I send them out and every pair I have sent come back sharper then when they were new. I even sent out a pair of Dr. Slicks when I sent me main pair out last and they came back 10x sharper then they were when I got them and have lasted 2x as long this time.
I'm about as frugal a fly tyer as you will find anywhere but I simply replace my good scissors when they stop cutting well. At $8-$10 bucks (much cheaper at flea markets), I feel that I've gotten my money's worth after a couple of years. Actually I get even more years of sevice than that because old scissors get the nasty jobs like cutting heavy hair, hides and wire for another year or two before the final toss. 8T
------------------
You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it's a real short camping season.
The trick to sharpening anything is to keep the angle the same thorugh out the stroke. I was taught to sharpen kinves and such from an old trapper. It also taught me how to sharpen any other items that I may need to sharpen.
I have found that most people can't do this, don't ask me why but maybe they just can't sit in one place long enough to get it done. LOL
But the trick to it all is keeping the angle the same all the time. I use a crox stick to do mine and they work real well. A small stone works to. But it has to be small and not to wide to work well.
The way I look at it if you are going to throw them away why not try to learn to sharpen them. Can't hurt and it can save you a few bucks. It saves me a lot of money as I do not use cheap scissors.
If you know an old trapper in your area I would bet he can show you how to get it done. If not with scissors then with a knife and it is the same thing. Ron
You can extend the life of scissors by taking a small diameter glass jar and opening your scissors all the way then try to cut the jar in half a couple times with fairly firm pressure on the scissors. After that, your first cutting action should feel weird then, the second one, silky smooth. What you are doing is to burnish the cutting edge a tiny bit and then shearing the resultant burs off the edge.
Happy Trails!
Ronn
Awhile back I found a little gizmo scissors sharpener at Wallyworld or crafty store,made by Fiskars who make sewing/knitting scissors. This "device" uses the crockstick principle by maintaining a constant angle. It is a plastic disc about the size of a silver dollar, with a small ceramic rod imbedded at an angle, and opposing slots on each side of the ceramic rod. Just open the scissors, insert both cutting sides into the slots and put cutting pressure on the rod as you withdraw the scissors toward you. In practice, its a lot easier to use than explain.
Works great if their not too far gone(very dull) and cost only a few bucks.
Usual disclaimer.
Cheers, T.
Bring them to a local barbor shop. Most have a sharpening service that keep thier scissors. Only cost's a buck and they come back in a week.
The man who coined the phrase "Money can't buy happiness", never bought himself a good fly rod!
Billyjoe hit it on the head with the burr. When sharpining knives, etc you want to roll a burr on the opposite side. Your gradfathers honing strop was to remove this burr on his razor.
------------------
I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here!
Cactus AKA "Lucky Dog (Pirate Name)"
At under $20, I just replace mine when they are no longer up to speed.
I asked the gal that cuts my hair if she could have them sharpened for me and she said, "sure, but I may be better off replacing them with new ones." Turns out it costs about $40 to sharpen a pair of hers, but then they cost over $300 each. And we thought tying was expensive.
- Gary
------------------
"Catch 'em all ~ Put 'em back!"
Visit [url=http://www.warmwaterangler.net/forum:0e8d5]Warmwater Angler[/url:0e8d5].
Gave mine to my neighbor and fishin' buddy who is a wood carver to sharpen. He has hones of all shapes for his carving chisels and fixed them right up--even the curved ones. Just a thought for folks who don't know a barber but do know a wood carver. DAN
PS -- one of his specialties is carving and painting up fish. How he gets bluegill fins carved down to 1/32" thick is beyond me.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
