How to Sharpen Clippers and Garden Shears

Hedge shears can require sharpening if used for heavy branches.

Grass clippers, pruning shears and hedge shears function similarly. The two sharp cutting surfaces of the blade come into contact at the base and cut all the way to the tips, enabling them to shear grass and stem twigs from the stem of the plants with a scissor action. If you forget to properly store your tools after use, the blades may become dull or rusty and need resharpening.

Things You'll Need

• 10 inch mill file
• Sandpaper
• Vice
• Multipurpose lubricant

Instructions

1. Check the pivot nut of the hedge shears before you sharpen them. They are designed for cutting green wood with a thickness of no more than 3/8 inch and may have been mistakenly used as pruning shears. Thick branches or dried wood can bend the blades and stress the pivot nuts. If the nut isn't secure, tighten it; if the hedge shears cut clean, the tool doesn't need sharpening.

2. File the edge along the original bevel of hedge or pruning shears, applying long strokes with a 10-inch long mill file. File in one direction away from you. Adjust your angle as needed to file the entire edge evenly; usually 10 strokes will expose clean metal over the entire edge. Do the same with the other blade. Avoid small jerky strokes, because it will cause you to loose the factory edge.

3. Place the hedge sheers blade flat on a piece of plywood and apply 300 wet/dry sandpaper in a circular motion to smooth burrs. Lightly apply multipurpose oil to clean, lubricate and prevent rust.

4. Place the blade of pruning shears firmly in a vise. Starting at the point, follow the factory bevel’s curve. Hold the file with both hands and move it in one broad stroke away from you going along the entire cutting edge. Examine the edge after each stroke. When exposed steel starts to show, feel for burrs and sand as you did for the hedge shears.

5. Sharpen garden clippers easily with ordinary scissor sharpeners. Wipe your clippers clean and dry, and lightly oil the moving parts after each use. Soil can easily get between the blades of garden clippers and grind with each squeeze of the handle, and moisture from grass can cause corrosion.

Tips & Warnings

• Place a bent blade on a gardening tool in a vise and tweak it until it is straight.

• Avoid using a power-grinding tool for sharpening if you are a novice.

References

• Cornell University Cooperative Extension: Caring for Your Tools
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Sharpening Tools for Landscaping and Gardening