Ohio Christmas Tree Producers Manual

Bulletin 670

Tools for Shearing and Shaping

A number of different tools can be used for shearing and shaping Christmas trees (Fig. 49). Hedge shears with 8 to 12 inch blades and handles of varying length are excellent for use in shearing operations and are preferred by many growers, particularly for shearing some of the single-needled conifers. Lightweight knives with 14 to 16-inch blades are also excellent tools for shaping trees. Work can generally be done more rapidly using knives than hedge shears. In using knives, two factors should be considered: 1) they are most effective for shearing relatively soft wood. To be effective, shearing should be done relatively soon after completion of height growth, regardless of species and 2) to be effective, knives must be very sharp, therefore, they can be dangerous. Shearers should wear protective leg, knee and thigh guards. It is easy to overshear trees with knives, especially the single-needle species. Some growers use knives for pines and shears for other species. A number of motorized shearing devices also has been developed, and some growers find them to be fast and effective tools for shaping trees. Hand pruners are also used in many shearing operations, primarily to cut out defects, large limbs or old wood and in many cases terminal shoots when knife shearing.

Fig. 49: Common equipment used when shearing Christmas trees: 1) protective glove used on hand not holding knife when shearing with knives; 2) honing steel used to sharpen shearing knives; 3) short and long handled shearing knives; 4) protective leg guard used when shearing with knives; 5) hedge clippers and 6) pruning shears used for cutting terminals and/or heavy woody growth.

Regardless of which tools are used, they should have quality blades that stay sharp with minimum care. Blades should be kept free of pitch with kerosene, fuel oil or mineral spirits.