The first is the type of blade. There are two main types of pruning shears: bypass and anvil. Bypass pruning shears work like scissors, with two blades that pass by each other to make a clean cut.

Bypass shears have one angled side on its sharp blade, while anvil shears are angled on both sides of its sharp blade. Bear in mind that you want to sharpen all angled sides, meaning anvil shears ...