How to Sharpen Kitchen Shears
Kitchen shears differ a bit from knives, but they are similar enough that they can be sharpened at home. As long as you can get them to open to a 90-degree angle or wider, or even take them apart, you should be able to sharpen them fairly easily. The most important thing to keep in mind is that, unlike with knife sharpening, you will only want to sharpen one side of each blade. The other side must remain flat and dull for your shears to work properly. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Knife sharpening stone (as long or longer than your shear blades)
- Oil or water for the stone (optional)
- Kitchen shears
- Drafting compass or protractor (optional)
Instructions
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1
Check your shears before you begin to make sure that you can open them at least 90 degrees, so that the blades form the shape of an "L." It is also quite acceptable if they come apart for easy cleaning. If your shears do neither of these two things, you will not be able to sharpen them satisfactorily, and may need to seek either professional help or a new pair of shears.
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2
Moisten your sharpening stone, if it is the type of stone that requires moistening. Some require oil, some require water, and still others require nothing at all.
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3
Examine the blades of your kitchen shears, and note which side of each is currently the sharp side. Note the side that is the flat one as well, so that you do not sharpen it by mistake.
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4
Begin sharpening by holding the first blade you will sharpen so that the sharp edge is at a 45-degree angle lengthwise along the stone. It is not necessary to be exact, but if you are uncertain of what a 45-degree angle should look like, you can consult a drafting compass or protractor for an accurate depiction of the angle at which your blade edge should be held.
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5
Draw the blade edge along the length of the stone, firmly but smoothly. Do not draw it so quickly that it slides off any edge of the stone, or you will create nicks and burrs on the edge of your shears that will impede the sharpening process.
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6
Continue doing this several more times. Examine the blade periodically and you should notice that it is getting smoother.
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7
Repeat steps 1 through 6 with the other blade. Test your kitchen shears on a piece of paper or cardboard to make sure they have been sharpened to you liking. Repeat this entire process whenever your shears get dull.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not attempt to do this very quickly until you have gained experience. Going too fast during knife or kitchen shear sharpening can lead to injury to both yourself and your cutting implements.
