Tool Blade Sharpening

Tool Blade Sharpening
Keeping your tool blades sharp is essential in ensuring you get maximum results from each tool. And it's true... sharp blades will make your job a lot easier!

For your secateurs, snips, hedge shears and loppers, there are generally two types of blades - Bypass and Anvil. And on all of these tool blades you will see a bevel, an angle that ends at the sharp edge. This is what you want to sharpen - along the angle of the bevel. For sharpening your Silky Saw, see below.

BYPASS type tools only have a bevel on one side of the blade. The action of these tools is similar to scissors, with the two parts passing closely past each other. 

ANVIL type tools have a bevel on both sides of the blade. The action of these tools is like a knife onto a chopping board, and the blade will cut onto a flat surface.

With a sharpening file of some sort (we use a medium grit diamond file), you want to follow the angle of the bevel and sharpen away from yourself. And regardless of what type of blade you have, 9 - 10 strokes along each bevel will bring your edge back quickly and effectively.

In regards to sharpening your Silky hand saw please visit How to Sharpen Silky Blades.