Hi all,

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

Thanks,

-E

"Emery Davis" 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)

You only need a small oilstone, mine was a free sample from a Rep when I had
my factories, and use 3 in 1 or suchlike oil.

An angle of ABOUT 45 degrees.

Try slicing paper when you feel they are right.

Mike


--

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

"Emery Davis" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

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

Thanks,

-E

Use one of those "Diamond" sharpeners and stroke each blade on the bevel
side only following the bevel. Don't use the diamond sharpener like an oil
stone, only a few stroke should suffice.

Bill

"'Mike'" wrote in message
...


"Emery Davis" 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)

You only need a small oilstone, mine was a free sample from a Rep when I
had my factories, and use 3 in 1 or suchlike oil.

An angle of ABOUT 45 degrees.

Try slicing paper when you feel they are right.

Mike



Found this

http://www.which.co.uk/documents/pdf...ing-154001.pdf

--

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

On Mon, 30 May 2011 20:35:01 +0200, Emery Davis wrote:

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

I bought a "Shear & Scissor" sharpener last week from :-

www.multi-sharp.com

Didn't think it would be much good at that price but was astonished how
good it is - shears and scissors all nice and sharp :-)

They also do a "Secateur & Lopper Sharpener". Can't say how good it is but
I intend to buy one soon - hopefully as good as the other one !
--
Regards,

Hugh Jampton

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

"Jeff Layman" 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?

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

Mike


--

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

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!

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

--

Jeff

"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

On May 30, 7:35*pm, Emery Davis wrote:
Hi all,

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

Thanks,

-E

Take them apart and sharpen with oil stone or fine file if really bad.
NOT on the faces.
The blades have a designed twist and bend. As they close, only one
point is in contact at any one time (right on the cutting edge). This
point moves along the blade as it closes.
You need to check that this is still the case. If they have
been"forced" in the past the blade can distort. The cutting edges
need to be in contact, not the faces.
The blades may be "hollow ground" too. This compensates for wear on
the faces next to the cutting edge.
The twist and bend can be re-established in the vice with a bit of
persuasion. On good one it will probably be OK the cheapies bend apart
with use.

If you can't re-establish this geometry, it will never cut like new.

Thanks all for the advice. I looked on amazon, they have a Felco stone
but it's quite dear, nearly 18 quid. This floated my ripoff balloon.

I'm sure all stones aren't equivalent, but this one does seem a bit
excessive to me. On the other hand it will last forever, I suppose.

-E

Emery Davis wrote in news:94jmdmF5rnU1
@mid.individual.net:


Thanks all for the advice. I looked on amazon, they have a Felco stone
but it's quite dear, nearly 18 quid. This floated my ripoff balloon.

I'm sure all stones aren't equivalent, but this one does seem a bit
excessive to me. On the other hand it will last forever, I suppose.

-E


As a carpenter and joiner I feel qualified to say that an oilstone of
quality will last a lifetime. Expect to pay yes at least 18 quid for
quality as with all things.
Buy cheap buy twice or thrice.
My chisels and plane are honed every time I use them,which is daily and my
stone is as good as the day it was bought, 24 years ago.

Baz

Hugh Jampton wrote in
:

On Mon, 30 May 2011 20:35:01 +0200, Emery Davis wrote:

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

I bought a "Shear & Scissor" sharpener last week from :-

www.multi-sharp.com


Takes off too much metal and is very bad at what it does. It uses a
grinding action to make a blade appear sharp, but it is only a burr, not a
sharp edge.

Baz

I accept an age-old brace of bypass secateurs which I accept been application for at atomic 25 years, and accept acicular several times. Being blind of your comment, I accept been cutting alone the collapsed abandon of both blades on an oilstone, as it is far easier to do this by duke than accepting the bevel bend on a arced apparent appropriate by eye and cutting that.

On Tue, 31 May 2011 12:41:40 GMT, Baz wrote:

I bought a "Shear & Scissor" sharpener

Takes off too much metal and is very bad at what it does. It uses a
grinding action to make a blade appear sharp, but it is only a burr, not a
sharp edge.

I don't think you're looking at the "Shear & Scissor" sharpener. Perhaps
the "Rotary Mower & Tool Sharpener" ?

No grinding action with the "Shear & Scissor" sharpener - a simple few
strokes and that's it :-) Up in the garden again today and shears still
*very* sharp :-)

I'm not an expert - I could be wrong.
--
Regards,

Hugh Jampton