Home / Sharpening Articles / Sharpening Basics / How to Sharpen a Scissors

How to use the ScissorPro Diamond Hone Scissor Sharpener

The Edgecraft Model 500 Scissors Sharpener will quickly and easily put a sharp edge on kitchen, household, sewing, craft and knife edge scissors. (Note: It is NOT meant for hairstyling scissors, manicure scissors, serrated blades or tin snips.) The ScissorPro uses a unique spring mechanism in combination with magnets to put your scissors in the proper sharpening position. Fine and coarse diamond abrasive disks do the sharpening. It will sharpen either right or left-handed scissors.

How to use the ScissorPro Scissor Sharpener

1) First, determine if you’re sharpening a right- or left-handed scissors. If you’re sharpening a right-handed scissors, the side of the ScissorPro with the on/off switch should be facing TOWARD you. If you’re sharpening a left-handed scissors, the side with the on/off switch should be facing AWAY from you.

2) Before you turn the machine on, you may want to practice putting the scissors into the sharpener as close to the pivot of the scissors as feels comfortable. Insert the blade, cutting edge first, into the Fine slot. The edge you’re sharpening should be the top blade and the free blade should be hanging below. (Note: You may want to stabilize the free blade with your thumb and forefinger so it doesn’t get in the way.) Apply light pressure and slide the blade down the magnet slope all the way to the tip. Pull the scissors slowly and evenly toward you. For a 6” scissors a pull should last approximately 1-2 seconds, for a 10” scissors a pull should last approximately 3-4 seconds. When you feel comfortable, proceed to Step 3.

3) Turn the machine on. Pull the scissors through the Fine slot 3 times. Then repeat the same on the other blade. After you’re done, feel for a burr on the scissors.

4) To feel for the burr, run your finger across the back of each blade (not along). If you can feel a microscopic protrusion of metal you’re ready for Step 5. If you’re not able to feel the burr, your scissors will require more sharpening and you will move to Step 4a. (Note: Most scissors will only require sharpening on the Fine stage only, but for very dull scissors, the coarse and fine stages should be used to achieve the best results.)

4a) Move to the Coarse stage. Pull the scissors through the slot 4-5 times. Check for a burr. If the scissors is extremely dull it may take up to 15 strokes to achieve a burr. After you feel the burr, move back Step 4 (the Fine slot) and continue the process.

5) To finish, you’ll pull the blade through the Fine slot one more time with a faster pull to reduce the burr (approximately 1 second).

6) When both blades are sharpened, clean them off with a cloth or paper towel. Then slowly close the scissors to remove the remaining burr. Clean the scissors again to remove any remaining burr fragments.