Keeping your bypass pruners razor sharp is one of the most important maintenance tasks for any gardener. Dull blades make pruning much more difficult and can actually damage your plants. With sharp bypass pruner blades, you’ll make clean, precise cuts that heal quickly and prevent disease.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk through all the steps and techniques needed to properly sharpen bypass pruners We’ll cover
- Why Sharp Pruner Blades Matter
- Supplies You’ll Need
- Step-by-Step Sharpening Instructions
- Maintaining Sharpness Between Sharpenings
- When It’s Time for New Blades
Follow these tips, and you’ll be rewarded with pruners that slice through branches effortlessly for many seasons to come Let’s get started!
Why Properly Sharpened Bypass Pruners Are Essential
It’s very tempting to just use your bypass pruners until the blades become too dull to make cuts. But continuing to snip away with a dull blade causes big problems:
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Ragged, bruised cuts – The blades will mash stems instead of slicing cleanly. These ragged cuts take much longer to heal, leaving plants prone to disease.
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Increased injury risk – More hand strength and pressure is required with dull blades. This often leads to strains, slips, and accidental cuts.
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Plant damage – Squeezing and crushing rather than cutting introduces trauma. Essentially, dull blades bruise and injure plants.
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Imprecise cuts – Lack of blade precision makes it hard to prune off the intended amount of growth.
Regularly sharpening pruner blades eliminates these issues completely. Pruning becomes easier, safer, and healthier for both you and your plants.
Must-Have Supplies for Sharpening Bypass Pruners
Sharpening bypass pruner blades is a simple process, but does require a few important supplies:
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Coarse sharpening stone – For initial bevel edge sharpening.
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Fine sharpening stone – To refine the edge to razor sharpness.
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Flat file – Levels nicks and realigns edges.
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Protractor guide – Checks blade bevel angle (usually 25° to 30°).
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Lubricating oil – Prevents rust and improves blade action.
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Clean cloths – For wiping away debris during sharpening.
I recommend getting diamond sharpening stones. They cut metal quickly and won’t wear down like natural stones. A set with coarse, fine and extra-fine grits will have your pruners slicing better than new.
Step-By-Step Instructions for Sharpening Bypass Pruners
With the right tools on hand, you’re ready to start sharpening. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Disassemble the Blades
Bypass pruners are made up of a top cutting blade that passes over a bottom anvil blade. Start by unscrewing the pivot bolt that connects the two so you can sharpen them individually.
Step 2: Clean the Blades
Wipe away any dirt, sap, or rust from both blades using a cloth dipped in diluted vinegar. Rinse and dry them thoroughly.
Step 3: File Down Nicks
Check the cutting edges and file down any nicks or dents using smooth, even strokes. Nicks prevent clean cuts.
Step 4: Confirm the Blade Angle
Quality bypass pruner blades have beveled cutting edges usually between 25° to 30°. Use a protractor guide to check and match this angle.
Step 5: Sharpen the Beveled Edge
Start with the beveled side of the top blade. Hold this beveled edge against your coarse sharpening stone at the proper angle. Draw the blade across the stone using smooth, even strokes. Sharpen the bottom blade’s bevel the same way.
Step 6: Refine the Cutting Edge
Switch to your fine sharpening stone. Further refine and polish the beveled edges of both blades using lighter, smoother strokes. This puts an incredibly sharp cutting edge on the bevels.
Step 7: Sharpen the Flat Sides
Turn the blades over to expose the flat backside. Draw these flat surfaces over the fine stone to sharpen and true the cutting alignment.
Step 8: Clean and Lubricate
Wipe both blades down, removing all sharpening residue. Apply a thin lubricating oil to prevent rust and improve glide between the blades.
Step 9: Reassemble the Pruners
Screw the top and bottom blades back together, adjust alignment if needed, and test the cut on scrap material before pruning any plants.
Keeping Bypass Pruner Blades Sharp Between Sharpenings
To maximize the lifetime of your pruners and the sharpness between sharpening sessions, be sure to:
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Clean blades after each use with mild soap and water.
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Always store pruners in an open position to avoid spring fatigue.
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Lubricate pivot points every few months.
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Never cut thicker branches than recommended.
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Frequently touch up the edge with a diamond card sharpener.
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Wipe sap and residue off during pruning.
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Avoid exposing pruners to excessive moisture that causes rust.
With repeated use, the cutting edges will eventually become too worn to sharpen. At that point, replacement blades or new bypass pruners are needed. But keeping your tools well-maintained and edges expertly sharpened will give you many years of peak pruning performance.
Knowing When It’s Time for New Pruner Blades
After repeated sharpenings over time, the metal of bypass pruner blades slowly wears away and the edges angle inward.
Signs it’s time to replace your pruner blades:
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Inability to sharpen to a clean, sharp edge.
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Cutting edges don’t fully meet when closed.
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Blades are angled too far inward.
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Visible cracks or damage on the blade surfaces.
Many quality bypass pruners have replaceable blades that can easily be switched out to restore cutting ability. For pruners without replaceable blades, you’ll need to invest in a brand new set when the blades reach the end of their lifespan.
Sharpening Bypass Pruners is Simple with the Right Approach
While it takes some practice to master, sharpening bypass pruners really isn’t difficult if you follow the proper steps. Having the right sharpening tools and maintaining the correct angle are the keys to success. Your reward will be tools that slice through branches effortlessly, helping your garden stay healthy and beautiful.
I hope these detailed instructions provide everything you need to keep your bypass pruners honed and operating like new. Remember to regularly remove sap buildup, touch up the edges with a diamond card, and get professional sharpening every year or so. Follow my tips, and you’ll be making clean, easy cuts for many years to come. Happy pruning!
Start with a good cleaning
If the cutting surface is grimy, it will pass roughly over the hook and not cut cleanly, even if the blade is sharp.
Clean With a scouring pad and a little warm, soapy water, scrub off all the sap, dried plant bits, and other gunk, and wipe the blades dry.
Remove rust Use the coarse steel wool to remove rust and any tough matter that remains. Then move on to the finer steel wool to restore the sheen of the metal.
Fine Gardening Project Guides
As a certified arborist and self-proclaimed tree nerd, I always keep my pruning tools in good working order, and with hand pruners, this means keeping them sharp. A sharp pair of hand pruners makes cleaner cuts that heal more efficiently, resulting in a healthier plant that’s better able to fight disease, insect infestation, and natural stresses with strength and vigor.
Learn more: How to Fix A Poorly Pruned Plant
I find the best way to sharpen pruners is with diamond files. I prefer them to whetstones because they are easy to use, even for a novice. You’ll need three levels of coarseness (known as grits): coarse, fine, and extrafine. The files are inexpensive and will last longer than your pruners.
Well-used but well-maintained pruners should only need sharpening every six weeks. For gardeners who spend barely four hours a week pruning, one good sharpening a year may be adequate.
It takes only about 10 minutes to sharpen hand pruners in relatively good condition. The more regularly you maintain your pruners, the faster the sharpening chore goes. And keep in mind that learning how to sharpen hand pruners is not rocket science. It just takes a little patience and practice.
- Kitchen scouring pads
- Soap and warm water
- Clean rag and towel
- Gloves
- #3 (semicoarse) steel wool
- #0 (fine) steel wool
- Diamond files (coarse, fine, and extrafine)
- Dry or silicone-based lubricant (such as White Lightning)
- Twigs for testing your progress
How to Sharpen Bypass Pruner Blades With a Carbide Tool | The Gardening Products Review
FAQ
What is the best tool to sharpen pruners?
I find the best way to sharpen pruners is with diamond files. I prefer them to whetstones because they are easy to use, even for a novice.
How to use a file to sharpen pruners?
Be sure to set the file at the same angle as the factory beveled edge of the blade. Only sharpen in one direction starting at the inside of the blade and working outward. Once you’re satisfied the pruners are sharp, run a file with fine grit over the backside of the blade to remove any burrs.
How do you sharpen a pruner?
Secure the pruners in a bench vise. If you have a bench vise, you should use it to secure the pruners. This will make sharpening the blades safer and easier. Open the shears wide and make sure the beveled edge of the cutting blade is facing you. Then secure the pruners in the bench vise. Position the file.
How do you sharpen bypass pruners?
To sharpen the blades, first make sure the pruners are clean. Then, rub the bevel edge side of the blade in one direction on a sharpening stone. Turn over to the flat side and repeat.
How sharp should a bypass Pruner be?
As long as the blades of your bypass pruners are nice and sharp, the branch that you cut with them should be sliced through cleanly and neatly. At least one of the blades of a bypass pruner needs to be very sharp, though usually both blades are sharpened. At least one of the blades of a bypass pruner should be curved.
What should you do before sharpening pruners?
Make sure the pruners are clean before sharpening. Sharpen the blades like you would a kitchen knife. On the bevel edge side, rub the blade in one direction on a sharpening stone. Turn over to the flat side.
How do you clean the blades of a bypass pruner?
To clean the blades of a bypass pruner, use steel wool and Simple Green Concentrated All-Purpose Cleaner. Ask This Old House Landscape Contractor Jenn Nawada explains how to maintain a set of bypass pruners and why it’s important.
How do you maintain bypass pruners?
To maintain bypass pruners, spray them with a household cleaner and dip them in a bucket of clean water. This helps keep the pruners sharp and sterile, ensuring a proper cut that reduces the risk of rot and disease in plants, which are living things.