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- Overview and Preparation
- Step-by-Step Pictures and Instructions: How to Sharpen Garden Tools
- See More Gardening Projects
Poof! There’s nothing like dull hedge shears to pop your bubble of tranquillity. Instead of relaxing as you work, you struggle with each jerky push and pull of the handle. In this article, we’ll show you how to sharpen those old hedge shears, pruning shears and grass clippers and transport you back to gardening bliss.
Ingredients for a Good Cutting EdgeAll three of these tools function in a similar manner. The two sharp surfaces of the blades come in contact at the base and cut all the way to the tips. They literally shear the grass and twigs from the stem of the plant with a scissors action. These two opposing surfaces are finely ground at the factory to the precise angle that makes them the most efficient.
When you resharpen these blades along the original bevel, you can get them so sharp that they’ll easily cut tissue paper. The key is to sharpen exactly along this factory-cut bevel. I’ve seen many tools, now worthless, that were sharpened improperly because the person attemped to construct a “better cutting edge” or used the wrong tool to sharpen them.
Unless you’re a pro, you shouldn’t use a power grinding tool for sharpening. Buy a new mill file, 10 in. long for the best control. It works really well on hedge and pruning shears and even on grass clippers. If you find files confusing, read the package. It will tell you if the file’s OK for use on garden tools. And if you don’t want to use the same file on the grass clippers, read on—we’ll show you how to sharpen them with an ordinary scissors sharpener.
Note: Always feel the blade very gently with your hands to check sharpness. Burrs are often jagged and can easily cut your fingers.
Finally, always lightly oil your tools and wipe them with a dry cloth for the off-season.
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