General Tool Maintenance
While experience is a valuable tool - so too is your tool purchase. And good quality tools can be expensive which is why it's important to maintain them regularly. We've put together a few tips below on how to care for your tool and keep it in the best shape possible.
1. Use your tool
Always use the tool for the material it is designed for, and check your tool before you start to ensure there are no faults. Always take care with sharp blades.
2. Clean your tool
During use your tool can collect residue and other debris, so the easiest way to clean that off is with warm soapy water and a light scouring pad. Remember, a clean tool is a healthy tool.
3. Dry your tool
After cleaning your tool, it's incredibly important to dry it thoroughly to avoid the risk of it rusting up.
4. Sharpen your tool
Keep your blades sharp for maximum results. Sharp blades make your job a lot easier. On most blades you will see a bevel (the angle that ends at the sharp edge), that's the edge that needs to be sharpened.
Bypass type tools will only have a bevel on one side of the blade.
Anvil type tools will have a bevel on both sides of the blade.
We recommend the Eze Lap Diamond File Sharpener with a medium grit as suitable for all your garden tools, and 9 - 10 strokes along each bevel will bring your edge back quickly and effectively.
With Silky Saws, refer to the Silky Technical Specs list in each of the saw entries to see which saws are sharpenable.
5. Oil your tool
We think you should regularly coat your tool (blades) with a thin layer of protective oil. Our recommendation for this is Camellia Oil - which is an acid free light oil made from pure natural plant product (mixed with a little bit of mineral oil) and is specifically designed for the protection of tools.
And as an aside, our 100% pure Camellia Oil option turns out to be food safe as well, so it's great on your kitchen knives. And... it's also really good on your skin and hair too - if you're a little dry in places yourself.
Check out our products to help keep your tools in top condition:
