How to sharpen garden shears made by a Japanese blacksmith.
To Ensure Your Gardening Shears Last a Long Time
Good gardening shears are meant to be used for a long time. The gardening shears sold at amenoma are handmade by blacksmiths and excel in sharpness, edge retention, and durability. While they may be somewhat more expensive than ordinary shears, with regular maintenance, they can be used for many years with uncompromised sharpness.
Maintenance is Divided into Two Main Categories
Maintenance for gardening shears is broadly divided into two tasks. One is daily care, which involves regularly removing sap attached to the shears to prevent rust. When cutting plants, sap adheres to the blade. If left as is, the sap turns black and rusts, eventually sticking and dulling the blade. Since sap can be removed with sap-removing spray or neutral detergent, regular removal is necessary. We will explain sap removal in more detail later. The other task is "resharpening," which becomes necessary when the shears gradually lose their sharpness after years of cutting plants.
Resharpening is Easy
Many people currently think they don't know how to resharpen or that it might be difficult to do it themselves. The word "resharpening" might sound like it requires special skills. However, once you know the basic steps, anyone can do it easily. This time, we will explain how to sharpen gardening shears made by blacksmiths, as simply as possible.
Gather the Necessary Tools
What you need for resharpening are a whetstone, a cloth, and rust-preventive oil for blades. Unlike whetstones for kitchen knives, you should use a "whetstone for gardening tools."
There are three types of whetstones: coarse, medium, and finishing. For restoring the sharpness of shears, use a medium whetstone (#1000). If the blade is chipped or heavily damaged, choose a "coarse" whetstone. If you want to make the blade even sharper or give it a mirror finish, use a "finishing" whetstone. For the purpose of restoring sharpness, one medium whetstone is sufficient.
Before Sharpening
Since whetstones for gardening tools are often artificial, they must first be thoroughly soaked in water. The guideline is until no more air bubbles appear, or for about 5 minutes. Soaking the whetstone in water generates slurry, which increases sharpening power and makes it easier to sharpen.
Preparing the Shears
Keep the shears in an open position. If removing the spring allows them to open further, work with the spring removed. If they are already fully open with the spring attached, there is no need to remove it.
For perfect sharpening, you can remove the screw, disassemble the shears, and sharpen each blade separately. The advantage of this is that it's easier to apply the whetstone from tip to heel and sharpen cleanly. However, reassembling them can make it difficult to adjust the blade alignment, and they may lose their sharpness after reassembly. Here, we will explain how to sharpen them without disassembling.
How to Sharpen Japanese Pruning Shears: The Cutting Blade
Pruning shears consist of a cutting blade and an anvil blade, each with a different shape. The cutting blade is for cutting branches, and the anvil blade is for holding branches. Since the anvil blade does not significantly affect sharpness, only the cutting blade is sharpened.
First, place the whetstone at an angle that matches the blade's edge. Move the whetstone perpendicularly to the blade, sharpening the entire edge. Once a burr appears on the back of the blade along its entire edge, the sharpening of the cutting blade is complete. Afterward, remove the burr to finish.
How to Sharpen Japanese Bud Shears: The Cutting Blades
Bud shears consist of two cutting blades, so both need to be sharpened. First, place the whetstone at an angle that matches the blade's edge. Move the whetstone perpendicularly to the blade, sharpening the entire edge.
Once a burr appears on the back of the blade along its entire edge, sharpen the other cutting blade in the same manner. When both blades are in the same condition, the sharpening process is complete. Finally, remove the burr to finish.
Removing the Burr
When you sharpen a blade, a burr forms on the back. Check that the burr is present along the entire blade edge. Flip the blade over and remove the burr. You can easily remove it by gently tracing the edge with the whetstone. Check with your finger to make sure no burr remains. If there are any remaining spots, trace them again with the whetstone. Once completely gone, the resharpening process is complete.
After Resharpening Care
Once resharpening is complete, wipe away dirt and moisture with a soft cloth. Apply rust-preventive oil for blades, focusing on the areas where the blades overlap. Finally, put oil on the screw part and check the operation. If you hear the usual opening and closing sound, the resharpening process is complete. The shears should have returned to their previous sharpness. Allow the used whetstone to dry in a shaded, well-ventilated area.
DIY Maintenance is Easy
The "Gardening Shears Resharpening" process can be completed in just 10 minutes. Gather a whetstone, a cloth, and blade oil, and give it a try. Your gardening work will become easier as the shears return to their initial sharpness. Sharper shears are also better for plants, and you'll develop an even stronger attachment to shears you've maintained yourself.
Even if the blade opens up after you try to sharpen it yourself and it no longer cuts, don't worry. In that case, send them to amenoma. A shear craftsman will resharpen them directly.
With regular maintenance and resharpening, amenoma gardening shears will maintain their excellent sharpness for a long time. Once you learn maintenance, the process itself becomes enjoyable. Because they are important tools, take care of them and use them for many years.
Recommended Whetstones
Curved Blade Whetstone
Whetstone for Shears
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