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How to Sharpen Sewing Scissors at Home

Admin Admin
November 8, 2021

You don’t have to buy new sewing scissors each time they get blunt. Being a sewist means you often use scissors to cut fabrics and patterns. Nothing is disappointing like using dull scissors because it means you won’t get clean-cut and will have to cut your pieces all over again. Blunt scissors leave your fabric frayed and untidy. Learn how to sharpen sewing scissors and make your cutting enjoyable.

Sharpen sewing scissors at home with readily available objects to make your cutting experience effortless.

5 Ways To Sharpen Scissors At Home

This article outlines five ways to sharpen scissors at home….

1. How to sharpen scissors with a stone

Using sharpening stone is the best way to sharpen scissors to obtain razor-sharp scissors. You can get a sharpening stone at a hardware store.

Soak a new stone overnight in honing oil or machine oil. You can also use any liquid or oil to moisturize your sharpening stone.

The sharpening stone has two sides, a coarse side, and a fine side. If your scissors are very dull you will start to sharpen from the coarse side, then do some finishing on the fine side.

You also need to separate the blade by removing the screw that joins them. Spread a piece of fabric underneath the stone. Moist the stone with honing oil or water.

Make sure you keep the scissors as flat as possible against the stone. Hold one blade and press it flat against the stone, then slide it away from you.

Make sure the blade runs through the stone from the base to the tip about 15 to 20 times depending on the level of bluntness. Repeat sliding until the blade is razor-sharp.

Pick the second blade and repeat the same process. Clean the blades with a paper towel to remove the stone particles formed when sharpening, then remove the burrs by closing and opening the scissors 3-4 times. Reattach the blades.

2. How to sharpen scissors with aluminum foil

This hack is not suitable for very blunt scissors. It’s only effective for slightly dull scissors. However, when you do it right you will improve your sharpness.

Here’s how to sharpen sewing scissors with aluminum foil

Take about 10-12 inches of aluminum foil. Fold it four times lengthwise and press it to form a thick layer. Pick your blunt scissors and cut strips through all the layers.

Make sure you cut from the base to the tip of your scissors. Test on a scrap fabric if the scissors are sharp enough.

If you aren’t satisfied, repeat the whole process until you obtain the desired sharpness.

3. How to sharpen scissors with sharpener

The scissors sharpener differ based on the model. Therefore, you will need to check the instructions for your sharpeners brand.

However, most models use almost similar concepts thus you can learn and countercheck your user’s manual. There are knife sharpener and scissors sharpener. Either works just fine.

However, having a scissors sharpener is an advantage because you can sharpen the two blades at once while a knife sharpener requires you to sharpen each blade separately.

A knife sharpener is ideal since it can sharpen a variety of scissors.

How to sharpen sewing scissors with a knife sharpener

Separate the scissor’s blades. Pick one bade and put it in the knife sharpener. Drag the blade through the sharpener about 8-10 times. Cut a scrap fabric to see if it’s sharp enough. Repeat the same process for the other blade.

How to sharpen sewing scissors with a scissors sharpener

Open the scissors and stick them in the sharpener to the base of the scissors. Slightly close the scissors until they touch the rough ridges. Then pull them towards you. Continue the same process until your scissors are sharp enough.

For a digital sharpener, place the sloped edge of your scissors between the sharpeners blades. Slide the scissors blades through from base to the tip. Repeat 3-4 times and test on a scrap fabric if the blades have the preferred sharpness.

4. How to sharpen scissors with sandpaper

Use medium-grit sandpaper, 150-200 grit that is if your scissors are very blunt. For slightly dull scissors, you can use finer grit sandpaper with a higher number of grits.

Step-by-step on how to sharpen scissors with a sandpaper

Fold the sandpaper in two. With the rough side facing up, cut through with your scissors, making sure the blades are making contact with sandpaper from the base to the tip of your scissors.

Next, test the scissors on a piece of scrap fabric. Keep cutting strips of sandpaper until you feel the scissors are sharp enough.

Wipe the scissors with a paper towel to remove the grit particles.

5. How to sharpen scissors with a honing rod

Get your scissors opened up to the base. Hold the rod with one hand, lay flat one blade on the rod, and tilt it on the beveled edge at an angle.

You should be able to feel it sit in position. Slide the blade from the base to the tip. Repeat the process for the second blade until the scissors are sharp.

Alternatively, slightly open the scissors and pretend to be cutting the rod from the tip of the scissors inward to the base.

Tips for Maintaining your Sewing Scissors

Sewing scissors are essential for every sewing project. They are ideal for cutting precisely through the fabric. To hone and preserve your scissors in good condition, have a pair to use only for a sewing project and scissors to use around the house for other purposes.

Conclusion

It’s impossible to do away with scissors in your sewing projects. Having razor-sharp scissors saves you a lot of time and makes your sewing experience worthwhile.