sharpening scissors?!

S

snorkem

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Aug 12, 2009
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So recently i was asked by some friends of mine to sharpen their kitchen knives with my dmt aligner set. It worked well and they are very sharp now. They recently asked me to sharpen a pair of scissors for them. I dont know how to do this. is there a way on the dmt aligner, or could someone perhaps steer me in the right direction of what to do. I have the course fine and extra fine stones. Thank you for your help

Snorkem
 
I just did it a few days ago on my DMT stones. Since the bevel has so much surface area, it's easy to set the blade on the stone and feel the right angle. I used XC until I had a burr. Then I used EF until the XC scratches were gone and did a few alternating strokes to get rid of the burr (follow the bevel on the bevel side, go into the edge (greater angle) a little bit on the chisel side.) And that was it.

My mom says she doesn't notice any difference after I sharpened it :grumpy: (although the blade can catch my nail now, whereas it was impossible before.)
 
Mums a dress maker so he are a few things.
If there cheap scissors likely to get knocked around using a steel and just pretending to cut it will work ( it does sound horrible though)
Be aware some scissors have a "serration on one side/blade don't grind that off.
Some hairdressers scissors are hollow ground I don't go there.
The best thing to test the cutting edge is silk try and get some offcuts, it will slide on the blunt bits.
If you visualize the blade is a chisel is probably the easiest way to explain it sharpen the face but not the "bottom" where the two blades run across each other.
Don't get talked into sharpening pilking shears ( the scissors that cut a zig zag pattern) Not worth the ( huge) hassle.
Practise practise practise on some cheap beaters.
Carl
 
warrigal said:
Don't get talked into sharpening pilking shears ( the scissors that cut a zig zag pattern) Not worth the ( huge) hassle.

Carl
Click to expand...

This gave me a good chuckle! First pair I sharpened was my mother's pinking shears. I did this by hand with small diamond stones. They turned out very well (after many HOURS :eek:).
 
THG said:
I just did it a few days ago on my DMT stones. Since the bevel has so much surface area, it's easy to set the blade on the stone and feel the right angle. I used XC until I had a burr. Then I used EF until the XC scratches were gone and did a few alternating strokes to get rid of the burr (follow the bevel on the bevel side, go into the edge (greater angle) a little bit on the chisel side.) And that was it.

My mom says she doesn't notice any difference after I sharpened it :grumpy: (although the blade can catch my nail now, whereas it was impossible before.)
Click to expand...

Depending on what she's using them for, she might not be able to tell. Cutting paper, for instance, doesn't require a super sharp blade. And, if you use the scissors as scissors, most fabrics will cut fine with fairly dull scissors. Some, like most silk will catch on dull spots. And some scissors should be excessively sharp, for instance, many hair shears have ridges to keep the blades from pushing hte hair out.

there are a couple other things to watch out for with scissors. first is the tension on the two bows. Too tight or too loose won't work well. Most important is make sure they all the way to the tips. Often that's just that the tip is dull, but sometimes, it's because the handles hit each other before the tips reach. Very, very careful filling of the stops on the handle will fix that (it's hard to put metal back, after you grind it off....).
 
Michdad When I did Mums pinking Shears she was teaching fashion at what I think you blokes call community college ( it is called TAFE here Technical And Further Education)
Next day she rings and said she is so impressed the students wanted to know how much?
I thought for a second and suggested $50 ( A bit more than the going price of a liter bottle of Wild Turkey at the time) She exclaimed that they ( the Students)" Could buy a new set for less than that"
"good" I said "every body is happy"
LOL
Carl
 
warrigal, $50 sounds like a bargain for the labor!

Not to hijack this thread, but hopefully add to it. I like to take scissors apart to sharpen. I use Arkansas stones with oil. I am working on a pair of small hair cutting scissors. The screw that holds them together is threaded into the opposite blade (no nut). What is the best way to stake the screw so it does not come loose when using?
 
Must admit I have always done it with the scissors intact. I guess a drop of loctite would do the job.
I have sometimes very very gently tapped a deformed blade back into line with a very light hammer ( a cross peined glaziers hammer) on my anvil.
The worst thing that happens to a pair of scissors is them being dropped I have had to grind of the badly bent and distorted tips and then regrind new tips, That isn't fun.
Most the time now I use a superfine ezelap bench plate. I give them a polish and remove the burr with my superfine rod for my Spyderco 204.
Carl
 
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