Fiskar’s is one of the most well-known brands in yard-care. You might even call them “on the cutting edge.” Terrible jokes aside, cleaning and sharpening need to be done with the best pair of gardening shears.
So how do you sharpen Fiskars Pruning Shears?
Sharpening all pruning shears can be done quickly by running a sharpener along with them. Start with the base and ensure that you are sharpening the blade at the same angle all the way.
If only one side appears to be sharp, that’s normal; some edges have flat sections.
In the rest of this article, we plan on going through a complete cleaning and sharpening process step-by-step.
By the end, you will have a defined process for sharpening your pruning shears.
A Step-By-Step Process To Sharpen Garden Tools
- Clean them
- Remove rust (if it is there)
- Find the correct sharpening angle
- Sharpen from the base to the tip
- Final maintenance tips
Step One: Clean Your Gardening Shears
The first step to sharpening any hand pruners is to clean them up. Through the use of dish soap and water, this process is pretty easy. If you have any dirt or grime left behind, you won’t be able to sharpen them easily.
Fill any bucket with warm soapy water and have a sponge, scraping tool, and clean rag available. You don’t want to leave behind any moisture, as that won’t help you prevent rust.
Store these shears in a dry, cool environment to ensure that you have no rust.
Also, keep in mind that many of these blades have a beveled edge. That means your shears are slightly askew, allowing them to cross over each other for a fine cut.
This feature is handy for more challenging pruning projects. Also, Some of the cleanings are done for you; one side of the blade will cross over the other.
If you have rust on it, this next area is essential.
Step Two: Remove Rust from Your Gardening Shears
If you dry your tools carefully after usage, you won’t have to worry about rust. When rust prevention doesn’t work, your next option is to remove rust.
Removing rust can be done with either a wire brush or steel wool. Rust removal will take a good bit of time and effort, so don’t do any arm workouts the day before; this will likely be your workout.
Thankfully, Fiskars tools have a rust-resistant coating, so I hope you don’t end up doing this.
Remove rust from any side of the bed using a combination of wire brushes and steel wool. After this, you can move onto step three to clean and sharpen garden shears.
Step Three: Find Your Blade’s Angle
The easiest way for you to find your blade’s angle is through the owner’s manual. You can also find this on the original packaging, but it is uncommon for most people to find their knife angle.
Once you find the angle, any sharpening tool will do. If it is adjustable, make sure that it’s set to your blade’s current angle. Typically, pruning blades are anywhere from 25 to 35 degrees.
Step Four: Sharpen the Blade
Once you find the angle, sharpen the blade using any available tool. They make specific sharpening tools for pruning blades, so try and stick with a specialized tool if you can. Some devices have cleaning implements built-in.
If you don’t have a sharpening tool, you can use a whetstone, but those will require a skilled hand. Be sure you keep the blade at the right angle the entire time.
Whetstones last longer, but sharpening tools are more focused.
Step Five: Final Maintenence Tips
Now that you have sharpened pruners, there’s one final step. If you plan on storing them over the winter, Fiskars recommends that you seal the blade using WD40, machine oil, or grease to seal them up for the winter.
Greasing the joints prevents them from seizing up, similar to what you do in your car.
Ensure all of your bolts and screws are tight and place the tools in a dry place. Once you are done, you will be able to move on with the rest of your day.
Final Thoughts
Sharpening pruning shears feels like a long and daunting process. But through regular effort (especially with rust prevention), you can reduce your effort quite heavily.
Otherwise, you might have to get some advice from a professional garden on whether or not you need replacement shears.
Always be sure to clean before you sharpen. Including this with your normal process will make it feel like second nature.
If you need some help with some other gardening issues, here are some non-kinking garden hoses you can use to water your lawn more efficiently.
And what am I supposed to sharpen them with?
How do I sharpen anvil style pruners?
Thank you.d