…aluminum foil. has anyone tried this?
www.metacafe.com/watch/932701/sharpenscissorswithaluminumfoil
doesn’t get em very sharp. sort of removes the rough edges. i’d liked to have seen the scissors cut paper before sharpenening.
well that is because you did not take it one or two strokes beyond. try it again, it works’
thats how i saw it.
if you look at a scissor blade, its not even the side of the blade that has the edge to be sharpened. so i think its only removing burrs or rough edges.
Removing burrs form the back side of a razor edge will sharpen an edge. But only if applied lightly. It’s the same affect as stropping with leather.
By the way, just where would one send a pair of fly tying scissors to get sharpened? I have 4 pair at the moment all in good shape, but the pair I use the most is getting to the state of resharpening and I uncertain which is the best route. For me in my rural location, it might be cheaper just to purchase a new pair rather than pay the cost of postage.
Normand, sorry to say, in my opinion there is no “quick” sharpening method that will work.
Again, in my opinion sharpening a blade by cutting a metal really doesn’t smooth the rough edges at all…it actually creates a “microscopic” serated edge that will cut a little smoother for the moment but those “micro serations” will bend and break down quickly.
To the person asking about scissor sharpening…ask your closest barber/hairstylist…often times services will come to their location and tune things up, perhaps they will let you know when.
Once again, all opinion…but from a guy that has spent many, many years with culinary knives in my hands…keepin’ them sharp has NO short cuts. Plenty of gimmicks but no short cuts.
David, bring them to your barber, he will have a service that comes around every 2 or 3 weeks.
One more thing:
http://www.heimerdingercutlery.com/
This place is in Louisvelle, KY and they sharpen any blade like a laser…call and ask them about mail in service…they are great people.
Normand, I’ve never really been able to successfully sharpen scissors until I got Dr. Slick’s Razor scissors, made of stainless steel. I’m on year two now of the same pair, and I’ve never been able to get more than a year out of any of the others. For what that’s worth. I use a sharpening stone and they come out great. I’m a real fan of these, but there are probably others out there that take to sharpening well too. For me it was more about the scissors than anything else, and I bought the first pair of these because they made a claim specifically that they could be sharpened.
Eric
I haven’t tried it, yet. But I did see an excellent fly tier demonstrate this method of sharpening scissors a few years ago down in Idaho Falls. If I ever use my scissors enough that they need sharpening, I’m going to give it a try.
John
This triggered a memory of a guy coming around the neighborhood when I was a kid sharpening knives, scissors, 'most anything that needed to be sharpened.
Scissors are not tough to sharpen if you get the right angle on the blade and don’t mess with the backside (inside) of the blade except to knock off the burrs. Practide with larger shears that have a nice thick blade with a well defined shoulder that you can feel the angle with. A few strokes on a ceramic stone should get it.
Like any other blade, how well they sharpen and how long they hold an edge depends on the quality of the steel they are made with.
I do not recommend this to anyone. When mine get a little dull I take a felt tip marker and only color the angle edge on each blade and then a few strokes on a fine stone to remove the colored section only. Making sure to only remove the felt tip marker spot keeps the angle right. Try this on an old pair first and see if it works for you. I stress that I am not recommending this method to anyone. It is what I do and I am satisfied with the results but I do not want anyone to ruin a pair of theirs if this does not work for you.
Not really ideal for fly tying scissors as they are too small but here is a tip for sharpening larger ones. Get an empty bottle with a tapered neck. A wine bottle is ideal. Take one pair of scissors & literally try to cut the bottle at it’s slimmer end. An old upholsterer friend of mine passed this tip on as away of keeping his scissors bright & sharp.
For mere pennies, you can buy a very effective scissors sharpener wherever sewing needs are sold; like wally-world, Hobby Lobby, Joann’s Fabrics, Hancock’s, etc. Been using one for years (my mother’s) and no problems to date with it. They have a plastic body with a knurled rod (like a butchers sharpening steel) mounted in them. You insert the scissors blades into them, apply a little pressure and either push, or pull, depending upon the manufacturer, the blades across the rod, which rolls. The rod is placed at the proper angle in the tool body to maintain the standard cutting edge angle for scissors.
kbprocter,
You must be older than dirt, like me. I remember a guy that had a sharpening wheel and a can of water that would drip onto the wheel as he turned it with peddles. He would go through the neighborhood and the bell would go ding dong ding to call the women out with their knifes.
As brhoff put there is NO shortcut to sharpening knives ar scissors. dMake sure you do not work on the inside of the scissors(the flats that touch each other. Work on the other angle. I’m also glad I’m not the only one that remember the guy that came through the neighborhood and sharpened anything wih an edge. The one i remember rode a bike (three wheeler) with his tools and work area in the rear. He did a good job for a fair price. Take care, John.
been using my Anvil scissors for six years and they are still my sharpest.
Here are instrutions I got from the old Fly Fisherman BB. I wish I could give credit to the original poster, who seemed to know what he was talking about. His method sounds a lot like yours but it is more specific about what to do.
"List of items needed for scissors sharpening - Magic marker, sand paper, a piece of glass, and a paper towel or newspaper.
Do not work on the inside of the blade, scissors are not like a knife they have only 1 bevel or angle per blade, on the outside.
Take a fine grit sand paper lay on glass [glass is level] & mark the outside edge of scissor blade with magic marker. Now lay the outside edge on sand paper with scissor open try to feel the edge or bevel of the edge. Push the scissor along the edge in one direction only so a burr forms on the inside edge of blade.
Make sure you are removing the ink that you put along the outside edge evenly. When you have removed all ink, you should have a burr along the inside edge from tip to the hinge. Do not close the scissor until you have done both blades.
Now apply pressure to the blades as you close trying keep the edges from touching. After closing, open to force the burr outside. Now slice the paper to remove the burr. They should be sharp as new. Do the sharpening under a good light you can see the burr form. You can also feel the burr.
If you have a nick from cutting wire or heavy mono, you will need to keep sharpening until it is removed and have a even burr.
Buy the best you can afford - German or Japan. The difference is these mfg. forge, most of the rest cast. Check inside of blades - this is the hollow grind of the scissor. The deeper the dish or hollow grind the sharper the blade. Shallow grind - pinch cut. Deeper grind - slice cut more as a razor edge.
P.S. do not work on the inside of the blade, scissors are not like a knife they have only 1 bevel or angle per blade."
last time I tried to sharpen 2 pairs of scissors, I took them apart. One of them is Anvil Ice scissors, one Dr Slick. After sharpening, I put them back together. Now when ever I use them , the stupid screw loosens up. I stopped using the scissors.
MAO