Scissors to practice sharpening question

[wvdavidr]

I just ordered the Edge Pro scissor sharpening attachment for the Apex. Any ideas of scissors to practice on? I know dollar-store knives are not good, so I'm guessing their scissors aren't likely to be either. Are Fisker's or other Wal-Mart, craft store, or others a good start? Any reasonable ones online that are better?

Thanks in advance,
Dave

 

[G-son]

How about going to the local second hand stores and ask for scissors? They can have lots of old quality scissors for almost no money at all, they're usually plenty dull and in desperate need of sharpening. Just make sure the ride, the "inside" of the blades sliding against the other blade, isn't damaged beyond what you can repair - I'm assuming your sharpening attachment only helps you grind the angled edge of the blade, the ride also needs to be straight and flat for a scissor to work properly.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I just ordered the Edge Pro scissor sharpening attachment for the Apex. Any ideas of scissors to practice on? I know dollar-store knives are not good, so I'm guessing their scissors aren't likely to be either. Are Fisker's or other Wal-Mart, craft store, or others a good start? Any reasonable ones online that are better?

Thanks in advance,
Dave

You might still learn something beneficial from the 'inexpensive' scissors from Walmart, etc. I've sharpened some of my Dad's own castoffs, when he's decided for himself that his desk scissors or some we've used in the kitchen (not poultry shears) have become a bit dull for his uses. They're all cheap ones, I assume picked up from Walmart over the years; we went to Walmart to replace them. That being said, I've found them useful for finding my own best methods for sharpening scissors, and have been able to get them cutting at least as good as, if not better than, when they were new. They're not cosmetically very pretty, as I've been doing it all freehand. But they at least work well. I have noticed a very wide variation in the apparent hardness and/or wear-resistance of each that I've sharpened, which is something I hadn't previously had a feel for, in scissors. Some grind fairly easy with something as simple as a mill file, and others have been better served with something like a SiC/AlOx stone for regrinding the bevels.

The suggestion to look for secondhand scissors wherever you can is a good idea, I think. You can pick up a lot of practice hardware for cheap that way.


David

 

[cbwx34]

I just ordered the Edge Pro scissor sharpening attachment for the Apex. Any ideas of scissors to practice on? I know dollar-store knives are not good, so I'm guessing their scissors aren't likely to be either. Are Fisker's or other Wal-Mart, craft store, or others a good start? Any reasonable ones online that are better?

Thanks in advance,
Dave

I wouldn't waste the money buying scissors to practice on... they're really easy to do, especially on the EP. If you have one or two pair lying around, it's all you'll need to figure the basics out. And, once you indicate to those around you that you sharpen scissors, you'll have all the "practice" you'll want. (Obviously, don't do a $$$$$ first).

Bigger issue with most is adjusting the pivot/tension to get them to cut properly... which you won't get much practice with buying scissors... unless you get used ones.

 

[wvdavidr]

I wouldn't waste the money buying scissors to practice on... they're really easy to do, especially on the EP. If you have one or two pair lying around, it's all you'll need to figure the basics out. And, once you indicate to those around you that you sharpen scissors, you'll have all the "practice" you'll want. (Obviously, don't do a $$$$$ first).

Bigger issue with most is adjusting the pivot/tension to get them to cut properly... which you won't get much practice with buying scissors... unless you get used ones.

Thanks for the info.. You are right- they seem easy to do with the Edge Pro. Any info. on adjusting the pivot/tension?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[cbwx34]

Thanks for the info.. You are right- they seem easy to do with the Edge Pro. Any info. on adjusting the pivot/tension?

Thanks,
Dave

Not really, just trial and error. I mostly meant that, even sharp, they won't necessarily cut well if the pivot isn't adjusted... they're usually too loose. I believe hair shears have a special or more specific technique... but I've never sharpened them.

If it's cheap scissors... bring a hammer. (Seriously, some I 'tighten' by smacking the rivet... no other way to adjust). Don't know if it's right... but it works.

 

[G-son]

Any info. on adjusting the pivot/tension?

High quality (expensive) scissors usually have a screw that can be adjusted as required, cheap scissors are held together by a rivet. The rivet can be tightened by placing one side on a anvil (any lump of steel works) and hitting the other side with a hammer. Do NOT overdo it, unlike the screw there's no easy way to back off again if you go too tight.

Dull blades will suprisingly still cut fairly well if the tension is very high - force the blades together against each other hard enough and anything put between them will be sheared off, but you will need to use much force to cut with it. When the blades are sharp you need very little tension to get a perfect cut. You might need more practice finding the correct tension than sharpening the blades - scissors with screw lets you experiment until you're happy, the riveted ones, not so much.

I wouldn't waste the money buying scissors to practice on...

Well, there's diffrent kinds of wasting money. If you buy old quality scissors and bring them back to working as well as when they were new you've both got some practice and a great pair of fully functional scissors. You can use them yourself (once you've got used to sharp high quality scissors you don't want to be without them, just like any other good tools) or you could sell them. I'm not sure about the prices in your area, but I've picked up a few old and abused 8-10" dressmakers scissors for equal to ~2-3$US, now that they're back in working order I could probably sell them for ten times that. Ofcourse, after using them I like them way too much to ever let them go...

 

[cbwx34]

High quality (expensive) scissors usually have a screw that can be adjusted as required, cheap scissors are held together by a rivet. The rivet can be tightened by placing one side on a anvil (any lump of steel works) and hitting the other side with a hammer. Do NOT overdo it, unlike the screw there's no easy way to back off again if you go too tight.

Dull blades will suprisingly still cut fairly well if the tension is very high - force the blades together against each other hard enough and anything put between them will be sheared off, but you will need to use much force to cut with it. When the blades are sharp you need very little tension to get a perfect cut. You might need more practice finding the correct tension than sharpening the blades - scissors with screw lets you experiment until you're happy, the riveted ones, not so much.

Well, there's diffrent kinds of wasting money. If you buy old quality scissors and bring them back to working as well as when they were new you've both got some practice and a great pair of fully functional scissors. You can use them yourself (once you've got used to sharp high quality scissors you don't want to be without them, just like any other good tools) or you could sell them. I'm not sure about the prices in your area, but I've picked up a few old and abused 8-10" dressmakers scissors for equal to ~2-3$US, now that they're back in working order I could probably sell them for ten times that. Ofcourse, after using them I like them way too much to ever let them go...

Good info. And you're right... I should have said "wouldn't waste the money buying new scissors"... getting used stuff to practice on as you said earlier was a good idea... should have clarified.

 

[Lieblad]

Get some locktite too. Lots of screw pivots get threads worn, or just crappy to begin with & wont stay adjusted.