On a woodworker's web site, I noticed that they said you could sharpen a pair of scissors by using them to cut up some fine-grit sandpaper. What do you think about this?

i would have thought it would blunt them, not sharpen them.

It actually works <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Scissors are two surfaces that sheer the material between them. One face is actually a single bevel cutting knife while the other acts as a guide to align the material and cutting edge. The sandpaper is in effect lapping the scissors.

So does it matter which side you sharpen? How can you tell?

<img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I have avoided scisors up to this point for survival because I didn't know how to sharpen them. <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

As Chris said, it works; I've done it to bring some bought-cheap-at-a-garage-sale scissors back to a working edge.

One of the lesser known features of Spyderco's Sharpmaker is the ability to sharpen scissors, using the mounting hole in the end of the base. It, too, works.

David

APPARENTLY, the scissors on the leatherman micra are 'self-sharpening'. squeeze them about 20 times and they are ready agaiin. I dont undertand how it works though. nor how cutting sandpaper sharpens them while cutting normal paper bluntens them.

If the micra does actually self-sharpen, that would be quite an asset in a survival situation.

There are a few different scissor blade geometries as there are knife edges. Commonly one side will act as an 'anvil' ( look for a very steep chisel grind) and the other does the cutting ( a chisel cut monofacial edge.) In actual use both will wear and require truing things up. Fine sandstone is abrading the edges. Paper is wearing the blades dull. Why? Think what paper is made of and what cutting up our survival fuzzsticks, shelter poles, grizzly bear spears and coconuts does to the knife we chose after reading the measured, unemotional knife discussions at ETS <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />.

Hmm. I carry one every day, and I wasn't aware of that. Of course, it hasn't dulled at all either, as far as I can tell. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Interesting, so what do folks use to keep blades "tuned up" between sharpenings? I was thinking some semi-abrasive polishing cloth or something. Sometimes my EDC blade gets gunked up with packing tape residue or other adhesive. What's the best way to clean this stuff off, WD-40?

Gear Freak:

I use whatever soap or solvent works to remove the gunk. WD40 is great. Lighter fluid works well, too. I've also used alcohol and whatever is in antibacterial wipes.

I sharpen my blades with a jig -- either Lansky or EdgePro as I can't keep a constant angle working by hand alone.

Between jig sharpenings, I steel frequently using a smooth, 12-inch professional steel. When steeling fails to restore a workable edge, I use various ceramic rods.

I carry a 6-inch Spyderco ceramic file with me for touch-ups away from home. I have a small piece of 320 grit emery paper in my PSK.

That's the sum total of my sharpening mojo. (That and using various substitutes -- chromed screwdriver shaft for a steel, edge of a car window for a ceramic rod.)

Bear

I used some one else his diamond sharpening stone to sharpen my Swiss champ. I got to say I was really impressed with it because before I always struggled with getting this hard blade fully sharp again and mostly left the job half done. Now I can cut the hairs of my left hand with it.
the one shame is I can't remember the name of it but this is the description:

A light blue plastic blade-strait 2cm wide up to 8cm in length. On top of the plastic sits the diamond slice. Same measurements only you can see blue spots all over the diamond surface. This is how it is held in place.
I can remember that it was an American company who made them. Any one got any ideas?

Reinhardt

sounds like it could be made by DMT. did it have butterfly handles (like a balisong)?
steve

Could well be it as I can remember that the company had three initials on the back. But it did not have handles. It was just a strait rod.

reinhardt

well they might do bench top versions, have you had a look at their website?
steve

I use a Gatco sharpening system to sharpen my blades. Its similar to a Lansky, with a clamp and various stones with a rod/guide. That gets them shaving-sharp.

After using a blade, i try give it a wipe with an oil-soaked chamois. to touch up the edge, i use the gatco. if i'm on the move, i have a small Spyderco Pocket Stone.

Hey, I'm always wondering: What does "'n Boer maak 'n plan" mean?

'n Boer maak n plan, maar n kleurling het altyd n plan'

A farmer makes a plan, but a coloured person always has a plan.

Bear

Is jy 'n Suid Afrikaner? Ek het nie geweet jy die Taal kon gesels!

Dchinell quoted the whole idiom and translated it.

On a fugurative level, it highlights 'improvisation'. It is one of my favorite idioms, and also ties up with the whole survival thing that we keep mentioning from time to time <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

hehehe - we have similar idiomatic expressions in the USA, although not in the exact proximity to each other as your Boer expression. Our expressions may be used in a complimentary fashion or in a perjorative fashion, depending on the speaker and his audience...

I'm laughing because I have seen some of my farmer relatives and friends do some fascinating things even in spare time (not simply as need and circumstances require)... a double acting pneumatic beer can crusher, complete with automatic ejection, largely made from "leftovers" salvaged from a machinery repair, was the latest wintertime "plan" one of my cousins proudly demonstrated to me recently... hehehe - works like a champ - and given his beer consumption, probably worthwhile...

Regards,

Tom

are you a south african ? i did't kew you can read that lauguage!

did i transalate it right ? it's almost the same as dutch, so....

WOFT:

No. (I think.) I'm a Canadian, living and working in America. I got curious about your tagline/signature myself, and researched it on the web. Since I had the answer before me, I thought I'd just cut and paste it in for Gear Freak.

Hope you didn't mind -- I didn't want to steal your glory.

Bear

It would probably by DMT. They sell mini whetstones, pocket whetstones and a bench whetstone as well as the diafold whetstones that you are talking about.

Not in the slightest.

are you a south african ? i did't know you can speak THE lauguage!

Good one. Close enough!

'Taal' means language in afrikaans. In South Afica, 'Die Taal' is another politically INcorrect way of reffering to Afikaans.

Afikaans is very similar to Dutch, and even more similar to Flemish. It is my second language, but i could probably understand a bit of Dutch.