Tips For Keeping Your Garden Tools Sharp

Some of our most trusty garden companions are our tools. You may have one or two essentials, or you may have collected an entire repertoire of handy implements. One of the biggest struggles we all have is keeping those tools sharp and in good working order. But fear not! It may sound intimidating, but it does not have to be difficult at all. Let’s walk through some common tools in our pocket and how to maintain them. We will discuss the use of both files and sharpening stones which are the easiest items to acquire for tool maintenance. Electric/power tools can also be used, but that is a topic for another day. 

The most versatile and probably handy of them all, will be the hand pruners. These little guys pack a punch when it comes to hands-on work in the garden. They come in an assortment of styles but all have the same bones and can all be cared for in the same way. 

The main part we are going to be focusing on today is the cutting blade. In order for our pruners to serve their purpose well, the blade must be sharp and free of nicks, and the angle of the cutting edge must also be considered. Thankfully, no disassembly is required for basic blade maintenance. All you need to get started is your file or stone, and if you want an extra hand and security, a small bench vice is helpful. 

Grip your Pruners similar to this, or you can grip with the blade facing away from you, take your file and match, or slightly increase the angle of the bevel (the tapered part of the blade), and start the file in the crotch of the blade. 

With a smooth drawing, almost semi-circular, motion, follow the curve of the blade while simultaneously, mildly pushing the file towards the cutting edge, and bring the file to you. Lift the file and start from the crotch of the blade again. Try to avoid a back and forth motion as this increases the chances of burrs and irregularities. Do this a handful of times, checking the edge as you go and repeat until you reach your desired sharpness. Finally, flip your pruners over, and run your file completely flat against the opposite side of the blade to remove any loose metal created in the sharpening process. Make sure not to add an angle as we only want a bevel on one side of the blade for proper function. You can sharpen the blade every few weeks as needed, but a light filing after heavy use can be helpful as well.

If using a stone, your approach will be a bit different. Most often a wet stone is used and usually works better than a dry stone. All you need to do is submerge your stone in water until it stops bubbling. Place your stone on a flat, level surface. Grip your pruners similar to this, and this time we will be moving the pruners instead of the sharpening implement.

We will use the same movement of stone to blade, but instead draw the pruners along the stone in that semi-circular motion, making sure to hold the angle of the bevel as desired. Once you have drawn the pruners off the stone, lift and repeat until desired sharpness. 

All the above principles can also be applied to garden shears, loppers, pole pruners, or any other blade with a simple bevel.

One other tool I want to cover specifically is the soil knife or hori hori. You can sharpen the straight edge similarly to the pruners and the like, but this tool often has a serrated side that seems intimidating to sharpen but really isn’t. For the serrated edge, you’ll need a tapered sharpening rod or round file. 

Matching the angle of the serrated bevel, place the sharpening rod on the blade at the point the diameter of the rod fits nicely in the serration. Draw the rod completely down/off the blade, and replace and repeat for each serration until the desired sharpness is achieved. 

In addition to keeping the blades sharp, you’ll want to keep your tools rust free. Cleaning and drying your pruners after use is the best preventative measure, but in the event of rust buildup you can take a few steps to get rid of it. All you really need is some steel wool, oil such as linseed or similar to protect against corrosion, and potentially a mild solvent. For severe rust, apply the solvent as directed to help break up as much as possible. After that process, scrub the blade with the steel wool and remove the remaining rust. Once rust free, apply a small amount of protective oil and let air dry before next use. In the absence of rust, you should only need to apply the oil every few months.

Applying these few care steps will ensure your garden tools will have a long functional life, so keep your eyes sharp for your tools' wellbeing!

-Naomi Phillips