Grass Shears; Conflicting Sharpening Advice

[Mary]

All Internet sites advise us not to use a sawing motion with the hand file. However, if you view the bevel as a hill, some sites say that you should drawfile diagonally up bevel (uphill) and other sites advise to draw your file down bevel (downhill). Very confusing. The sites advise that 10 strokes are all that are needed. I've used 100s of strokes and have the shiniest bevel in town but the edge is as dull as when I started. Please impart some words of wisdom -- Thank You, M

[BobK207]

Shears / scissors cut based on the flatness / squareness of the two flat contacting surfaces with the "sharpness" of the bevel being a somewhat secondary issue.

At this point (though I cannot see your shears) the blades may be temporarily "ruined" & may need the contacting surfaces flat polished.

To do this, it is best to disassemble the shears such that each blade can be worked individually. You'll need a very flat surface (a metal plate ideally) & various grit sand paper.

Work the contacting surface against least coarse sandpaper that will clean up the flatness (that is grit side up) on your metal plate, when the entire surface is smooth & flat, you're done........just bevel the blade slightly from the non-contacting surface to the contact surface Do NOT bevel from the contacting surface side! you want this edge to remain untouched by the file

Repeat with the other blade. Re-assemble & these babies should shear just fine.

If you do not have a flat surface to work with, this work can be done carefully with a file on the contacting faces.

But remember, the shears cut due to the flatness & squareness of the contact of the two working surfaces.

I have periodically used this technique on my loppers & my garden hand shears over the years.....the loppers being nearly 30 years old. An occasional "re-grind" brings them back to new performance.

Clean & lube the shears after every use to prevent rust (rust kills the sharpness)

cheers Bob