View Full Version : Do you sharpen your scissors or simply replace?
Over the years, I have accumulated some good quality scissors but they need sharpening. I did try one person who did a lousy job so simply bought replacements but the new ones made in China don't work that well on fabrics and fine sewing either.
What do you do? Is there a sharpening stone for scissors?
treehugger
12-15-11, 5:04pm
Do you get your hair cut in a salon? Ask your stylist where she/he gets her/his scissors sharpened. She/he will have a great recommendation for you, since those are the tools of their trade. My mom has done this for sewing scissors. I don't use scissors for fabric much, so it has never been an issue for me.
What I really need are my kitchen knives sharpened. We have paid to have them professionally sharpened once in the 15+ years we have had them. So overdue for that, but I don't want to spend the money, so I endure (relatively) dull knives.
Kara
Gardenarian
12-15-11, 7:47pm
I got a little knife and scissor sharpener at the hardware store a few years ago - it works really well. It's similar to this one on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Smith-Abrasives-10-Second-Scissors-Sharpener/dp/B0018VL3JW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1323992750&sr=8-4
rosarugosa
12-15-11, 7:53pm
Hmmm - I don't do either.
There's actually a guy who comes to our farmers' market who sharpens things. I've had him do pruning shears and rose clippers. Very handy. Haven't yet used him for knives but that's mainly what he does.
ack, clicked the wrong thing.
Sigh...some large craft stores have someone come in to sharpen scissors. When you do have them sharpened, remember that sewing scissors should never be used for anything but that.
My husband who has the skills and tools to hand sharpen knives, finally did ours after almost 15 years. (he used to work in a knife store). Never put your knives in the dishwasher, it dulls them. And according to him (mind you he's a knife sharpening snob), the electric sharpeners you can buy are no good for your knives especially if you have good quality knives.
I cut sandpaper. It's supposed to sharpen the blades.
I tried sharpening my hair scissors on our normal knife sharpening rod thing, but it made them more blunt! I must have done something wrong.
My problem is I have some scissors that I have had for decades and I should either toss them or sharpen but not sure if the new ones are any good. I find that the last one I bought for cutting fabric is going blunt and there comes a time when the cost is defeating for good scissors and I am throwing money away on cheap ones which don't work.
Nothing compares to the quality of old scissors, so I would definitely have them sharpened professionally. Quality, well made scissors (when properly cared for), last a lifetime.
I just sharpen them myself, free hand, on a stone.
Originally posted by Bae.
I just sharpen them myself, free hand, on a stone.Originally, when Razz posted about her scissors, I ran this thread by my husband, and he spoke against such. His words were, "sharpening stones, in the wrong hands, will surely cause more harm than good".
Originally, when Razz posted about her scissors, I ran this thread by my husband, and he spoke against such. His words were, "sharpening stones, in the wrong hands, will surely cause more harm than good".
There's a simple trick, which involves spending summers living on your great-grandfather-the-blacksmith's farm as a wee lad.
In our family, my dad, is known as the "lawnmower blade sharpening guy"! He made a special jig that attaches to his grinder. The lawnmower blade is set down into the jig, thumb-screwed securely in place, then slid across the grinding wheel to sharpen. The jig holds the blade at a perfect angle. As my dad says, "takes all the guess work out of it". To top it all off, dear dad reserves one day each year (springtime) where he goes around to all our homes, unbolts the blades on our lawnmowers, takes them home with him to be sharpened, then comes back again and re-applies the sharpened blades to our lawnmowers.
We take out knives & scissors to a prossional, not frequently enough! I remember an intinerent knife & scissors sharpener coming to our door every year when I was a child in Denver... Anyone else recall this?
Yes, I do remember a similar service that would visit our area, albeit, it's been a few years now...
Our local butcher does this a couple times a year, organizes a knife/scissors sharpening event.
chanterelle
1-17-12, 8:08am
We take out knives & scissors to a prossional, not frequently enough! I remember an intinerent knife & scissors sharpener coming to our door every year when I was a child in Denver... Anyone else recall this?
We have a man with a shop on wheels who comes through the neighborhood every 3 or 4 months. He does excellent work and I trust my old, expensive sets of dressmaking shears to him as well as my kitchen knives.
When we hear his bell clanging, all my neighbors come out of their houses with bunches of knives and scissors in hand, It looks like a pirate convention!
DH has a "pro" sharpening machine. They're not cheap, but they make such a difference. He will do sharpening for friends and relatives, but he doesn't advertise it.
I must have the right hands for a sharpening stone, I touch my knives up often because I like them to slice into a tomato or a piece of raw meat with no pressure. Scissors are harder to sharpen, I've tried it with middling success. Its hard to get the right angle on a scissors blade freehand.
Well, DH dropped off my favourite scissors that I have had for over 40 years with someone who has been highly recommended by several people. The scissors should be ready tomorrow so we will see what happens. Those scissors were of no use as they were.
DH is pretty good at sharpening our knives though so we have no difficulty with blunt knives which are a real hazard.
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