Craig Thornburrow

Tips Before You Sharpen Tools

When you sharpen tools, you can ruin them completely if you don’t know what you are doing.

Before you sharpen tools, it is crucial that you know what you are doing. If you use too much pressure, for instance, you can create small pits or dents in the metal that can weaken the blade and eventually lead to breakage and may even cause injuries. If you don’t use the right method, you can leave the blade even duller than it was to begin with.

Most tools are fairly expensive or you wouldn’t bother trying to sharpen them in the first place. If you value the tool that you have, you want it to be easy to use and at its optimal before you get started. Think about a hedge trimmer for instance. When you go out to trim the hedges or bushes in front of your home, you don’t want to destroy the way they look. Cuts that are jagged or rough can make the bush look unkempt while a dull blade can crush the stems and branches of the bush which will make it struggle to remain healthy. The cost of a these shrubs, bushes and hedges can be very high so you do not want to run the risk of killing one of them. It is much faster and cheaper to care for your blade than it is to have to replace bushes that are improperly trimmed or shaped.

Even more dangerous than a struggling bush, are wood cutting tools that are not sharp enough to make good cuts. The thicker the cut of the wood, the better the blade you have to use to cut through it. If you have a dull blade, you are probably going to have to work harder to make the cut, which unfortunately means that you will be pushing down harder to get the wood fed through. The more pushing that you are doing, the more contact you are making with the board which may mean the more risk you have of seriously cutting yourself. Remember: just because a blade is not cutting quickly through wood does not mean it will not cut quickly through your flesh.

There are several methods to use to sharpen tools. For smaller tools or kitchen knives, it is best to use a simpler method; however for larger items or items that are high in value, you are better off taking them to a professional to sharpen. In some places, there are free sharpening events, with a number of restrictions, of course.  You can also use electric or battery powered tools to sharpen your tools, but only if you know the techniques. Remember, while it is important to sharpen tools, it is also important to sharpen them correctly.

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