People often ask me what secateurs I use for pruning as it often appears that I am cutting through branches easier than they expect. In reality this is as much about what I use to sharpen the secateurs as the secateurs themselves.
The excellent sharpening tool is a Swiss Istor which I use to sharpen my Felco No 8s. Around Hitchin and Herts you can get the Felco’s in most good garden centres. The Istor is a little more awkward – lakeland seems to be the best place.