Consider three cool tools to keep your scissors shearing sharp.
I sharpen knives frequently but must admit I’m a loathsome scissors sharpener. It’s not like I’ve never sharpened scissors but only when I had to and never in an organized way.
However, when my editor gave me an assignment on scissors sharpeners, I took it as a personal challenge to mend my ways—and off I went. What follows is a primer on scissors sharpening using three different systems.
Before starting, there are a few obvious things to point out.
The most obvious is the fact that there are two blades to sharpen instead of one. Second, the two blade edges are sharpened to oppose each other. Third, most scissors are made for righthanders and can give lefthanders fits, especially models with asymmetrical handles. Some southpaws have more trouble than others, and if you are among them you might seek out companies that either offer lefthanded models, such as Fiskars, or those that specialize in such products, like Lefty’s Left Hand Store. My brother’s lefthanded and he’s never bought any lefty scissors. Instead, he simply buys and uses symmetrical right-hand-only models.
Simple handheld or desktop scissors sharpeners are the way to go if you want to keep a decent edge with very little hassle and time consumption.
I tested two affordable versions: the AccuSharp ShearSharp Scissors Sharpener and the Smith’s V-Slot Knife & Scissors Sharpener. The pistol-grip-looking units appear similar at first but are actually quite different. The text and graphics on the back side of the cards the sharpeners are mounted on is very helpful, though if you’re like me you will need reading glasses to decipher them.
AccuSharp ShearSharp Scissors Sharpener
AccuSharp ShearSharp Scissors Sharpener
Size: 5.5 x 2.4 inches
Type: Hand-held, single sharpening blade
Abrasive: Tungsten carbide
Handle length: 5.6 inches
Handle material: Plastic
Country of origin: USA
MSRP: $9.59
The AccuSharp ShearSharp has a grip with a guard for knuckle protection and there’s a slot on the fore-end with a tungsten-carbide-metal sharpener for running down the blade bevel, sharpening it in the process. Open the scissors and lay the blades, one at a time, face-up to the sharpening medium. The rear blade—the one not being sharpened—hangs off the table or you can put it on a raised platform such as a wood block or book.
The ShearSharp metal sharpener is canted to the angle of the bevel and runs down the blade from base to tip, rear to front. Accusharp recommends two to three passes of the sharpener, then flip the scissors over and do the same to the second blade. As with all three test units, keep an eye on your progress as scissors come in all phases of disrepair.
Smith’s V-Slot Knife & Scissors Sharpener
Smith’s V-Slot Knife & Scissors Sharpener
Size: 6.75 x 2.74 inches
Type: Hand-held, two sharpening blades
Abrasive: Ceramic
Handle length: 6.75 inches
Handle material: Plastic
Country of origin: USA
MSRP: $9.99
Smith’s V-Slot Knife & Scissors Sharpener is a bit more sophisticated with great finger protection, and is easier to use. Inside the handle is a slot that holds a 1,000-grit ceramic rod angled to sharpen the two scissors bevels at the same time. The bevels are sharpened when pushing the scissors blade tips into the respective V-slots simultaneously. (Smith’s recommends not sharpening by pulling the blades out.)
Two to three passes is usually enough for blades of average dullness, more if needed. Once again, stopping to gauge your progress is your friend. An added benefit with the Smith’s sharpener is you can sharpen both right- and left-handed scissors depending on which side of the handle slot you use, and it’s conveniently noted on the sides of the unit itself.
Spyderco Golden Stone
Spyderco Golden Stone Sharpener
Size: 7.2 x 3 inches
Type: Desktop sharpener
Abrasive: Alumina
Handle: None
Carry: Suede leather pouch
Country of origin: USA
MSRP: $210
I have become very familiar with the Spyderco Golden Stone sharpener over the years and have included it in several articles, though not for sharpening scissors. Spyderco knives are well known for their premier out-of-the-box sharpness, and company founder and BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Sal Glesser is a long-time guru on the topic, including today on YouTube.
The Golden Stone is a Glesser design that enables you to sharpen knives in many ways and at different angles, and even serrated blades. Spyderco uses alumina (aluminum oxide) for the Golden Stone’s material and other of its sharpeners, and claims the resulting models do not require oil or water for surface sharpening. Check out Spyderco’s YouTube sharpening videos for a myriad of ways to sharpen the company’s knives.
To start with the Golden Stone, use the accompanying suede pouch as a non-slip surface on a flat base. Employ the stone’s rough triangular shape with the long side sideways and vertically. Grip the short side of the triangle with the long vertical side to your right, forming the sharpening platform. Now you’re ready to sharpen the first blade bevel.
Open the scissors wide and position the top of the base of the bevel grind over the high point of the sharpener, and slide it toward the low end as you slowly pull toward you.
It’s like sharpening a knife where you start at one end and slowly slide the tip toward the opposite end as you go—you’re just putting an edge on the bevel instead. Spyderco recommends eight to 10 passes but, once again, use your judgment depending on the condition of the scissors. Once you’re pleased with the bevel on the first blade, flip the scissors over and repeat the process on the second blade. When done you can remove any burr on the edges of the two blades by opening and closing the scissors a few times.
Conclusion
Both handheld units did a good job of sharpening the bevels, and though I prefer a ceramic sharpening rod just because you can better “feel” it rubbing against the bevel, there was no noticeable difference in the results. These two sharpeners are capable of putting a very decent edge on your scissors.
The end result of my efforts with the Golden Stone paid off with two razor-sharp beveled edges on the scissors blades. Spyderco doesn’t assign numbers to the grits on its sharpening media, but the best I can tell the white alumina like that used on the Golden Stone is in the fine, 2,000-grit range.
Where To Find Your Edge
Is all the cost, time and increased degree of skill required by the Spyderco Golden Stone worth it? That’s up to you and what your expectations of your scissors are. There are folks whose livelihoods depend on scissors, others that just want to get the mail out the door and scads of people in-between. Choose your sharpener!
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