Just realized I was sharpening my pruning shears wrong for 3 years

I got called out by an old timer on a job in Portland when he saw me using a flat file on a curved blade, and now I actually get clean cuts through 2 inch branches without mangling the cambium layer. Has anyone else had a similar 'aha' moment with a basic tool?

2 comments

2 Comments

kevin_hernandez8320d ago

Using a bastard file on bypass shears is basically turning them into a saw that rips the bark instead of slicing it clean.

nathan_barnes20d ago

Kevin, you just made me realize why my dad's old Felco shears felt so weird after he sharpened them. He always used a coarse file and I never understood why the cuts looked ragged. It's like people taking a belt sander to a kitchen knife - sure it makes it sharp but you ruin the geometry. That rough edge grabs and tears instead of sliding through clean. Reminds me of how most folks rush through maintenance trying to save time but end up spending way more time fixing what they broke.