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Sharp tools make all the difference when tackling pruning chores. Plants will recover more quickly from clean cuts, and your muscles will thank you as well. Even quality pruning shears and hedge clippers need sharpening from time to time to maintain their edge, and it makes a great project on a cold or rainy day. Read on to find out how to sharpen your pruning tools.

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Sharp tools make any pruning job easier.

Sharp tools make all the difference when tackling pruning chores. Plants will recover more quickly from clean cuts, and your muscles will thank you as well. Even quality pruning shears and hedge clippers need sharpening from time to time to maintain their edge, and it makes a great project on a cold or rainy day. Here’s how to go about sharpening your pruning tools.

It doesn’t take long for your tools to get dull and dirty.

Types of Pruning Tools

Before you start, take a good look at your pruning tools, paying close attention to the beveling of the blades. This bevel is what makes a tool sharp, and blades are factory ground to a precise angle that’s just right for each tool. When sharpening a blade, focus on maintaining the bevel – don’t try to change the angle or the shape of the blade, or it won’t cut properly.

How you sharpen pruning tools depends on the type of blade:

• Hedge clippers: Usually consist of two blades that move against each other, like scissors. Often the blades are beveled on one side and flat on the other, and both blades need to be sharpened.
• Grass clippers: They also have two blades, but clippers may be beveled on both sides of the blade.
• Anvil Pruning Shears: This type has one blade that moves against a hard, flat plate. Instead of a scissoring action, they cut by pinching. Only one blade needs to be sharpened, but it may be beveled on both sides.
• Bypass Loppers or Pruning Shears: These shears also have one blade, but it moves past a hard, flat edge in a scissoring motion and is likely beveled on just one side.

Types of Sharpening Tools

If you have the proper sharpening tools, putting an edge on your clippers and shears only take a few minutes. You have some options when choosing sharpening tools:

• Grinders: While power grinders remove a lot of metal in a hurry, they can easily overheat the steel, causing the metal to soften and the blade to dull quickly. Though necessary for major reshaping, grinders require practice and a gentle touch to keep from damaging tools.
• Files: Files remove steel quickly without overheating, but can leave a rough edge, making them perfect for hoes, shovels, lawn mower blades, and other tools that don’t require a razor sharp edge. For best results, choose a medium or fine mill file with a “bastard cut.”
• Sharpening Stones: Available in grits ranging from coarse (120 grit) to extra fine (1000 or higher grit), sharpening stones may be made from natural stone (Arkansas, Washita) or manmade materials (silicon carbide, aluminum oxide). As the name implies, oilstones use honing oil as a lubricant while Japanese waterstones require water. Diamond plate and ceramic stones may be used dry or with water. While removing less steel than a file, the finer grits of honing stones can produce a very sharp edge, making them great for tools that need to be extra sharp.

Sharpening Pruning Tools

Step 1: Disassemble Tool

Most pruning tools are held together by a simple bolt or a couple of screws. You don’t have to take them apart, but the blades will be easier to clean and sharpen if separated.

Step 2: Clean Tool

Scrub away all dirt and rust with soap and water, use mineral spirits to dissolve any resin or stains, then dry thoroughly. More information about cleaning and removing rust from garden tools can be found in our article on How to Clean, Sharpen, and Maintain Garden Tools.

Step 3: Clamp Blade

If you have a workshop, secure the blade in a clamp or vise. If not, brace the shears in your lap or on a countertop, but be careful not to cut yourself while holding it steady!

Step 4: Sharpen Blade

For very dull or nicked edges, start with a mill file or coarse sharpening stone. If the blade is in good shape, begin with a medium or fine sharpening stone. Lubricate the stone (if required), then sharpen by laying the stone flat against the beveled edge of the blade. Using steady strokes, push the stone or file toward the sharp edge of the blade. Continue until you’ve sharpened the whole length of the blade. Don’t overdo it – a few strokes should be all it takes.

Step 5: Remove Burr

Periodically place the stone or file flat against the back of the blade and make a gentle stroke toward the blade. You don’t want to reshape the flat edge, just remove any burr that has formed on the back of the edge.

Step 6: Hone Blade

After you’ve sharpened the blade, switch to a finer grit of stone and repeat the process to give a nice sharp edge. Apply less and less pressure as you go for a finer edge.

Step 7: Clean Tool

Use a clean rag to wipe off any metal filings, being careful not to cut yourself. Lightly oil the blade and any moving parts of your tools.

Enjoy your nice sharp pruning shears!

Step 8: Reassemble

Put your pruning shears back together and give ‘em a try! Touch up the blade if needed, until it produces a smooth, easy cut. Hang your tools in a dry place to protect your sharpening job.

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Properly maintained quality garden tools are a joy to use and can last for generations. And, like most things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regularly cleaning and oiling your garden tools will prevent rust, keep them sharper, and allow the handles to stay strong. Read on to find out how to get your garden tool in shape and keep them that way.

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This shovel could use a little TLC.

Properly maintained quality garden tools are a joy to use and can last for generations. And, like most things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regularly cleaning and oiling your garden tools will prevent rust, keep them sharper, and allow the handles to stay strong. But if you’re like me, sometimes you’re not as diligent as you should be—putting your tools away dirty or leaving them outside in the weather. Then before you know it, they’re on the fast track to the trash bin.

Here’s how to get your garden tools in shape and keep them that way.

Gather Your Weapons

To clean and maintain your tools, you’ll need the following:

• Cleaning Supplies: Detergent, garden hose, sprayer, sponge, old rags or towels.
• Cleaning Tools: Steel wool, scrub brush, wire brush, and a rotary wire brush attachment for your drill.
• Sandpaper: (80 and 120 grit) Made to work on both wood and metal.
• Sharpening Tools: A fine metal file and a sharpening stone to hone edges.
• Lubricating Oil: Such as boiled linseed oil, tung oil, motor oil, lamp oil, or cooking oil. Boiled linseed and tung oil are probably the best choices, but you can use what you have on hand.
• Safety Equipment: Wear gloves, eye protection, and a dust mask when working on tools.

Step 1: Clean Tools

Start by giving your tools a good scrubbing to remove any mud and grit from the blades and handles. Dry with old towels, then set them aside overnight so they dry completely to avoid trapping moisture.

Step 2: Remove Rust

Use steel wool or a wire brush to scrub away any rust that has accumulated on metal parts. A rotary wire brush attachment chucked in a drill can make the job easier. As a rule, you want to remove the rust with as little grinding and scraping of the steel as possible to keep tools from becoming thinner and weaker over time.

Step 3: Sand Tools

Smooth worn wooden handles with medium grit sandpaper to remove splinters and deteriorated finish. You can also use sandpaper to remove any remaining rust from surfaces and crevices and to lightly polish the metal. When finished, thoroughly wipe down the tools to remove any wood or metal sanding dust.

Step 4: Sharpen Tools

Use a metal file to lightly sharpen the edges of tools. Again, you don’t want to grind away too much of the metal, just use it to smooth out nicks, remove burrs, and give a nice clean edge. On some cutting tools (like hedge clippers and axes), you’ll need to follow up with a sharpening stone lubricated with oil for a finer edge.

Step 5: Oil Tools

Using a clean rag, apply oil, such as Liquid Wrench Lubricating Oil, to both the wooden handle and the metal blade. Rub the oil into the surface then wipe off any excess. The oil will help prevent rust and condition the wood to keep it from absorbing water and prevent cracking. After the handle has dried, apply a second coat of oil to the wood if needed. Tools with fiberglass or composite handles will only need a good cleaning.

Some gardeners prefer to sand wooden tool handles and reapply a coat of exterior finish such as spar varnish. If you do refinish your tool handles, make sure the wood is completely dry first. I prefer using oil simply because I’d rather do a quick wipe down, rather than taking the time to sand the wood, apply finish, and wait for it to dry, but it’s really a matter of preference.

That’s more like it! Now, to keep it that way.

Preventative Maintenance

Now that your gardening tools look like new, take the time to keep them that way! At the end of every gardening day, spend a few minutes to:

• Rinse off mud and soil with a garden hose. Clinging wet soil is the main cause of rust on garden tools.
• Scrub away stubborn soil with a scrub brush, and use paint thinner to remove sap and pitch.
• Wipe tools dry with a rag or towel, or let them dry in the sun while you finish your chores.
• Hang tools up rather than standing them on their edges.
• Periodically wipe on a light coat of oil or spray surfaces with a penetrating oil. You can also put tools in a sand bucket to keep them clean and sharp.

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• How to Sharpen Pruning Tools
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