Advice on sharpening garden tools, with a step-by-step video on how to sharpen shears. You’ll also find all the products you need to get the job done. <\/p>
Good garden pruning tools<\/a> are essential. They make light work of day-to-day garden tasks such as deadheading<\/a>, pruning roses<\/a>, coppicing<\/a> and so on. However, when it comes to tools such as shears<\/a> and secateurs<\/a>, these benefits are lost if the tools are blunt.<\/p> Luckily, keeping garden tools sharp throughout the year is pretty straightforward – it\u2019s usually only a lack of routine that interferes. Ideally you should sharpen your tools little and often, but have an extra session two or three times a year in preparation for busy seasons.<\/p> Almost as important as keeping your tools sharp, is keeping them clean. Leaf sap quickly builds up on blades and clogs up the mechanism, reducing the efficiency of the cut.<\/p> You may also like<\/strong><\/p> Here\u2019s some advice and handy tips to help you sharpen your tools and keep them working well for longer.<\/p> Keeping tools sharp throughout the year is pretty straightforward, it’s usually only a lack of routine that interferes.<\/p>Jake Hobson from Japanese tool supplier, Niwaki<\/cite><\/blockquote> For regular tool sharpening we always recommend not taking your secateurs or shears apart, as they never quite feel the same once you start fiddling with them.<\/p> The trick with sharpening all tools is to go slow, and to concentrate. Try and adopt a fixed position, putting light but equal pressure along the whole length of the blade.<\/p> Also, learn to take care of your tools and treat cleaning and sharpening them as important a job as any other in the garden. There\u2019s no reason why a good pair of secateurs shouldn\u2019t last a lifetime.<\/p> Shears are more straightforward to sharpen than secateurs \u2013 you only sharpen the outside of each blade, but you sharpen both of them. <\/p> Once finished, take the burr off the inside edges. This applies to snips and other straight bladed tools as well.<\/p> Watch Jake explain how to sharpen shears using a Crean Mate, 1000-grit sharpening stone and Camellia oil.<\/i><\/p>How to sharpen garden tools<\/h2>
Sharpening shears<\/h3>