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Anvil or bypass secateurs

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have bruised a live rose stem, or a bypass that stalls on a dead branch and twists the bark. Anvil or bypass secateurs is that choice: a blade onto a block, or two blades that pass like scissors. In the [Löwe secateurs comparison](/hub/garden-tree-and-hedge-shears/loewe-secateurs) the split lands on five Original LÖWE models, not on a Felco and not on a hand-size chart. The maker’s FAQ assigns anvil to harder, thicker wood and bypass to thin green fibrous growth. Peter F. matched those descriptions to the amazon.co.uk listings. There was no crush test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have bruised a live rose stem, or a bypass that stalls on a dead branch and twists the bark. Anvil or bypass secateurs is that choice: a blade onto a block, or two blades that pass like scissors.

Our top picks

Original LÖWE Original LÖWE 1.104 anvil

Best overall

Original LÖWE Original LÖWE 1.104 anvil
9.1/10about £43.54
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Original LÖWE Original LÖWE 11.107 bypass

Alternative

Original LÖWE Original LÖWE 11.107 bypass
7.9/10about £60.04
View offer
Original LÖWE Original LÖWE 5.107

Best value

Original LÖWE Original LÖWE 5.107
7.6/10about £50.50
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What the two cuts do
  2. 2.Which Löwe is which
  3. 3.Hands, and the ratchet you will not find here
  4. 4.When to choose which

What the two cuts do

An anvil secateur holds the stem on a flat block while a single blade comes down. The English Garden says that support tends to crush live green growth, so the anvil belongs on dead wood. A bypass is the scissor cut: two edges pass, and living bark is more likely to be sliced than squashed. Ideal Home’s often to about 15 mm for bypass, and often 15–25 mm for anvil, are not measurements of a 1.104 or an 11.107. Use the stated cut on the listing for the limit. Burgon & Ball put it in one line: bypass for living tissue, anvil when crushing is acceptable. A live rose cane is living tissue. A dry, grey stub is the crush you can accept.

Which Löwe is which

The 1.104 is the anvil whose fields agree: 22 mm, ambidextrous, carbon steel, and a one-hand latch, with a dispatch warning on 20 October 2026. Dan Cooper Garden calls the steel stainless. That metal word clashes. The mechanism word, anvil, does not. The 11.107 and the 14.104 are the right-hand bypasses, both at a stated 22 mm. The 11.107 bullets do not mention a latch. The 5.107 bullets say anvil, very small hands, and 16 mm. The blade-type field says bypass. Dan Cooper lists it as an anvil at £38, against £50.50 on amazon.co.uk. The 15.107 mixes anvil and bypass geometry, and an 18 g field against a 190 g bullet. Do not treat that mix as a tested third action. The decision order is the buying guide.
Original LÖWE Original LÖWE 1.104 anvil

Testsieger

Original LÖWE Original LÖWE 1.104 anvil
9.1/10about £43.54
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Hands, and the ratchet you will not find here

The maker’s FAQ says anvil models suit both hands, and that the range has no left-handed bypass. If you prune with your left hand, the 11.107 and the 14.104 are the wrong handedness. The 1.104 is the ambidextrous anvil in this set. A left-handed bypass is not among these five. A ratchet is a third type, not a kind of anvil. The English Garden mentions it for weak wrists. None of these five listings is a ratchet. If your wrist cannot finish one squeeze on dead wood inside 22 mm, this set does not contain that staged mechanism.

When to choose which

For a live rose or a soft shrub, and a right hand, choose the 11.107. It costs less than the 14.104 in this snapshot. Choose the 14.104 only if you want the shorter bypass with double buffers and you accept £72.65. For dead or hard wood, and either hand, choose the 1.104, unless the dispatch warning means it will not be sent. For an extra-small hand and dead wood inside 16 mm, the 5.107 is the catalogue’s short anvil, and only if you accept that the blade-type field says bypass. Leave the 15.107 until you will buy a mixed sentence and ignore an 18 g field. Past 16 mm on the 5.107, or 22 mm on the others, put the secateurs down.

Common questions

Will an anvil crush a rose stem?
It can. The English Garden says an anvil supports the stem and tends to crush live green growth, which is why that article keeps it for dead wood. Burgon & Ball reserve the anvil for cuts where crushing is acceptable. A live rose cane is the bypass case. If you only own the 1.104, use it on the dead wood in the bush and borrow or buy a bypass for the green stems, rather than hoping the block will behave like scissors.
Which Löwe in this set is the anvil?
The 1.104, with anvil bullets and an anvil field, a stated 22 mm cut, and a listing that says it suits either hand. The 5.107 is an anvil in its bullets and a bypass in the blade-type field, at 16 mm. The 15.107 claims both geometries. If you need the word anvil without a contradicting field, the 1.104 is the one. The stainless-versus-carbon clash with Dan Cooper does not change the action.
What is the 15.107 claiming?
Anvil plus bypass geometry, a 22 mm cut, small hands, use with both hands, and a two-year guarantee, at £56.87 with 4.8 from 64 reviews in the snapshot. The item-weight field says 18 g and a bullet says 190 g. The handle field says wood. That is a mixed claim, not a measured hybrid you can treat as both a clean slice and a crush. Buy it only if you have read both weights and both mechanism words and still want the listing.
Why does the 5.107 page say bypass in one field?
Because the blade-type field and the bullets were not written as one specification. The bullets describe an anvil for very small hands, 16 mm, and a two-year guarantee. The field says bypass. Dan Cooper Garden calls it an anvil at £38, against £50.50 on amazon.co.uk. If you need a bypass you can trust, the 11.107 is the cleaner right-hand listing. If you need a small anvil, accept the field first.
Is a ratchet the same as an anvil?
No. A ratchet closes in stages for a weaker squeeze. An anvil is a single blade on a block, geared or not. None of these five Original LÖWE listings is a ratchet. The English Garden mentions a ratchet as a third type for weak wrists, and that type is outside this set. The 1.104’s one-hand latch is a lock, not a staged cut. If you cannot finish one squeeze, this comparison does not contain the tool those articles mean.

Related pages

How to prune with Loewe secateurs

Best Loewe secateurs

Loewe secateurs

Original Löwe secateurs: name, then wood, then hand

Lowe secateurs for small hands and a short opening

Sources

Public sources used for the anvil and bypass split, UK shop prices, pruning season, and the 30-day rejection right. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved for this comparison. Last checked 22 October 2026.

  1. Original LÖWE, Flintbek (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Original LÖWE FAQ (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Dan Cooper Garden, Original Löwe 1.104 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Dan Cooper Garden, Original Löwe 5.107 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. BBC Gardeners' World, best secateurs (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Burgon & Ball, anvil, bypass, or scissor (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. RHS, pruning shrubs (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 22.10.2026)