The best mitre shears, compared.
Top pick: Wjelet mitre shears with 10 blades Best value: Xpert GKT03104 SK5 mitre shears – Score 90 from 4.5 and 888 reviews, at about £15.90. Stated 50 mm cut and wood up to 15 mm. The tied score at about £35.99 is not the value pick. Updated 23 October 2026.
A mitre shear is a one-handed anvil cutter. One blade closes on a metal bed, and a fence or a try square sets the angle so two pieces can meet at a corner. In the UK, mitre shears are bought for thin plastic bead, cable trunking, weatherstrip, tile trim and small softwood moulding. A suitable one has a flat anvil, a fence that stays where you set it, and a blade you can replace or sharpen. Published guides put most of these shears on stock about 5–15 mm thick and about 50–75 mm wide. Hardwood, and a section around 20 mm, is where a saw is the honest tool. A square corner is two cuts at half the finished angle, usually 45°. Read the stated angles, whether the fence clicks or slides, and whether a spare is the blade that actually fits. These shears are not insulated, and they are not for live cable. At work, the equipment has to be suitable and maintained. If you are still choosing the class, use the [mitre shears buying guide](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/mitre-shears/sub/mitre-shears-buying-guide).
A mitre shear is a one-handed anvil cutter. One blade closes on a metal bed, and a fence or a try square sets the angle so two pieces can meet at a corner.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Which angles do you set?
Wjelet is listed at about £14.49 with 4.7 from 17 reviews. The bullets say a high-carbon blade, a PVC handle, a 45° to 135° slider, and 10 spare blades, for wire trough, plastic pipe, rubber, and leather. Weight is 370 g. No lock and no thickness are stated. The six UK reviews in the file are short and positive. That sample loses 8 points on the score used here, so 4.7 does not outrank the larger samples.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheap slider with a stack of spare blades and you accept a 17-review sample.
Less suitable: Anyone choosing it because 4.7 looks higher than 4.5 from 888 reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
How many spare blades?
The bullet and the included-components cell both say 10. A UK review says they arrived in a plastic case.
Is there a safety lock?
The bullets do not name one.
What did reviews cut?
The UK texts mention thin plastic and a clean angled cut. They do not name a thickness or a failure.
The Knipex 94 35 215 is listed at about £66.60 with 4.6 from 259 amazon.co.uk reviews. The bullets limit it to crush-free cuts in plastic, rubber, and soft timber, plus ribbon cable, with a 45° try square and marks at 60°, 75°, and 90°. It has an opening spring and a locking device, and the weight cell is 397 g. The blade-length cell says 215 mm, which matches the tool length rather than a separate blade. UK reviews in the file mention lead came and the brand price. Most other reviews in the saved listing are not from the United Kingdom and are not used here. Best Sellers Rank is 649 in Shears & Scissors.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a named 45° try-square shear for soft sections and you do not need 120° or 135°.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a 135° trunking slider, or who is reading 215 mm as the width of cut.
Specifications
Common questions
What angles does it cut?
The amazon bullets say a try square for 45° cuts and marks for 60°, 75°, and 90°. They do not say 135°.
How long is the blade?
The amazon cell says 215 mm. That is the same figure as the size cell and the 21.49 cm dimension, so it is the tool length in this listing.
What did UK reviews say?
Three UK reviews in the file: decent cutters, lead came for stained glass, and no complaint. Non-UK reviews were not used.
Xpert GKT03104 is listed at about £15.90 with 4.5 from 888 reviews. The real bullets say a 50 mm cut, a safety lock, angles up to 45°, and plastic trim, rubber gasket, and wood up to 15 mm. The title says a fixed SK5 blade. Two further bullets are about a coffee cup and are not specs. Reviews use it on window bead, gripper, and trunking. The same reviews include a blade that is hard to change, bent guide plates, and a wing that snapped. Weight cell is 350 g. No spare is listed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a mid-price fixed shear for plastic trim and thin wood, and you can live without a spare in the box.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a 135° slider or a blade that unscrews without a drift.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it do 135°?
The bullets say angles up to 45°, with markings on the anvil. They do not say 135°.
Is a spare blade in the box?
Included components say the mitre shears only. A UK review says changing the blade needed a hammer and a drill bit, and that no instructions were in the box.
What do reviews use it on?
UK reviews name gasket, PVC trim, window bead, carpet gripper, and plastic trunking. One review says a thin wing snapped on intumescent strip.
O'Shine OS003 is listed at about £35.99 with 4.5 from 883 reviews. The bullets claim an SK5 blade at HRC52, click stops from 45° to 135°, an aluminium-alloy anvil, one spare blade with a sheath, and no metal. The weight cell is 500 g, which sits oddly next to a bullet that calls the head very light. Origin cell says Taiwan. Reviews praise a thicker, sharpenable blade against Stanley-type cutters, and they also describe a fence that walks, scotia that would not finish, and a tool that is not ratcheted.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want click stops and a spare SK5 blade, and you will test the fence on a scrap before you fit trim.
Less suitable: Anyone buying it specifically for scotia, or anyone who needs angles between the click marks.
Specifications
Common questions
Which angles lock?
The anvil is marked at 45°, 60°, 75°, 90°, 105°, 120°, and 135°. A review says you cannot lock an angle between those marks.
Will it cut metal?
The bullet says it is not suitable for cutting metal.
What failed in reviews?
Reviews include a fence that moves during the cut, scotia that would not cut, and one report that thin moulding would not cut. Other reviews describe a clean cut on 4 mm wood.
Xpert GKT03804 is listed at about £15.95 with 4.4 from 278 reviews. The bullet block only repeats the title, so angle, spare, and thickness are not in the listing text. The blade cell says stainless steel and the weight cell says 440 g. The dimension cell says 5 x 5 cm, which does not match that weight. Reviews use it on plastic tile trim and lead cane, and they say a Stanley blade does not fit. They also report a loose grip, a bent plate, and a shape that did not match the photo.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already know this SK2 shape and you will buy the matching blades with it.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs the angle list in writing, or who plans to drop in Stanley blades.
Specifications
Common questions
Do Stanley blades fit?
A UK review says they do not, and that replacement blades are hard to find. Another says the fitted blade unscrews.
What is the angle range?
The title says multi-angle. The bullets do not list degrees.
What arrived wrong?
Reviews include a loose rubber handle, a bent angle plate, a curved shape that did not match the photo, and 8 mm trim crushed close to the edge.
GARTOL HD-3101 is listed at about £23.99 with 4.3 from 6,862 reviews, the largest sample in this set. The bullets say a 45° to 135° slider, a turn-clasp lock, two spare blades, and no metal. Weight is 331 g. Reviews name scotia, light wood, miniature dowel, and about 30 mm bullnose. They also describe cuts that were not clean, accuracy that dropped, a 135° hold that is awkward right-handed, and a blade that would not come out. The model cell says HD-3101 US and the part cell says HD-3101 EU.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the adjustable shear with the most UK reviews and you will check a 45° scrap first.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a published millimetre capacity, or who is cutting metal.
Specifications
Common questions
Will it cut metal?
The bullet says it is not suitable for cutting metal and stainless steel.
How wide a 45° cut?
The listing gives no millimetre limit. One UK review puts the useful width at about 30 mm on a 45° cut.
Do the spare blades fit easily?
One review says the fitted blade was stuck too tight to remove, so the spares could not be used. Another had not needed them yet.
TOWOT is listed at about £15.99 with 4.1 from 2,042 reviews. The bullets say a stainless blade, a 45° to 135° range, and a turn-clasp lock, for shoe mould, trunking, and wooden moulding. No spare is listed. The weight cell says 90.7 g on a 22.4 cm tool, which is not credible beside the other shears here. Reviews include clean uPVC and 25 mm blind slats, and also a first-use break, a failed card cut, and panel moulding that was not square.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheap locked slider with a large review count and you will ignore the 90.7 g cell.
Less suitable: Anyone planning wooden panel moulding from the bullet alone, or anyone comparing weights.
Specifications
Common questions
How much does it weigh?
The cell says 90.7 g. The dimension cell says 22.4 x 5.8 cm. Treat 90.7 g as an unreliable cell.
What have reviews cut?
UK reviews name 25 mm Venetian slats, with 50 mm needing more force, and a clean cut on uPVC board. Other reviews say wooden panel moulding was not square and that the tool broke on first use.
Is there a spare blade?
The bullets do not list one. They say a blunt blade can be polished with a whetstone.
Zeromall AH0108 is listed at about £10.59 with 4.0 from 644 reviews. The bullets name tile trim, PVC, and quarter round, exclude hard wood, and also mention wire. The blade line says SK5 stainless, which mixes two steel descriptions. Weight is 250 g and the blade cell says 85 mm. No spare and no lock are stated. Manufacturer cell says Philoch. Reviews include sharp panelling cuts and doll's-house wood, and also a slipping grip, a blunt edge, and a return because the cut was not straight.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A light hobby shear for thin wood and plastic, if you accept a 4.0 sample and no spare.
Less suitable: Anyone cutting ordinary beading that is not very thin, or anyone who needs a lock.
Specifications
Common questions
Will it cut hard wood?
The bullet says it cannot cut hard wood.
Is a lock included?
The bullets do not say. A question in the saved listing asks, and does not answer.
What do reviews report?
Praise for doll's-house wood and panelling sits next to reviews of a blunt edge, a slipping grip, a cut that was not straight, and beading that was too thick.
Nityunn 0407 is listed at about £9.99 with 3.9 from 227 reviews. The bullets say 45° to 135°, two spare blades, and moulding up to 2.5 cm, and they also name wire. The package cell says pack of 2. Weight is 250 g and the blade cell says 15 cm. A review says the real depth is under 10 mm. Others say it arrived broken, snapped on conduit, would not clear YT2 trunking, and was not level. Rank 6 in Shears & Scissors is a sales rank.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A spare-blade slider for thin flat stock, only after you reject the 2.5 cm line.
Less suitable: Anyone cutting YT2 trunking or 2.5 cm moulding because the bullet says so.
Specifications
Common questions
Will it cut 2.5 cm moulding?
The bullet says yes. A UK review says the blade depth is under 10 mm and calls the 2.5 cm claim false.
Will it cut YT2 trunking?
One review says no: the blade holder hit the trunking before the cut finished.
What else failed?
Reviews include a tool that arrived broken, one that snapped on plastic conduit, and one whose angles were not level.
Starvortex XC-DY003-44-EU is listed at about £11.99 with 3.7 from 62 reviews. The bullets say an SK5 blade, a 45° to 135° locking slider, a rotating safety lock, 10 spare blades, and no metal. Weight is 400 g. The dimension cell is 22.5 x 22.5 cm, a square that does not describe this shape of tool. Seven UK reviews include easier panelling and a splintered blind. The sample is in the 50–99 band, so the score loses 4 points.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a locked slider with a large spare-blade pack and you will check the anvil is square.
Less suitable: Anyone trusting the 22.5 cm square dimension, or cutting a blind without a scrap test.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the box?
The cell says one cutter, one screwdriver, and 10 replacement blades.
Can it cut metal?
The bullet says not to cut metal or stainless steel.
What did UK reviews find?
Panelling strips and small beading were praised. Other reviews say the cut was off centre, and that a blind splintered even after a blade change.
NUTKIT is listed at about £9.99 with 3.4 from 29 reviews. The bullets say SK5, two spare cutters, a 45° to 135° slider, a rotary lock, wood under 3 mm, and two trunking sizes, and they ban steel. The components cell says 1. Dimensions are a square 21.5 cm. Weight is 340 g. Manufacturer cell is HFX-online. UK reviews include an easy first impression and more than one first-use break. The sample is under 50, so the score loses 8 points. Sales rank 5 is not a quality score.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only if you are cutting the thin stock the bullet names and you can return a tool that breaks.
Less suitable: Scotia, anything over a few millimetres, or anyone reading the sales rank as a test.
Specifications
Common questions
How thick a piece of wood?
The bullet says thin wood under 3 mm. A review says they were useless over about 5 mm and not for scotia.
Did reviews survive first use?
Two UK reviews say the tool broke or fell apart the first time it was used.
Who makes it?
Brand cell NUTKIT. Manufacturer cell HFX-online. Rank 5 in Shears & Scissors is a sales rank, not a test.
Rthynti is listed at about £8.99 with 3.3 from 5 reviews, the smallest sample and the lowest price in this set. The bullets say a stainless blade, two spares, and a 45° to 135° slider for PVC, softwood, and quarter round. Weight is 330 g. No lock and no thickness are stated. The model cell is 1. One UK review is content. The other says the item received was not as described. The score loses 8 points for the sample size.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only as a low-stakes trial if you are ready to return it inside the seller window.
Less suitable: Any job where a wrong angle or a substitute product would waste the trim.
Specifications
Common questions
How many reviews are there?
The listing says 3.3 from 5. Two of the texts in the file are from the United Kingdom.
What did those UK reviews say?
One says very happy. The other says the item was not as described and not fit for purpose.
Is there a lock?
The bullets do not name one.
Scores on this page start from the amazon.co.uk star rating on that listing, multiplied by 20, using the twelve listings kept for this comparison. A sample under 50 reviews loses 8 points. A sample from 50 to 99 reviews loses 4 points. That star line is the only published weight, so it is 100. Listing conflicts stay in the written assessment. They do not add a second hidden sum. This is not a lab test and not a Which? award.
Amazon.co.uk star line
100%The published score is the amazon.co.uk star rating multiplied by 20, then a sample reduction: 8 points under 50 reviews, 4 points from 50 to 99. That is the only weight in the method file. A worked example, such as 4.6 becoming 92 before any sample cut, is the same rule, not a second weight. Angle, blade, anvil and price stay in the written assessment. They are not rescaled into extra percentages.
Mitre shears cut a thin section at a set angle in one squeeze. Choose the stock, the angle system, and whether a spare blade fits, before you choose a model. A sliding fence, a click-stop anvil, a cutter limited to about 45°, and a try-square shear are different tools. Shelf prices on the saved amazon.co.uk listings run from about £8.99 to about £66.60. The score is the star rating times 20, with a cut for a thin review sample. It is not a lab test.
A mitre shear is a one-handed anvil cutter. One blade closes on a metal bed, and a fence or a try square sets the angle so two pieces can form a corner. On a UK job that means thin plastic bead, cable trunking, weatherstrip, tile trim, small softwood moulding, and side work such as miniature dowel or lead came. It is not a mitre saw, and it is not a mitre box with a separate saw. Quality shows up as a flat anvil, a fence that stays put, and a blade you can replace.
A square corner is two cuts at half the finished angle, usually 45°. A fence left at 135° does not make that joint. Halve the corner you want, then read whether the shear even marks that angle.
Reviews say a Stanley utility blade does not fit every shear. A pack of ten spares does not help if the blade already fitted will not come out. Match the spare to the tool, or sharpen the blade the listing says you can sharpen.
A 4.7 from 17 reviews is not stronger evidence than a slightly lower star line on hundreds of reviews. A weight that is far too light for the length, or a square dimension cell, is not a measured size. A shear also does not replace a saw on hardwood skirting.
Material and thickness come first. Soft wood, PVC or gasket on a listing is not hardwood skirting. A general guide puts most shears on stock about 5–15 mm thick and about 50–75 mm wide. That range is an editorial guide, not a measurement of these listings. One trade-shaped cutter states wood up to 15 mm and a 50 mm cut. Another limits thin wood to under 3 mm. A click-stop listing states soft wood dowel up to 3/4 inch and says it is not for metal.
A spare blade matters only if it fits and if you can get the old one out. Reviews on trade-shaped cutters say a Stanley blade does not fit. A click-stop review says the blade is not a Stanley blade and can be sharpened. One maker publishes a separate spare. Ten spares do not help when the fitted blade will not come out, which reviews describe on more than one slider. SK5 is a carbon-steel claim on some titles. It is not the same word as stainless, even when a bullet joins the two.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are fitting panel mould, shoe mould or quarter round and you want a stated wood figure. The Xpert GKT03104 is listed at about £15.90, with a stated 50 mm cut and wood up to 15 mm, and 4.5 from 888 amazon.co.uk reviews. The bullets stop at 45°, not a 135° slider.
You want a named try square for plastic, rubber, soft timber or ribbon cable, and you do not need 120° or 135°. The Knipex 94 35 215 is listed at about £66.60, with 4.6 from 259 reviews. The amazon blade cell of 215 mm matches the tool length, not a separate blade width.
You want a 45° to 135° slider with a large review sample for trunking, gasket or shoe mould. The GARTOL shear is listed at about £23.99, with 4.3 from 6,862 reviews, a turn-clasp lock and two spare blades. The listing gives no millimetre limit, and it is not for metal.
The top pick is the Knipex 94 35 215 at about £66.60. The score is 92, from 4.6 and 259 amazon.co.uk reviews. The listing is a 45° try square plus marks at 60°, 75° and 90°, not a 135° slider. The best value is the Xpert GKT03104 at about £15.90, score 90 from 4.5 and 888 reviews, with a stated 50 mm cut and wood up to 15 mm. O'Shine OS003 ties that score at about £35.99, so it is not the value pick. Neither badge means the best mitre shear in Britain, and this is not a lab test.
Xpert GKT03104 SK5 mitre shears
Score 90 from 4.5 and 888 reviews, at about £15.90. Stated 50 mm cut and wood up to 15 mm. The tied score at about £35.99 is not the value pick.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 23 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Scores come from amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. They are not a lab test, and they are not a promise of the cheapest price.
