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There are plenty of tools that we use on a daily basis to carry out our tasks that require sharpening. A pair of scissors is one of them. Whether you use it in the kitchen to cleanly remove the trimmings from a turkey carcass or for DIY projects with your kids, it’s no fun working with a pair of scissors that doesn’t cut properly. Not only it doubles your work, it is also quite uncomfortable for your thumb & the index finger as you constantly need to exert extra pressure to make a clean cut.
You don’t have to get rid of a pair every time it goes blunt. It may look daunting at first but you need the same sharpening principles to restore scissors. I’ll share with you a handy guide on keeping your scissors in top shape.
The sharpening technique you use will depend on the condition of your scissors.
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Grinding paper: This is best suited for a pair that still has some life left in its blades. If your scissors are able to cut but require more effort, you can quickly restore back the sharpness with a grinding paper. All you need to do is cut the grinding paper about half a dozen times with both sides of your pair. Also, you don’t need to fret over the paper grain. Any grinding paper will do.
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Using a sharpening stone: You will need to adjust your sharpening approach a bit as compared to a typical kitchen knife as it has a two-sided blade and scissors carry a chisel grind, meaning they are sharpened on the inside only. So the optimum route here is to separate the two blades & treat each one as a singular knife. Plus, there’s also the danger of injuring yourself if you attempt to sharpen your pair without taking it apart.

Here’s how you go about it:
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Depending on the condition, choose the correct stone. For a blunt pair, you need to start with coarse grit. For a partially sharp pair, a finer stone will suffice.
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Before you move to the edge, the inside of the blades needs to be taken care of first.
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Soak your stone in water for a few minutes.
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Now lay the blade flat on the stone and run it gently along the stone’s length from the tip to bottom. Repeat until you get rid of the rust.
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Now it’s time to sharpen the edge. Hold the blade at an angle against the stone so the edge comes into contact with the stone.
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Run it along the surface from the tip to bottom until you observe a burr.
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Now reattach the blades and make a few cutting motions to remove the burr.
Here’s to sharp knives and great food!
Thank you for the brief and informative instructions for sharpening scissors.
It was quite an ego boost to find out that I have been sharpening my hair shears, kitchen and other shears that I use daily.
Take that honey. 😊