Almost everyone has a set of garden shears in their gardening tools which are mainly used as a hedge cutter or pruning tool and there are many variations now including cordless hedge trimmers which do the same job (and their relations the electric or petrol hedge trimmer) as a pruner or cutter and almost all are lightweight these days because of new materials used in the manufacture of these items.
Traditional garden shears are
like this picture and have two blades mostly made from stainless steel althought at the cheaper end
of the market they are made from carbon steel which if properly protected and maintained will still
last just as long.
There are many other types such as hand shears for smaller plant pruning, long handled to get up to higher places, shears with adjustable handles so they can be extended by another few inches, one handed (which are smaller) and lightweight.
Most manufacturers make these as part of their overall garden tool set such as wilkinson sword, wolf, bahco, ryobi, spear and jackson and bosch. Some are like mini hedge trimmers so are effectively cordless in nature and have a continuous cutting action for smaller hedges. There are also electric shears which are much the same as the previous item.
Like all cutting equipment the blades need to be kept sharp otherwise it will become increasingly difficult to cut branches off trees or your hedge so opting for a sharpening service perhaps once a year once the growing season has finished and you have completed your pruning for the year is probably a good idea.
After use wash the blades in soapy water and dry them off. Some people believe it's good practice to coat them with some oil to stop them getting rust on them but if they are not left out in the rain and stored correctly in the winter months (perhaps in your garage or in a secure shed which is not prone to leaking) then they should be fine from one season to the next.
If you are looking for gardening shears to edge a lawn area rather than using an electric strimmer then most of the manufacturers offer long handled edging shears that have the blades at right angles and are smaller so it's easy just to move along the edge of lawns and cut away. There are mini electric shears that can do the same job but the former item means your can stand tall and not have to get down on your hands and knees to do the job.
Shears seem to be a little more expensive than other garden tools but you can still pick up the cheapest for less than £10 with the most expensive coming in at around £40 - it's probably best to pop down to your local garden centre or diy store to see what they have to offer and then see if you can get a cheaper price online. Watch out for delivery charges though as these may be more expensive because of the weight and bulky nature of garden shears in their design.