Scissors, along with a knife, divide the palm among cutting tools used in the household. But, unlike the main kitchen assistant, their scope is not limited only to this territory. As you know, scissors are indispensable for working on garden plots, in tailors' workshops, hairdressing salons. The tool's purpose depends on its shape and size.
During operation, all scissors tend to become dull and can no longer cut as efficiently as at first. In this case, the thought arises to purchase new ones, because their price is affordable for everyone, but knowing the methods of sharpening scissors at home, they you can extend the service life.
How to sharpen scissors at home: preparation
Paralleling the skates, the blades of the scissors should be similarly sharp. The main principle is that uniformity and linearity must be strictly observed during processing. The angle for sharpening is selected taking into account the hardness of the material from which the cutting device is made. The lower the indicator of this mechanical characteristic, the smaller the angle should be.
If the scissors cannot cope even with cutting plain paper or thin fabric, you must diagnose cutting edge and other elements of the tool:
How can you sharpen scissors at home?
Checking the sharpness of the cutting tool
After sharpening the scissors, you need to evaluate their cutting ability. Exactly the same measures are required to check whether it is necessary to sharpen the blades at all. As practice shows, not in all cases the lack of sharpening negatively affects the sharpness of the instrument.
Sometimes the reason for poor cutting performance lies in strong loosening the fastening screw... Blades that do not fit well together will crush and chew the material. The troubleshooting method is quite simple. You just need to tighten the screw and try to cut something.
A possible problem that can be encountered during cutting is the small gap between the sharp ends. The presence of such space will not allow high-quality cutting of the material. If there is no convergence of the cutting edges at a certain point, then the material begins to wrinkle. Having found that the edges are diverging, you need to use a file to process a special stop on each cutting blade. They are located next to the rings and are small metal or plastic solders. Stitch them carefully, periodically checking that the distance is reduced to the required mark. It will take endurance, the work is monotonous, but not difficult.
If the manipulations done have not yielded results, then you cannot do without sharpening. To check its feasibility, take small piece of tissue... Hang so that its edges hang freely. Then incisions are made. A curved cut indicates that it is time to sharpen the tool.
Nippers, tweezers, scissors are among those tools of a manicure set, without which it is difficult to imagine performing a perfect trim manicure or pedicure at home. The blades of each instrument must be sharp, even, without gaps in order to qualitatively and safely remove the stratum corneum of the cuticle, to give the free edge of the nail plate the desired shape. Even professional manicure tools from well-known brands after a while begin to tear off pieces instead of cutting the nails / cuticles evenly. And cutting tools from ordinary manicure / pedicure sets must be sharpened immediately after purchase.
There are three options for solving this problem.
Firstly, you can use the services of an individual master sharpener who comes to the client's home and grinds the cutting parts of the nippers, tweezers and scissors by hand. As a rule, the master works with a diamond monolayer (with a continuous diamond layer) bar.
Secondly, you can go to the workshop, where a certified specialist will perform professional sharpening of manicure tools using a diamond wheel or in a special machine. In this case, the services will cost more, but the company gives a guarantee for its work (the service life is at least 6-7 months, even with frequent use).
Thirdly, you can ask the "strong half" of your family for help and sharpening manicure tools at home will save your family budget. And how to properly sharpen scissors and nippers for manicure / pedicure, you will learn from the photo and video materials of this article.
♦ SHARPENING OF MANICURE CUTTERS IN HOME CONDITIONS
You can sharpen the cutting pliers' blades with a regular carbon steel file. Choose a file with a uniform grain and tight, fine cut. We recommend "experimenting" with old nail clippers, and if you have an expensive professional tool, it is best to seek help from an experienced specialist.
- on the photo: "cheek", "heel" and joint (hinge) of the pliers
❶
Backlash.
Open the wire cutters, grab one handle and swing from side to side. If there is a backlash, then we put the tool on the work table, put the rod on the rivet of the hinge joint and tap it with a hammer (not hard), constantly checking the result; 
❷
Cleaning the swivel joint.
We fully open the pliers and use a folded piece of sandpaper to clean the joints of the joint, first on one side of the tool, then on the other; 
❸
Sharpening the entire blade plane.
We put the open nippers on the table with their cheeks and grind the inner cutting edge with smooth unidirectional movements of the file; 
❹
Sharpening the blade corners.
We put the pliers on the cheek parallel to the line of the edge of the table and with smooth unidirectional movements of the file we grind the corner of the cutting edge; 
❺
Sharpening of the outer cutting edges.
Now you need to close the nippers and place them on the table so that the joined cutting edges are at the top. We grind the outer cutting edges along the connection line by reciprocating file movements; 
❻
Grinding "cheeks".
Grind the "cheeks" one by one with unidirectional file movements; 
❼
Polishing and lubrication.
At the end of the work, we "go over" the cutting edges of each blade with a polishing bar (8000 grit) so that they become smooth and even. Then you can lubricate the swivel with oil.
♦ SHARPENING OF MANICURE SCISSORS IN THE HOME CONDITIONS
For work, prepare two grindstones with an abrasiveness of 600 grit and 1500 grit.
- in the photo: joint, cutting edge, lateral and upper plane of the scissors blade.
❶
Backlash.
We put the scissors with the sharp edges up, put a small cue ball on the rivet and hit the bit with a hammer. We eliminate the backlash gradually so as not to flatten the rivet too much with one blow; 
❷
Lubrication.
After removing the backlash, you can lubricate the joint of the tool from both sides so that the blades move freely and smoothly; 
❸
Sharpening blades with 600 grit stone.
We fix the open scissors on a stable surface and sharpen the cutting edge from the side of the upper plane of the blade, moving with a grinding stone of 600 grit in one direction (towards ourselves). First we work with one blade, then move on to the second; 
❹
Polishing blades with 1500 grit stone.
With a 1500 grit stone we move in one direction (towards ourselves), eliminating scratches after sharpening and making the cutting edge of each blade smooth; 
❺
Blade tips.
After sharpening, one tip of the blade may come off slightly from the other. In order for the tips to fit snugly together, one of them must be slightly bent with pliers; 
❻
Checking.
Stretch a sheet of printer paper between your fingers and try to cut it in the middle with sharpened scissors. The cut should be smooth, without any "chewed" edges.
♦ SHARPENING OF MANICURE TOOLS WITH THE GRINDING WHEEL
On the grinder, you can sharpen the tool quickly and efficiently. Of course, you must have experience with this kind of equipment, as it is easy to injure your hands while spinning the circle. It is best to sharpen your manicure tool blades with a fine-grained diamond grinding wheel.
❶ We eliminate backlash at the very beginning of work. To do this, take a strong rod, place one end at the junction point of the blades, and tap the other end with a hammer (not hard), from time to time checking the working stroke of the tool;
❷ First we sharpen the blades from the inside, and then from the outside (taking into account the cut angle). Set the minimum speed of the diamond wheel in the machine. We draw along a rotating circle with the edge of the blade in one direction (from beginning to end, the contact patch is no more than 0.3 mm);
❸ Turn off the machine, wipe the tool and use a polishing bar with an abrasiveness of 8000 grit to level the edges of the blade, ground in the machine.
♦ HOW TO CHECK THE QUALITY OF SHARPENING?
Scissors.
The cutting surface of the tool after sharpening should be smooth, and the edge of each blade should be even. Be sure to check the course of the blades and make sure that there is no play at all, but the blades close / open smoothly, at the same time, without unnecessary effort.
Test: Take a sheet of printer paper (or a piece of tape), pull it between your fingers. With sharpened scissors, cut the stretched canvas in the middle. If a clear cut remains on the paper without torn, not jaded edges, then the tool is ready to work.
Cuticle nippers and nippers.
Make sure the edges of the blades are straight and smooth on both sides and there is no gap between the cutting edges. Take the tool by the handles and move it up / down slightly. If you find a backlash in the joint of the nippers, then be sure to ask the master to eliminate it, since during a trim manicure, you can injure the periungual rollers with sharp blades.
Test: Take a piece of a thick plastic bag, pull it between your fingers and make a cut with sharpened wire cutters. The edges of the cut should be crisp and straight.
♦ VIDEO MATERIALS
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One of the most widely used universal objects is scissors, which everyone probably has in an apartment with other classic household helpers. Depending on their intended purpose, the scissors can be further divided into hairdressing, manicure, garden, classic and even tailor's. However, no matter what type they are, they have one thing in common: sooner or later these tools will require sharpening; the most commonly used ones can become dull even after six months.
Before the sharpening process itself, it is necessary to pay attention to the external condition of the scissors: it is likely that the reason for their loss of sharpness lies in the formed plaque, for example, after cutting a fat object or product. It can be removed with soapy water and a hard abrasive brush, after which it is important to wipe the instrument dry with an ordinary cloth to prevent smudges.
Tip: if the plaque leaves with difficulty, you can use soda powder, vinegar or alcohol. It is enough to soak a cotton pad in any substance, and then rub the place of pollution in a circular motion.
It often happens that the reason for poor cutting is also that the fastening of the two components of the scissors has weakened, therefore it is necessary to check the quality of the connection of the tool parts. If a bolt is used to connect them, it should simply be tightened, if an ordinary rivet, it is enough just to tighten the part.
There are many ways to sharpen scissors at home, therefore, if the performance of the tool has noticeably deteriorated, you can use several at once.
A quick way to sharpen your tool
If it is necessary to sharpen the scissors as soon as possible due to the haste and the inability to go to the master, then you should use an ordinary thick needle, which will play the role of a classic hard machine. Instead of a needle, by the way, you can use another thin and round metal object, for example, an iron rod. A glass bottle neck is also suitable, but you should be careful when sharpening scissors using it.
The point is that it is necessary to pick up such a thing that two cutting edges of the scissors can grasp on both sides. To sharpen, squeeze the selected object from both sides only a few times, applying little effort. This method will only help for a short time, therefore it cannot be used as the main one.
This method is often an additional step that is used in practice to make the tool even sharper after sharpening it on sandpaper or a grindstone.
Using sandpaper
Sandpaper can be used in different ways, and the choice of one or another method is based only on individual preferences.
The first, classic, implies the usual excision of a sheet with scissors in various directions with an applied force. However, it is important not to overdo it, as this can damage the surface. For convenience, sandpaper can be put on the table in a taut state and pressed down with something in the corners.
Also, sandpaper can be applied with the sandpaper down and several times to hold it in opposite directions. In both cases, it is better to use its coarse-grained variety, since with its help it is much easier to roughly process any blunt surfaces.
Important: only the outer surface of the cutting elements can be rubbed with a sandpaper, in no case the inner one! Otherwise, you can immediately render the tool unusable.
The second method differs in its technique: it is necessary to cut several pieces of sandpaper, again coarse (such as 150-200), using scissors. In this case, you can already use the fine-grained type, however, the process of sharpening the tool will take a little more time.
Tip: If there is no sandpaper nearby, then you can use aluminum foil to sharpen the scissors in this way. Usually, for this procedure, a sheet of foil folded five or more times is taken, which must be cut in half, using the entire surface of the cutting edge, so that it is possible to sharpen the scissors completely.
Using a whetstone
A sharpening stone in the vast majority of cases is used exclusively for sharpening kitchen knives, however, it is also perfect for scissors. You can buy this tool in any hardware and household store, and if it is made using natural materials, it will last a very long time.
When buying a grindstone, you should pay attention to the presence of two different sides: one should be rough, with very large grains, while the other should be more uniform, with mostly small ones.
To quickly and efficiently sharpen scissors, you must adhere to the following procedure:
- The sharpening stone should be placed on a cloth folded several times (so as not to damage the surface of the table or floor) and slightly wet, evenly distributing moisture.
- The scissors must either be disassembled into components for convenience, or opened as much as possible (if the fastening element is a rivet).
- In accordance with the angle of the factory sharpening, the scissors should be installed on the rough part of the donkey so that the plane forms an acute angle with the surface of the stone. The scissors should be sharpened in cyclical movements from oneself to the center of the stone, plus, it is necessary to ensure that the entire cutting edge goes all the way from the edge of the sharpening tool to its center.
- After that, you should also walk along the fine-grained side of the stone in order to give it additional sharpness.
You can check the quality of sharpening with a very thin piece of synthetic fabric, which is rather difficult to cut. If the scissors go quickly on the surface, then this will be evidence of their good sharpening.
File application
If there is no sandpaper or a sharpening stone nearby, you can also use a regular file to sharpen the scissors, but the procedure using it will take much more time. To process the scissors, their cutting edges pass along the surface of the file, which must be firmly fixed to any surface.
For convenience, you can hold the file on a table or other surface with one hand and drive with one blade with the other. It is not recommended to simply keep the scissors open, as the slightest carelessness can lead to a fairly deep cut.
Application of special tools
In modern household department stores, there are a huge number of sharpening tools on sale, which differ from each other not in the sharpening material, but only in the method of application (some, for example, can be used only in a stationary position, others not). Among the variety, the following tools should be especially highlighted:
- Machine tools with a rotating disc inside. To sharpen the scissors, it is enough to just slightly press the cutting edge to the visible part of the disc, and due to friction against randomly located small and large abrasive particles, it will become very sharp within a minute or two. A certain skill is required, because in no case should children be allowed to work.
- Various hand sharpeners that look a bit like a razor. For their small size and ease of use, they have gained popularity among a large number of people (you can take them with you, for example, on a hike). To sharpen the scissors, you just need to put your hand into a special hole and drag the tool along the cutting edge with back and forth movements.
In conclusion, it must be said that when sharpening scissors, it is recommended to use an integrated approach, if time permits. With the usual use of scissors, you will not need to resort to the help of any special tools for sharpening more often than once every 2-3 years, therefore there is no point in acquiring them, it is enough to stock up on the right amount of sandpaper.
If scissors are used every day, then it is recommended to have a sharpening stone, sandpaper and its substitutes, and even files on hand. With an integrated approach, it is recommended to first carry out a rough processing on the stone, then improve the condition of the cutting edge by sharpening on paper, a file and, finally, the fine-grained side of the same whetstone (that is, to carry out a gradual transition from coarse-grained material to a finer one).
Video: how to sharpen scissors with foil
The most popular tool in the home is a pair of scissors. In everyday life, various types of them are used: tailors, garden, manicure, hairdressing and others. In the process of frequent use, the blades become dull and a problem arises: how to sharpen the scissors yourself.
Before starting sharpening, check the tool for defects. If the scissors do not cut the fabric, but only jam it, then the reason may be a loosening of the fastening: a rivet or a screw.
A loose screw must be secured in such a way that the blades fit snugly against each other. At the same time, do not overtighten the mount too much, as the hand will quickly get tired during work.
In addition, the screw must be turned no more than 0.5 mm. Otherwise, the mechanism may become stuck and cannot be repaired in the future.
If a rivet is loose in the tool, then it is slightly flattened with a hammer. Previously, the scissors are opened as wide as possible and fixed on a plane.
The edges do not close tightly. To correct the situation, you need to slightly cut the limiter with a file, which is located on the inside of one of the rings.
Popular DIY sharpening methods
There are many ways using available means:
- sewing needle;
- sandpaper;
- file;
- diamond wheel;
- special devices.
If there are no special tools for sharpening, then you can whip up a needle. Grab it with your blades and cut with some force. For these purposes 
use an iron rod or bottle neck. It will not be possible to achieve significant sharpness, but temporarily the instrument starts working.
Sandpaper with a grit of 150-200 or coarser is also suitable for sharpening. You need to fold a piece of emery cloth and cut it several times. In this case, the sheet should be facing outward so that the abrasive touches the blade. The paper is cut into strips along the entire length of the edge. The inner surface of the tool must not be touched so as not to dull it completely.
Burrs or nicks are removed using sandpaper. Steel wool and cloth sanding paper are used in a similar way. After finishing work, the blades are wiped with a damp paper towel to remove abrasive particles.
A sheet of aluminum foil (20-30 cm) is folded several times along its length until a thick strip is formed. Then, acting with the entire length of the blade, they begin to cut the resulting strip. The more sections you can make, the better the scissors will be sharpened. Small foil residues on the blade are removed with a paper towel. Traditional methods of sharpening scissors can only temporarily improve the situation or completely dull the tool. The blades must be sharpened evenly at a certain angle, otherwise they will quickly become blunt and poorly cut, jam and tear the material.
To obtain the desired effect when using ordinary household items, sharpening must be repeated several times.
Application of special devices
In order for the scissors to be sharpened efficiently, the top layer of metal should be removed until a sharp cutting edge is formed. This can be achieved using a machine on which the tool blade is rigidly fixed at a certain angle.
You can simulate a machine using a fine grain or whetstone. It is necessary to sharpen the entire plane of the face at an angle that was set during the factory stamping. This is done by moving the blade from the screw to the tip of the point.
To sharpen it more efficiently, the scissors are disassembled into their component parts in advance. In the process of work, the angle of inclination must not be changed. A simple and handy tool-handling attachment is a knife and scissor sharpener available from a hardware store. The sharpener has special attachments with which the blades are sharpened.
Sharpening scissors for metal
The metal scissors are made of a hard material, so it should be quite high: about 75 degrees. The tool blades are processed in such a way 
in the same way as regular scissors. Using a needle and fine-grained sandpaper, you can sharpen quickly, but the effect will not last.
Better sharpening is achieved by using a hard abrasive c. The scissors are pre-disassembled into parts and one half is fixed in a vice. In this case, the sharpened edge should be on top, with the tip "away from you." The file movements "away from you" are made slow and only in one direction. Sharpening is carried out until the blade is perfectly flat. Then a similar operation is repeated with the second half of the tool.
After the end of the work, both blades are treated with an anti-corrosion compound, which allows you to extend the life of the scissors without sharpening. Then the blades are connected and the tool can be used.
How to sharpen a scalpel at home
The scalpel and other similar medical instruments are sharpened in the same way as knives, only at an angle of 15 degrees. Whetstones, emery and carborundum circles are used for their processing.
When sharpening a scalpel, certain rules are followed:
- tools need to be sharpened with a blade forward;
- both chamfers of the web are processed evenly;
- it is necessary to accurately observe the sharpening angle, which should be half the angle between the two sides of the face.
Sharpening hairdressing scissors
The tool rings securely fix, opening the blades as much as possible. The sharpening angle should be 60-70 degrees. The file is passed several times along the inner side of the web from the sharp tip to the joint. It is not recommended to change direction when sharpening. They check the quality of work on thin polyethylene or oilcloth.
Thinning scissors have a complex, serrated blade with grooves that should hold the hair while cutting. To sharpen them, you need a professional machine 
with angle adjustment, so it is better to give such a tool to a specialist.
In the process of processing the blades, you must follow the safety rules - protect your hands with leather gloves. Children should not be allowed to sharpen themselves.
If you want the tools to serve as long as possible, then you need to use them strictly for their intended purpose. Thus, tailor's scissors are only intended for cutting fabric. For paper, there are stationery, etc.
With prolonged use, any sharp objects gradually become dull, they begin to cut worse. High-quality and professional scissors for cutting hair, for sewing and for manicure are quite expensive. Therefore, it is cheaper and more practical to sharpen products than to buy new ones.
It is recommended to sharpen professional scissors every six months, universal scissors once a year. A good solution would be to contact a professional. But if you do not want to give the tool for sharpening to the master, you can perform the procedure yourself. Let's take a look at how to sharpen scissors at home.
A versatile way to sharpen scissors
A universal method is the use of a special whetstone or, as it is called, a touchstone. This method is available to everyone. To start sharpening, place the tool on a towel or cloth and wipe the surface with oil (machine or scissor oil) or plain water.
After processing, unscrew the main screw with a flat screwdriver and disassemble the product into individual blades. Disassembly will help you sharpen quickly and easily. For preventive maintenance, when the blades are only slightly dull, use the fine-grained side of the whetstone.
If the blades are severely dull, first treat the surface with the coarse or coarse side of the touchstone and then with the fine grain. First, sharpen the inner side until the blade becomes sharp. Use movements in one direction only, moving from the nose to the handles. Don't sharpen your blades back and forth! When processing, keep the sharpening angle within 65-70 degrees.
After the inner sides, sharpen the outer and remove small burrs using sandpaper. After the procedure, reassemble the instrument and check the result of work. Clean the item with a tissue.
Five ways to quickly sharpen scissors
- Take aluminum foil and fold six layers lengthwise. Then start cutting the resulting thick foil strip with scissors until the blades are sharp. Cut along the entire length of the blade from base to tip. When finished, wipe the item with a damp paper towel and pat dry. This method is not suitable for manicure tools;
- By analogy with foil, you can use sandpaper. It is best to use fabric-backed material with a grit value greater than 150. Fold the sheet so that the rough side is on the outside. Start cutting the sandpaper the same way you cut the foil until you get the desired result. After processing, wipe the blades with a dry cloth. This method is also not suitable for small nail scissors with curved blades;
- Take a metal kitchen sponge for harsh dishwashing and use the same as foil or sandpaper. Use scissors to cut the sponge, but be careful as it leaves a lot of debris. Therefore, it is better to perform the procedure over a previously spread newspaper or trash can. Wipe the processed blades with a damp cloth and wipe dry;
- Use a glass jar that you don't need. Squeeze the piece between the blades of the tool and start cutting until the latter is sharp and smooth. Position the can so that it is as close as possible to where the blades are attached. Wipe the sharpened object with a damp and then dry cloth;
- You will need a sewing pin or gypsy needle. In this case, a needle or pin is squeezed between the blades of the scissors, as in the glass jar method. Start cutting and continue cutting until the blades are sharp. Then wipe the surface with a damp and dry cloth.
How to sharpen nail clippers and nail clippers
Sharpening tweezers and scissors for manicure is more difficult than universal and stationery products, scissors for cutting or sewing. This is due to the uneven blades of manicure appliances. If sharpened incorrectly, it is very easy to spoil such products. A suitable method in this case would be to use a cone-shaped diamond rod.
Before sharpening nail scissors, it is better to disassemble the small device. This will make the job easier. Then, with smooth and accurate movements, move the diamond rod in one direction only! Carefully peel off the metal from the surface until you reduce the shiny stripes to 0.2-0.3 mm. Such stripes appear in places where the blades rub against each other.
Work each blade in turn, moving the diamond rod to one side only. Then collect the scissors and snap in with light pressure. Lightly sand the cutting edges again. For nail scissors, use a sharpening angle of 45-69 degrees.
For tweezers, take a small, narrow diamond block and sharpen the blades from the inside until the cutting edges line up. After the inside treatment, the tweezers' blades are slightly sharpened on the outside to touch up the tips. At the end of the procedure, the blades must be polished with leather material or a special polishing paste.
What not to do
Scissors and other manicure instruments cannot be sharpened with folded foil or sandpaper. This method only gives the sharpness of the blades for a short time. However, due to this procedure, the products deteriorate greatly, the sharpening angle changes, as a result of which even an experienced craftsman cannot restore the devices.
For sharpening manicure tools, you also cannot use a standard grained bar and sharpening stones. They leave rough marks on cutting surfaces. For such products to last longer, it is important to organize proper care. Let's take a look at how to properly care for different types of scissors.
How to care for your scissors
For long-term use, clean the products after each use with damp wipes and be sure to wipe dry. Lubricate the friction elements with oil regularly, avoiding blades.
Use manicure tools only for their intended purpose and store in a special case in a horizontal position. Items can only be stored in a clean and dry state.
Try not to drop the products, do not expose the object to temperature and mechanical pressure. Treat items with special or regular machine oil to prevent rust and premature aging. But remember that the blades cannot be oiled!