the Opinel pruner chic and super-stylish, and the wood-and-steel design maintains its appearance with minimal care.
- Tactile comfort
- The beech wood handle reduces vibration and stays splinter-free; the deadheading setting reduces hand effort.
- Craftsmanship and sustainability
- Crafted in France from PEFC-certified beech wood, continuing Opinel's 130-year tradition of artisanal quality.
Product record
- Title
- Beech Wood And Steel Pruning Shears
- Brand
- Opinel
- Price
- 115 CAD
- Availability
- In stock
Deep Research
Opinel's knife-making heritage applied to garden tools
- The pruner is part of a coordinated garden range that includes the No. 8 Garden Knife and folding saws, all sharing the same beech handle, Sandvik steel, and one‑handed operation — so a gardener can assemble a unified set that extends the Opinel pocket‑knife ecosystem to every outdoor task.
- Every pruner is manufactured in France, continuing a 130‑year production legacy at the company’s Savoie workshops where Opinel has hand‑finished its pocket knives since 1890 — ensuring the same quality control and family‑owned craftsmanship that earned the brand its cult status.
- The blade is made from Sandvik 12C27M stainless steel hardened to 55–57 HRC, the same alloy family Opinel uses in its folding knives; this moderate hardness prioritizes easy field sharpening over maximal edge retention, so the pruner can be kept razor-sharp with a simple stone rather than requiring replacement when it dulls.
- The pruner conceals its spring behind a bolt, protecting it from dirt and sap while completely eliminating the exposed pinch point that plagues traditional bypass shears — a detail that echoes the protective logic of Opinel’s 1955 Virobloc twistlock, which shields the knife pivot from pocket grime.
- The pruner’s handle is made from the same beech wood that Opinel uses for 80% of its knife handles, PEFC-certified and sourced from eco-managed farms in the Jura and Vercors regions, giving the tool a warm, organic grip and a moisture-resistant varnish that have been refined over 130 years of pocket-knife production.
Best uses for the Opinel pruner: light pruning and delicate cuts
- The intermediate partial-open setting reduces the handle span, cutting down hand fatigue during extended sessions of pruning slender stems—a genuine ergonomic advantage for the home gardener who spends an afternoon deadheading or shaping.
- The 20 mm (0.78 inch) cutting capacity places these shears squarely in the light-to-medium duty class: ample for deadheading roses, shaping shrubs, and pruning ornamental perennials, but they are not intended for heavy orchard or thick woody stem work.
- Hardened to 55-57 HRC, the martensitic stainless steel blade holds its sharpness through frequent contact with soft green stems and occasional gritty residue, meaning the typical home user spends less time sharpening and more time cutting over multiple seasons.
What the Sandvik 12C27 steel means for pruning
- Thanks to its fine carbide distribution, the 12C27 blade dulls evenly rather than developing dead spots; every cut remains predictable, and you won't need to favor one part of the blade over another.
- The lack of large chromium carbides means 12C27 does not fight honing stones — gardeners can touch it up with a simple whetstone or diamond rod, avoiding the disposable-tool cycle common with cheaper shears.
- At 13.5% chromium, 12C27 sits above the threshold for true stainless steel, so sap, morning dew, and outdoor humidity won’t quickly corrode the blade — it matches the corrosion resistance of premium knife steels like VG-10.
- The relatively low carbon content — deliberately lower than many knife-grade alloys — keeps the carbide structure fine and the material tough, so the cutting edge resists chipping when cutting through dense, knotty branches or accidentally glancing off a trellis wire.
- Users report that Opinel’s 12C27 holds an edge longer than the brand’s own carbon steel blades — a practical advantage when you’re cutting through fibrous, abrasive plant material that dulls edges quickly.
Beech wood handle durability and care in the garden
- The factory-applied varnish seals the beech grain against moisture and dirt, which is critical because unfinished wood handles are prone to warping and cracking when exposed to rain and humidity in outdoor use.
- To prevent the beech handle from drying out and developing cracks over multiple seasons, Opinel recommends treating it occasionally with a wood conditioner — a simple maintenance step that extends the tool's aesthetic and structural life far beyond the factory varnish.
- Beech wood's natural fiber structure absorbs cutting impact and vibration, reducing hand fatigue during extended pruning sessions — a benefit that rigid metal or plastic handles cannot match without additional grip engineering.
- Opinel selects beech for its handle because the wood is naturally hard and resistant, reducing the risk of splintering or deformation under the repetitive clamping force of pruning — a practical advantage over softer woods like pine or fir that would degrade faster in the same application.
- The beech is sourced from PEFC-certified sustainably managed forests in the Jura and Vercors regions of France, ensuring the handle material meets third-party ecological standards for biodiversity, water protection, and long-term forest health.
How the Opinel pruner compares to Felco and other bypass shears
- The spring is fully enclosed behind a bolt, so it never collects sap or grime and never pinches your finger—a detail that keeps the action consistent and the tool looking clean even after a muddy session, and one that contrasts with the exposed, though easily replaceable, spring on a standard Felco.
- In direct comparison, the Opinel was consistently described as the lightest among popular models from Felco and Okatsune, reducing user fatigue during extended pruning sessions—a factor that becomes meaningful if you're working a long border rather than just snipping a few stems.
- Because the blade is stainless steel rather than the carbon steel used by Felco and Okatsune, it doesn't demand the ritual of drying and oiling after each use; a rinse is enough to keep it clean, making it far more forgiving for a casual gardener who might otherwise let carbon blades rust.
- Opinel's identity as a knife maker since 1890 gives this pruner a blade-first credibility, and the varnished beech handle, sourced from PEFC-certified French forests, injects a warmth and individuality that the all-metal Felco lacks—it's a tool that people buy as much for how it looks in the hand as how it cuts.
- The lock slider includes a partial-open detent specifically for deadheading, which limits the blade gap so your hand squeezes a smaller range; over hundreds of cuts, that reduced travel translates into less hand strain, a thoughtful ergonomic feature absent from the binary lock on most Felco models.
Image Analysis
3 images- 01

Product
A pair of pruning shears lying on a pale green slatted metal surface; visible features include a curved steel cutting blade, a light beech wood straight handle, a dark blue lower handle with a molded grip, and an orange safety latch near the pivot.
- Blade geometryCurved single cutting blade and opposing anvil-like inner surface in polished steel, showing scratches and light wear near the cutting edge.
1 region
x 0.28 · y 0.40 · w 0.30 · h 0.22 (high) - Pivot and fastenerCentral pivot bolt with visible nut and washers securing the two blade halves, located where the handles meet the blades.
1 region
x 0.41 · y 0.47 · w 0.10 · h 0.10 (high) - Handle materialsStraight cylindrical light beech wood upper handle with smooth finish transitioning into a dark blue molded ferrule at the blade end.
1 region
x 0.58 · y 0.49 · w 0.30 · h 0.22 (high) - Lower handle and gripLower handle is a dark blue coated metal or plastic grip with an ergonomic curved profile ending in a rounded tip.
1 region
x 0.24 · y 0.58 · w 0.28 · h 0.33 (high) - Safety latchSmall bright orange sliding safety latch located on the inner side of the lower handle near the pivot.
1 region
x 0.33 · y 0.57 · w 0.09 · h 0.07 (high) - Printed marking on blade“Partially legible black printed text and small logo on the blade near the pivot; characters visible but not fully clear.”Partial
1 region
x 0.47 · y 0.46 · w 0.14 · h 0.11 (medium)
Other
Lifestyle scene with shears placed on a pale green slatted metal chair next to a wire basket of white daisy-like flowers and fern fronds; soft natural daylight and shallow depth of field create a blurred green background.
- Surface and propPale green slatted metal seat with round rivet heads visible on the slats, forming the immediate surface under the shears.
1 region
x 0.05 · y 0.28 · w 0.90 · h 0.55 (high) - Wire basket with plantsBlack wire mesh hanging basket filled with green foliage and small white daisy-like flowers, positioned upper right and partially overlapping the chair.
1 region
x 0.57 · y 0.03 · w 0.40 · h 0.36 (high) - Ferns beneath basketOrange-tinted fern fronds arranged beneath the basket and extending over the chair slats.
1 region
x 0.30 · y 0.19 · w 0.40 · h 0.28 (high) - Depth of fieldShallow depth of field with sharp focus on the shears and immediate slat area; background foliage is noticeably blurred.
- LightingSoft natural daylight with even illumination and mild highlights on metal surfaces; minimal hard shadows.
Colors
light beech wood· wood handle#E2D1BCdeep navy blue· lower handle and ferrulebright orange· safety latchpolished steel silver· blades#B6D1D8none· nonePackaging- Blade geometryCurved single cutting blade and opposing anvil-like inner surface in polished steel, showing scratches and light wear near the cutting edge.
- 02

Product
Single gardening pruning shear shown upright with exposed curved cutting blade, metal body and pivot, wooden lower handle with printed brand, and blue plastic/rubber upper ferrule and curved lower grip. A small red locking tab is visible near the pivot.
- Curved cutting bladePolished curved stainless-steel cutting blade with visible satin radial finish on the inner face; blade tip points upward and right.
1 region
x 0.42 · y 0.00 · w 0.45 · h 0.38 (high) - Anvil/inner blade areaSecond steel mating piece beneath the cutting blade forming the shear head, with brushed finish and a large round pivot rivet connecting the two blade pieces.
1 region
x 0.32 · y 0.20 · w 0.36 · h 0.30 (high) - Pivot rivetCircular metal pivot rivet with concentric machining marks visible at the blade intersection.
1 region
x 0.42 · y 0.18 · w 0.14 · h 0.12 (high) - Blue upper ferruleBlue molded ferrule or collar joining the wooden handle to the metal head, with a short protruding thumb rest on the left side.
1 region
x 0.16 · y 0.46 · w 0.18 · h 0.15 (high) - Curved blue lower gripCurved blue plastic or rubber-coated lower handle forming the hand grip and lever, extending from near the pivot downward and right with a rounded end.
1 region
x 0.56 · y 0.42 · w 0.28 · h 0.50 (high) - Red safety/locking tabSmall red rectangular locking tab set into the metal body adjacent to a small metal pin, visible near the pivot area.
1 region
x 0.51 · y 0.40 · w 0.04 · h 0.05 (high) - Wooden handle shapeStraight light beech wood handle with a tapered angled end at the bottom; handle is rectangular in cross-section with visible wood grain.
1 region
x 0.12 · y 0.52 · w 0.20 · h 0.42 (high) - Brand text on wood“OPINEL SAVOIE FRANCE”
1 region
x 0.15 · y 0.60 · w 0.12 · h 0.24 (high)
Other
Studio-style product shot on a clean white background, centered framing with even diffuse lighting and minimal shadowing; image shows the right-facing side of the tool.
- Background and framingProduct photographed against a plain white background, vertically centered and occupying most of the frame height.
- LightingEven diffuse lighting with soft highlights on polished metal surfaces and minimal visible shadowing.
- Shot orientationImage shows the shears held open with blade pointing upward; composition crops little space around product top and bottom.
Colors
stainless silver· cutting blade and metal head#C4C4C4light beech· wooden handle#ECCBB4deep blue· upper ferrule and thumb rest#253C61cobalt blue· curved lower gripsignal red· locking tab- Curved cutting bladePolished curved stainless-steel cutting blade with visible satin radial finish on the inner face; blade tip points upward and right.
- 03

Product
Bypass-style pruning shears shown from an oblique front angle with visible curved steel blades, a blue lower-handled lever, an orange locking tab near the pivot, and a straight beech wood upper handle extension with a blue ferrule.
- Blade pairTwo curved stainless-steel blades with brushed finish; the cutting blade is slightly thicker and overlaps the thinner counter blade in bypass style.
1 region
x 0.34 · y 0.02 · w 0.32 · h 0.34 (high) - Pivot and fastenerCircular pivot bolt and nut assembly with visible hex nut and washer securing the blades.
1 region
x 0.47 · y 0.26 · w 0.16 · h 0.14 (high) - Metal stamping text“Stamped text on the metal near the pivot reading OPINEL INOX alongside a small emblem.”
1 region
x 0.61 · y 0.31 · w 0.12 · h 0.16 (high) - Orange safety lockSmall molded orange plastic locking tab positioned on the inner face just below the pivot; visible textured surface and a small raised lever.
1 region
x 0.42 · y 0.36 · w 0.12 · h 0.12 (high) - Lower handle leverLong curved lower handle lever with a dark blue molded grip covering most of the lever length and a narrow exposed metallic inner rail near the top.
1 region
x 0.12 · y 0.32 · w 0.28 · h 0.57 (high) - Wood upper handleStraight beech wood handle extension with visible grain and a cut angled end, inserted into a dark blue plastic ferrule at the top.
1 region
x 0.62 · y 0.44 · w 0.18 · h 0.45 (high) - Blue ferrule and thumb restDark blue plastic ferrule at the junction of wood handle and metal head forming a short integrated thumb rest projecting laterally.
1 region
x 0.60 · y 0.36 · w 0.20 · h 0.16 (high)
Other
Studio product shot on a clean white background with even lighting and minimal shadows; image cropped to include most of the tool and leave white space around it.
- Background and lightingPlain white background with soft, even lighting producing minimal shadows and a small subtle cast shadow beneath the tool.
- Shot compositionTool centered and shown at a slight diagonal with blades toward the top and handles toward the bottom; image framed vertically.
- Image qualityHigh-resolution clear photograph with sharp detail on metal, wood grain, and molded plastics.
Colors
brushed silver· blades#C9C7C8navy blue· lower handle grip and ferrule accents#2C3353bright orange· safety lock tab#FC6B35light beech wood· wood handle#D3A384- Blade pairTwo curved stainless-steel blades with brushed finish; the cutting blade is slightly thicker and overlaps the thinner counter blade in bypass style.
Documents & Data
Q&A
4 answered- What specific grade of stainless steel is used for the blade (e.g., 12C27 or X50CrMoV15)?
- The blade is made from Sandvik 12C27 modified stainless steel, a martensitic stainless steel with a hardness of 57-58 HRC [1][2].
- Is the beech wood handle treated with any oils or waxes in addition to the varnish for extra moisture protection?
- The beech wood handle is varnished to protect against moisture and dirt, but no additional oils or waxes are mentioned in the product specifications [3].
- Can the locking system and cutting setting adjustments be operated easily with one hand?
- Yes, the three-position locking system is operated by a bright orange selector that allows you to switch between closed, partially open, and fully open positions with one hand [4].
- Is the blade replaceable, or is the shears a fixed-blade design that would require replacement as a whole unit when dull?
- The pruning shears have a fixed-blade design and are not intended to have a replaceable blade; when the blade becomes dull, the entire tool would need to be replaced.