"Jeff Layman" wrote in message
...
On 30/05/2011 20:43, 'Mike' wrote:
"Jeff wrote in message
...
On 30/05/2011 19:41, 'Mike' wrote:
"Emery wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I'd like to sharpen up my faithful Felco #2 secateurs, what's the best
method?

Thanks,

-E

Use a small oilstone and sharpen the angle.

DO NOT, REPEAT NOT TOUCH THE FACES WHICH SLIDE TOGETHER Sorry for
shouting
but the two faces which slide together are a scissor slicing action
............. (look at a pair of scissors and see how they slice as
they
come
together)


I have an ancient pair of bypass secateurs which I have been using for
at
least 25 years, and have sharpened several times. Being unaware of your
comment, I have been sharpening only the flat sides of both blades on an
oilstone, as it is far easier to do this by hand than getting the bevel
angle on a curved surface right by eye (or having to use some sort of
device to get the angle correct) and sharpening that. Yes, I suppose
that
the blades get microscopically thinner each time I do this, but it
doesn't
seem to have affected their pruning efficacy.

I don't see how it matters if the faces which slide together have a
scissors action IF the pivot point is through the flat surfaces which
cross to make the cut.

--

Jeff

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you take them to pieces and hold them flat on the oilstone to ensure
that
the whole flat surface is cleaned/sharpened?

Indeed. By doing that - as you point out - I also get the opportunity to
clean out the grot which you normally can't get to as it is stuck between
the blades!


That's why you still have them after at least 25 years.

When my wife left school she was trained as a Cutter in the Hosiery business
and had a very expensive pair of German shears. Later, when we were courting
and then got married, I used to sharpen them for her and never took them to
pieces, but sharpened the bevel. Still got them. Same shears. Same wife.
Well over 50 years for both :-))

Mike


--

....................................
Remember, a statue has never been erected to a critic.
....................................



If not, how come you don't have a gap as the blades come together?

--

Jeff