Whether cutting fruit trees or roses, scissors are often needed in the garden. When sharp and clean, injuries can heal quickly. We show you how to sharpen your secateurs.

In a nutshell

  • Secateurs are one of the most important tools in the garden
  • with frequent use, the scissors become blunt
  • blunt scissors lead to bruises when cutting
  • these can become gateways for disease
  • sharp clean secateurs protect plants from injury

Structure and function of secateurs

If you want to sharpen garden shears, you should know the function and structure. Secateurs consist of a thinner blade and a thicker claw. Plant stalks are pressed against the blade with the claw and severed in this way. In order to achieve a clean cut, the claw must slide close to the cutting edge.
After prolonged use, nicks form on the blade and its sharpness is lost. The plant parts are then no longer severed thoroughly.

sharpen secateurs

At the latest when you want to sharpen your scissors, you will notice a difference between professional cutting tools and cheap copies. High-quality scissors can be dismantled into their individual parts without any problems. This is the prerequisite for sharpening dull blades.
For grinding you need:

  • whetstone
  • leather
  • polishing paste
  • water

Sharpening on a water whetstone

The water whetstone is made of porous material. It has a coarse and a fine side. Before use, it must be able to soak up water.
Manual:

  • Disassemble the scissors into their individual parts. Use a screwdriver and a spanner.
  • Clean the blades. After long use, residues of plant juices accumulate.
In the case of stubborn dirt, you can carefully clean the scissor parts with steel wool.

Notice: Commercial glass cleaner is suitable for removing dirt. Spray the cleaner on the cut surfaces, leave it to work well and wipe off the residue with a soft cloth.

  • Soak the whetstone in water for an hour.
  • Remove the stone from the water bath and place it on a firm surface.
  • Sharpen the blade with the sharpened side against the coarse-grained side. Always move the blade away from you.

Notice: Only the cutting blade is sharpened. The counterblade remains untouched!

  • Repeat the process on the fine-grain side of the whetstone.
  • Moisten the stone several times in between.
  • Grind the blade until it is sharp again.
  • Place the flat side of the blade on the fine-grain side of the whetstone and smooth with gentle pressure in light, circular motions. This will remove burrs and bumps.
  • Glue a piece of leather to a piece of wood. Spread polishing paste on it. First polish the cutting surface, then the flat sides to a high gloss.
  • Put the scissors back together.
  • Put a few drops of penetrating oil on the joint. Open and close the scissors several times so that the oil can penetrate to the joint.

Notice: Regular cleaning, greasing and sharpening will increase the life of your pruning shears.

Alternatively, there are also sharpening steels available in stores that can be used to resharpen the blade.

frequently asked Questions

Can you sharpen garden shears with sandpaper?

If you don't have a whetstone available, you can use wet sandpaper with 240, 800 and 1200 grit. Wrap each of these around a short strip of wood and proceed in the same way as when using a whetstone. First use the coarse and then the finer sandpaper. Moisten it with water in between.

What can be the reason that the screw connection of the scissors cannot be loosened?

Some pruning shears are glued with a screw locking adhesive, making it difficult to disassemble the shears. Leave the scissors in direct sunlight or a warm place for a while. The adhesive will soften and the screws can be loosened.

How recommended is grinding on the grinding machine?

Many hobby gardeners and craftsmen prefer the whetstone to sharpen garden tools. If you sharpen scissors with a grinding machine, you risk heating up the steel and removing a lot of material.

Category:

Garden maintenance