A newly sharpened pair of scissors is such a joy to use.
The sharp blades make clean cuts from base to tip so effortlessly. If your scissors have gotten dull over time, it’s time to get them sharpened and brought back to life today.
Let’s look at the best places to take your scissors to get them sharpened and cut perfectly again:
Table of Contents
1. The Manufacturer
Although it is all too common to buy cheap scissors and replace them when they stop working well, it doesn’t have to be this way.
If you invest a little more in a good pair of scissors upfront, you can take advantage of sharpening services from your manufacturer.
This way, you can continue to renew the blades of your scissors for years. With some brands of scissors, it can even be for a lifetime.
You can often send these high-quality scissors from reputable brands back to their manufacturer for sharpening and maintenance.
Some top brands will offer to sharpen their products free of charge for the life of their scissors. Others will offer this service at an additional cost. Check with the manufacturer of the scissors you wish to sharpen for more information.
Using the manufacturer’s sharpening service is a great idea if you have a high-end pair of scissors that you want expertly cared for.
Your manufacturer will know how to handle your blades and sharpen them perfectly. Even if it is not included in your warranty, dealing directly with the manufacturer might still be worth it.
2. Local Shops
There are several places you might have in your local community that will sharpen scissors.
Hardware stores and fabric stores are some of the first places you can check.
Let’s look at a few national chain stores that offer this service:
Ace Hardware:
You can bring your scissors, knives, or other blades in for sharpening if you have an Ace Hardware store in your city.
This chain of hardware stores has a sharpening service on-site that works while you wait.
Other local hardware stores might offer this service as well. You can give your favorite hardware store a call and see if they can sharpen your scissors.
Even if they can’t do it, they might have a great recommendation for someone in town who specializes in sharpening.
Joann Fabrics:
For sewing enthusiasts, Joann Fabrics is already a go-to spot in town. In addition to fabric and sewing notions, they also can be a place to bring your scissors for sharpening.
Joann partners with ProEdge Sharpening service that you can easily reach by mail or store. They will sharpen scissors, knives, and other cutting instruments in need of professional sharpening.
Generally, you can contact them and send your scissors away to be sharpened. They will promptly ship them back to you when the job is complete.
In addition to the mail-in service, sharpening is sometimes available live at your local Joann Fabrics store. You can check with your local store to see if they will be hosting a live sharpening day anytime soon.
Mail-In Services:
Several third-party services offer mail-in sharpening services.
These won’t be affiliated with your manufacturer or local fabric store, but you can easily find several options by searching online.
Sharpen by Mail is one leading service where you can send your scissors in without even paying for postage. They will sharpen your scissors or other blades and return them to you by mail.
They have different sharpening systems in place for a wide range of scissors. Whether you have high-end Japanese-made sheers or a less expensive pair of all-purpose scissors, this service has just what you need to get your scissors sharp again.
Alternatively, you can search for a third-party sharpening service that specializes in your brand or type of scissors. For example, if you have a high-end brand of Japanese scissors, you might want to seek a sharpening service with a technique that will suit your specialty sheers.
DIY at Home:
It is also possible to sharpen scissors by yourself at home.
Developing this skill can be good in a pinch when you need sharper scissors but don’t have time to send them away in the mail.
If you are skilled with scissor repair, you might choose to take the blades apart for sharpening. However, it’s perfectly fine to leave the scissors intact as you sharpen them for beginners.
This will eliminate any risk of reassembling the blades incorrectly.
One tool you can sharpen your scissors is a diamond plate. These plates provide an incredibly hard surface that is up to the task of sharpening scissors or other blades.
If you are interested in shopping for your first diamond plate, you can check out the Diamond Machining Technology Sharpener!
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As you rub your blade up and down the diamond plate, a very thin layer of steel from your blade will be left behind. This will create the sharp edge you need to make clean, easy cuts again.
For a guided tutorial on using a diamond plate to sharpen your scissors, you can check out this video on Youtube:
You can use many different tools to shave off a slight bit of steel to achieve a sharp blade.
Whetstones are popular options, and you can even use aluminum foil if you are looking for a budget-sharpening option. If you struggle to get the edge sharp, especially after several at-home attempts, you can always bring it to a professional.
Getting it sharpened professionally can help bring it back to its state when it first came out of the package.
Tips for Keeping Your Scissors Sharp
Once you get your scissors sharpened, you will want to keep them sharp for as long as possible.
Remember to use your scissors for the material they were intended for only. If they are fabric scissors, make sure you only use them on fabric.
If they are hair scissors, guard them only to be used for hair cuts.
Using scissors with different household materials can cause them to dull quickly.
Wipe your scissors down from time to time to keep them clean. If you drop your scissors or notice they are not working, take them in or send them in for maintenance.
Final Thoughts
If you need to sharpen your scissors, you have several options.
You can contact your scissor’s manufacturer, utilizing their sharpening services for free or for a price.
You might also check with your area’s local hardware and fabric shops. Finally, you can consider using a separate mail-in sharpening service to get the job done.
Remember to care for your scissors so the newly-sharpened blades can make many perfect cuts for you and your sewing projects.