Good pruning shears are an expensive, but worthwhile investment. Good ones are a pleasure to use, and with a little care and maintenance, can provide years of service.
Prevention Is the Best Maintenance
When using pruning shears, be careful not to catch support wires or wire fencing in the blades since this will severly damage the cutting edges. Before storing the pruning shears, wipe moisture, dirt, and sap from the blades with a clean rag. If the sap is difficult to remove, or if there are any rust spots on the blades, rub the spots with dry steel wool. A drop of oil on the pivot point will keep the blades moving smoothly.
Examine Blades
Sharp shears make pruning easier on the gardener and healthier for plants. Crushed, torn or splintered branches indicate dull cutting edges. Examine both blades carefully. The thick metal blade is called the anvil, and a thinner curved blade is the cutting blade.
To maximize the shearing effect of the anvil blade, there should be a clean right-angle where the top of the blade and the side of the blade meet. The 90-degree angle of the anvil forms the cutting edge. There should be no dings or ragged bits of metal showing along the length of the angle.
The second blade is the cutting blade. It works like a guillotine to shear branches pressed against the anvil. It should have a smooth knife-edge, with no visible dents or chips. If damage is visible on either one of the blades, they need to be sharpened.
Sharpening Pruning Shears
Some garden centers will sharpen tools for a fairly reasonable price, but it is a job that a do-it-yourself-gardener can manage at home. All it takes are:
- A fine-toothed flat file, or a sharpening stone
- A few drops of machine oil
- A little care and patience.
If the anvil blade is damaged, wrap a bit of rag around the opposite cutting blade before proceeding to avoid cut fingers. Use the sharpening stone to smooth burrs and dings on the anvil blade. Strive to maintain a clean right-angle. A few drops of oil on the blade may help the process.
To sharpen the cutting blade, hold the sharpening stone or file at an angle approximately the same as the angle of the bevel on the cutting edge. Hold the stone perpendicular to the beveled cutting edge, move the stone from the thick edge of the blade toward the knife edge. The file or stone will not be able to cover the entire blade at once, so start near the hinge and repeat this motion down the length of the curved blade, always moving in the same direction. Make an occasional pass on the flat, back side of the blade to remove small irregularities and insure a fine cutting edge.
Wipe a light coating of oil on the blades before storing to keep rust from forming, and always store the shears out of the weather. With a little care, the shears will last a lifetime.
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