Hi,

I need to sharpen my secateurs, but I can't seem to find a sharpening
steel in any garden centre. Can I just use the kitchen one? Or do I need
something else?

Thanks.
--
Mark Allison, SQL Server MVP
http://www.markallison.co.uk

"Mark Allison" wrote in message
I need to sharpen my secateurs, but I can't seem to find a sharpening
steel in any garden centre. Can I just use the kitchen one? Or do I need
something else?


Use a small sharpening stone or one of those fantastic "Pocket Whetstones
with folding handles" by DMT.
http://www.trendmachinery.co.uk/diam...mt_tools.shtml
Not cheap but nothing good ever is (and you could chuck away your kitchen
steel then).

--
Regards
Bob

Some photos of my plants at.....

"Mark Allison" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I need to sharpen my secateurs, but I can't seem to find a sharpening
steel in any garden centre. Can I just use the kitchen one? Or do I need
something else?

Thanks.
--
Mark Allison, SQL Server MVP
http://www.markallison.co.uk

Mark, at the risk of teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, do you know what
you are doing? Secateurs, shears and scissors with a cross over action only
have the outer edge sharpened. Try to out a nice edge by sharpwning BOTH
side, and you might as well throw them away.

Having said that and ducking 'cos you knew', I use an ordinary carpenters
oil stone on all scissors shears and secateurs.

Mike

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
...

"Mark Allison" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I need to sharpen my secateurs, but I can't seem to find a sharpening
steel in any garden centre. Can I just use the kitchen one? Or do I need
something else?

Thanks.
--
Mark Allison, SQL Server MVP
http://www.markallison.co.uk

Mark, at the risk of teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, do you know
what
you are doing? Secateurs, shears and scissors with a cross over action
only
have the outer edge sharpened. Try to out a nice edge by sharpwning BOTH
side, and you might as well throw them away.

Having said that and ducking 'cos you knew', I use an ordinary carpenters
oil stone on all scissors shears and secateurs.

Mike

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? 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.


--
Mark Allison, SQL Server MVP
http://www.markallison.co.uk

Bob Hobden wrote:

"Mark Allison" wrote in message

I need to sharpen my secateurs, but I can't seem to find a sharpening
steel in any garden centre. Can I just use the kitchen one? Or do I need
something else?



Use a small sharpening stone or one of those fantastic "Pocket Whetstones
with folding handles" by DMT.
http://www.trendmachinery.co.uk/diam...mt_tools.shtml
Not cheap but nothing good ever is (and you could chuck away your kitchen
steel then).

Thanks Bob, Looking at that website it looks like I should go for an
extra coarse stone. Do I go for pocket, mini, keyring, one with a
folding handle? There's too much choice. I want to sharpen the following:

Axe
Rotary mower
Secateurs
Shears
Pocket knife

--
Mark Allison, SQL Server MVP
http://www.markallison.co.uk

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

"Mark Allison" wrote in message after Bob Hobden wrote in reply to:


I need to sharpen my secateurs, but I can't seem to find a sharpening
steel in any garden centre. Can I just use the kitchen one? Or do I need
something else?



Use a small sharpening stone or one of those fantastic "Pocket
Whetstones
with folding handles" by DMT.
http://www.trendmachinery.co.uk/diam...mt_tools.shtml
Not cheap but nothing good ever is (and you could chuck away your
kitchen
steel then).

Thanks Bob, Looking at that website it looks like I should go for an
extra coarse stone. Do I go for pocket, mini, keyring, one with a
folding handle? There's too much choice. I want to sharpen the following:

Axe
Rotary mower
Secateurs
Shears
Pocket knife

An extra coarse for the Axe, Rotary Mower and possibly the shears, but a
fine (red?) for the others would be about right as they need a really good
quality cutting edge. (it's the one I use) The red one is also the one for
kitchen knives etc.

Got mine at a "Good Food" show Sue dragged me around, was a bit cheaper
there so keep a look out and you may find them a little cheaper. Maybe your
local good proper tool shop has them.
--
Regards
Bob

Some photos of my plants at.....

Bob Hobden wrote:

An extra coarse for the Axe, Rotary Mower and possibly the shears, but a
fine (red?) for the others would be about right as they need a really good
quality cutting edge. (it's the one I use) The red one is also the one for
kitchen knives etc.

Got mine at a "Good Food" show Sue dragged me around, was a bit cheaper
there so keep a look out and you may find them a little cheaper. Maybe your
local good proper tool shop has them.

Bob,

I notice that the pocket stones with folding handles are almost three
times the price of the same size stone without a handle. Does the handle
really make all the difference? Do you think it's worth the money? i.e.
am I going to find it very difficult to sharpen my tools without a handle?

I'm clueless on these matters, so would appreciate some guidance. I'm
thinking of buying the extra coarse and the fine as you suggested. Thanks.

--
Mark Allison, SQL Server MVP
http://www.markallison.co.uk

"Mark Allison" wrote in message

I notice that the pocket stones with folding handles are almost three
times the price of the same size stone without a handle. Does the handle
really make all the difference? Do you think it's worth the money? i.e.
am I going to find it very difficult to sharpen my tools without a handle?


No, not difficult, but you will need to place the stone on a table or
similar like a normal whetstone and slide the blade up and down it holding
it at the correct sharpening angle, it does take some practice to keep the
blade at the same angle no matter what your arms are doing. Practice on some
ordinary knives before you ruin your secateurs. :-)
I find the ones with the handles allow you to hold the blade in one hand and
the stone with the other and use it like a file, a bit easier, and you can
have them in your pocket for sharpening on site. But as you say, they are
much more expensive.

--
Regards
Bob

Some photos of my plants at.....