How to Sharpen Sewing Scissors

If you’re the type to yell at someone for even looking at your fabric shears, then you probably also want to be the type to keep them well maintained. To ensure every cut and snip feels like the blades are gliding, you need to keep them sharp. This can keep them not only efficiently cutting, but ensures clean slices to avoid jagged edges and keep your fingers safe from accidents. So before you go and just buy new shears after yours go dull, try learning how to sharpen sewing scissors. There’s a few methods to sharpen them.

Sewing Scissors Sharpening

If you’re asking, can dull scissors be sharpened, the answer is most definitely yes. There is a few techniques to sharpen your fabric shears.

Sandpaper

• Step 1. Fold over a piece of 180-220 grit sandpaper with the grit facing outward.
• Step 2. Cut through the sandpaper with the scissors, ensuring you use the entire blade length.
• Step 3. Repeat step 2 several times so the blades are both sharpened and cleaned.

Aluminum Foil

• Step 1. Fold a piece of foil several times to create a thick piece.
• Step 2. Cut through the foil with the scissors several times to sharpen them.

Sharpening Stone

• Step 1. Prep your sharpening stone by applying water or honing oil to it.
• Step 2. Position the scissors so the inner bevel of the blade is flat against the stone.
• Step 3. Slide the scissors across the stone from pivot to the tip while maintaining the blade angle.
• Step 4. Repeat step 2-3 multiple times.
• Step 5. Remove burrs by gently gliding the scissor blade along a finer grit stone.
• Step 6. Clean and oil your scissors after sharpening them.

Sharpener

Depending on your scissor’s manufacturer, they may have a dedicated sharpener available for them. Fiskars happens to have an easy to use sharpener for their scissors. Always consult the user manual for how to sharpener the scissors with the sharpener.

Fabric Shears Sharpening Tips

No matter what method you choose to sharpen your sewing scissors, you want to keep the following important considerations in mind:

• Angle – You need to hold the scissors at the right angle to sharpen them with a sharpener or stone. Otherwise you can damage and dull them more.
• Burrs – Don’t leave behind burrs after you finish sharpening since they can negatively impact performance. That’s why it’s vital to clean your shears after sharpening.
• Maintenance – Clean and oil your shears after sharpening and regularly to prevent rust and maintain sharpness.
• Specialized scissors – Not all sewing scissors are the same. Your embroidery scissors and pinking shears need to be treated differently for sharpening than your standard fabric shears. Always check the specific needs of your scissors before sharpening.

How Often Should You Sharpen Sewing Scissors?

If you’re trying to bake sharpening scissors into your regular maintenance schedule, there’s a few key indicators and frequency at which you should sharpen them. If you find your scissors are dull, you should sharpen them immediately. It’s recommended to sharpen them at least twice a year but this frequency is dependent on how often you use your scissors and their quality. Frequent use and lower quality can require more frequent sharpening.

How to Tell if Scissors Need Sharpening?

Not sure if your fabric shears need to be sharpened? There’s a few key indicators to check for before you whip out the sandpaper or sharpening stone.

• If the blades are dull when touching them or make dull thud sounds while cutting, it’s time to sharpen them.
• If you notice you have to increase the effort level just to cut fabric or you’re blunt cuts, then the blades are too dull.
• Dull scissors will leave uneven cuts to your fabric. If you’re observing jagged edges after cutting, give your scissors a sharpen. This is also the case for frayed edges to fabric.
• While you’re cutting, if the fabric is pushing away from the scissors rather than cutting through neatly, then it’s time to sharpen them.
• If you look at the scissor blades and see visible nicks, dents or damages, they will be difficult to cut with. However, damaged scissors should probably be replaced instead of sharpened.

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