Scissor Sharping

[kgg]

Haven't see a pair of scissors like that for a long while. I would suggest finding someone with a machine similar to the Twice as Sharp machine that can do multi angles. The steel is going to be hard but when properly sharpened the edge will last a long while. Do not, I repeat, Do Not let anyone use a bench grinder on them. They will ruin them and probably take the temper out of the steel. I had a set of nice $450 scissor for dog grooming which I let some ass try to re-sharpen that I wasn't aware of their sharpening method. Ruined. After that I got my own Twice as Sharp as well a nice 16 inch plate sharpener for clipper blades.

Ask a tailor or better ask a high end hair dresser where to send them. It is not uncommon for hair dresser scissors to cost $2-3000 a pair.

kgg

[Bert51]

Thank you for your help,  I am unable to file these scissors, I had a near new, but old English WILTSHIRE file and it is ruined, it just slid across the surface, they are that hard.

I am very reluctant to give them to any one to sharpen, the blades had a right angle fold in them, with the bend they will not fit in any jig I have seen on the net or youtube.

I looked at Twice as Sharp some time back, but I do not think the blades will fit into their jig, again the right angle bend would be the problem.

I have a bench grinder that I have used well (abused) over the years, but I do not like the idea of holding by hand and rick getting a blue spot in them.

Again, thank you for your help,

Bert.

[ljk]

I do a lot of sharpening both as a volunteer and in my trades.  in your instance I would

acquire two EZE-LAP diamond sharpeners, fine and medium. about $5-$8 each US.

Take the scissors apart and clean the inside surface with oil and fine wet a dry sandpaper.

 your just cleaning nothing heavy. Now take a magic marker and coat the

sharpening edge. Now using the  EZE with water sharpen surface on each knife until marker edge

is clean.  You may only need fine edge if new. Now reassemble, should cut the paper to the point.

Using this method I could cut 20 pair of motorcycle chaps before need to resharpen. Fabric

unless Kevlar could last for weeks. 

I use 8"   MDF with veg. on one wheel and and sharpening

powder on the other. ( mix powder with a little Titebond 3 and apply with brush. Elmers will work.

For most knife work  I use 1"x30" homemade belt sander and finish with leather 8" wheel.

Today I did 2 garden pruning shears with mini air powered belt sander, this gave a good

edge with a little bite to grab the limb.

I use 1725 rpm motors for wheels helps from burning tips.

good luck Lynn

[Bert51]

I acquired a new four sided Diamond stone and that made a big difference and was able to remove the previous owners attempt at sharpening them. May need another new stone shortly.

Thanks to Lynn the use of a magic marker between passes made a large difference. I have been sharpening my own Knifes and scissors for 40 plus years and thought I had a good handle on it, but the magic marker showd me that the cutting edge was a lot rounder then I though possible, after ever pass I could still see a thin black line on the edge, with out the mark I would not have seen it in good light.

Thanks again for that one Lynn.

Thank to all, it looks like I am on the right track, all I need to do now is reset them....................

Bert.

[Frodo]

14 hours ago, kgg said:

Haven't see a pair of scissors like that for a long while. I would suggest finding someone with a machine similar to the Twice as Sharp machine that can do multi angles. The steel is going to be hard but when properly sharpened the edge will last a long while. Do not, I repeat, Do Not let anyone use a bench grinder on them. They will ruin them and probably take the temper out of the steel. I had a set of nice $450 scissor for dog grooming which I let some ass try to re-sharpen that I wasn't aware of their sharpening method. Ruined. After that I got my own Twice as Sharp as well a nice 16 inch plate sharpener for clipper blades.

Ask a tailor or better ask a high end hair dresser where to send them. It is not uncommon for hair dresser scissors to cost $2-3000 a pair.

kgg

 

[Bert51]

Thank Frodo, I forgot to take a photo with some measurement in it, these lovely old scissors are just over 13 inches long.

The only makers mark on them is #196 stamped on the inside of the blades near the hole, no name on them anywhere.

Bert.

[chrisash]

That's probably the prisoners number from the UK

[Bert51]

I thought they were old, but I don't think they were First Fleet old, maybe 196 of 775?.

Edited November 22, 2019 by Bert51

[dikman]

I use a belt grinder to sharpen scissors. You don't have to press hard and they run cooler than a grinder wheel. It almost sounds like the steel has been hardened and not been tempered as a file will just skate over a piece of steel in that condition. It will be extremely hard but also brittle.

[Gunnarsson]

9 hours ago, dikman said:

It almost sounds like the steel has been hardened and not been tempered as a file will just skate over a piece of steel in that condition. It will be extremely hard but also brittle.

I have a few more or less modern scissors made of laminated steel, i.e. the steel right where the cutting edges are is a hardenable steel attached to a different type of steel that will not harden (or harden as much). This allows the manufacturer to leave the edge steel quite hard (and relatively brittle) to give long lasting sharpness, while the softer steel in the rest of the blade gives it ductility so it doesn't break from normal use. 

The same technique was used in many kinds of cutting tools back in the day when high quality steel was rare and expensive. The cutting edge was expensive hardenable steel, while the rest of the tool was a soft, cheaper steel. Back then it was more of a way to make the tool cheaper, today it's probably way more expensive than monosteel construction but gives some interesting possibilities.