In article , Mark Allison home@mark
allison.no.tinned.meat.co.uk writes
Brian wrote:
Very simply an emery covered nail file does a good job. Both sides of the
blade ONLY if it's an 'anvil' cut. It is, however, easy to make a poor edge
even worse; if you have no sharpening experience.
Best Wishes Brian.

"Mike" wrote in message
...


I have no sharpening experience at all, except sharpening the kitchen
knives. I don't know whether my secateurs are 'anvil' or not either, how
do I know?

Anvil is when the blade lands hard down on to a flat surface as opposed
to bypass where the action is more like a pair of scissors. Obviously
for bypass you need a close fit between the inside of the blade and the
lower bar that it slides down beside in order to give a cutting action,
and so you sharpen the outside edge only.

I guess it's a skill I should learn because then I could
sharpen my mower, axe, shears, and all my three pairs of secateurs.


My husband sharpens all his wood carving chisels. He has a book about an
inch thick devoted to the subject. The mind boggles!
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm