I am a regular user of secateurs as gardening is another pursuit of mine. I have found over the years that there is no such thing as a perfect pair of the things and I have had many frustrating moments with them. I have sharpened them, bought new blades and cleaned and buffed them to no avail. They just seem to run out of 'cut' and won't submit to repair. Out of desperation I recently purchased a very expensive pair on the advice of an "expert". They are Swiss made and, strangely, are sharpened at 23deg on the bevel and 5 deg on the side which contacts the thick side of the cutter. They must be set so that the blades are in fairly solid contact. They work well (so far). What about perfect tin openers, but that's another story.