Can you sharpen a leatherman saw blade?

B

beau

Joined
Jul 18, 2004
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Question for the group: can you sharpen a leatherman saw blade? I was thinking about buying one of these and think that I would use the saw function a fair bit.

How long will it last and, once dull, can it be resharpened?
 
How long the saw stays sharp depends on what is cut with it. Saw teeth will often suggest what hardness of material the saw has been designed to cut (limbing saws vs hacksaws). I am unfamiliar with the shape of the teeth on Leathermans saws, but regular hand saws and circular blades (table or skillsaw) are all sharpened with files (and jigs/vices). Possibly someone out there with the blade in question will chime in.
 
Yes. How (or who) to sharpen it depends on the type of teeth. If it has set teeth like a handsaw, then a local saw sharpening service should be able to do it. If it has scalloped teeth then it can be sharpened with a round stone.
Bill
 
Wow... deja vu! ;)

Leatherman saws are cut like the saws on Swiss Army knives: the sides are ground with a sort of "reverse taper", so that the spine is narrower than the edge; and the teeth are formed by diagonal cuts across the edge. Unlike most hand saws or hacksaws, then, the teeth to not protrude out from the side of the blade stock; the taper prevents binding in the kerf. Again unlike conventional saws, it's the sides of the teeth that do the cutting, not the bottoms.

As I just posted in the Multi-Tool forum, you should be able to sharpen these by stoning the flat sides of the saw blade, since it's the sides of the teeth that will dull.

Think of it like the old trick to sharpen serrated blades, by stoning the back (unserrated) side of the blade.
 
you can sharpen anything with a blade accually, the leatherman "saw" is one of your easier ones to do, use a round stone, or even a ceramic dogbone to LIGHTLY hone from spine to blade edge the scalloped side, then take a smooth stone to the flat and draw from spine to edge, couple passes and you should be good!
 
To sharpen the leatherman saw blade you will need a small swiss jewelers file.

Like the ones here http://wire-sculpture.com/items/G14_8.php

It is best to clamp the saw in a vice so you can work easily and use both hands if needed. File each tooth the same angle and depth. Do not touch the sides of the blade. The taper must stay as it was set at the factory.
 
frugalweaver said:
To sharpen the leatherman saw blade you will need a small swiss jewelers file.

Like the ones here http://wire-sculpture.com/items/G14_8.php

It is best to clamp the saw in a vice so you can work easily and use both hands if needed. File each tooth the same angle and depth. Do not touch the sides of the blade. The taper must stay as it was set at the factory.
Click to expand...
Your way would certainly work, but I think mine would be easier, especially for a novice. If you stone the flats evenly, you won't change the taper. Admittedly, my method would be better for touch-ups; if the blade is seriously dull, you'd have to sharpen as you describe.
 
A saw shop recommended I use the Nicholson 5" X Slim Taper File for my Leatherman and SAK saws. Haven't tried it yet as the saws are still sharp but it looks like it will work.
 
Gryffin said:
Your way would certainly work, but I think mine would be easier, especially for a novice. If you stone the flats evenly, you won't change the taper. Admittedly, my method would be better for touch-ups; if the blade is seriously dull, you'd have to sharpen as you describe.
Click to expand...

I think we are talking about a saw with real teeth, not a scalloped edge.
Bill
 
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