Does Cutting Sandpaper Really Sharpen Scissors?

Sharpening your scissors can sometimes be an afterthought. You might even forget that these tools need to be sharpened once in a while until they will not cut anything that you need to cut.

This can really get in the way of kitchen operations if you find that you suddenly are without scissors when you need them.

Sharpening scissors is not any different than taking care of sharpening a knife, but many people forget that scissors need this kind of care just like knives.

You might be tempted to try any of the many hacks that you can find information about online that suggest cutting a whole variety of different materials with your scissors to sharpen them.

If you want to know if there is a way to sharpen scissors without having to take them apart and using a sharpening tool, you might wonder if cutting sandpaper really will sharpen scissors.

What Materials Should You Not Cut With Your Scissors?

There are many items that you should not cut with scissors, even if you think that they might sharpen your scissors. On this list are any metal products, including tin foil.

Many people incorrectly think that they can sharpen their scissors by cutting tin foil with them, but this is not true.

Other items that you should not cut with your scissors are thick cardboard, clay, titanium, and even items that are covered in talc or gritty materials of any kind.

These products will harm the blades of your scissors and make them duller or even wear burrs into them that cannot be removed without a thorough sharpening.

Does Cutting Sandpaper Really Sharpen Scissors?

This is one of the few hacks that might actually work to sharpen your scissors in a pinch. Remember that this is not the same as properly sharpening your scissors.

You should not think that you can skip regular sharpening processes just because you have used this trick to keep your scissors on track for a few more uses.

Sandpaper can actually refresh the edges of your scissor’s cutting blades. You will find that you can probably get a few more weeks of use out of them after using this trick.

However, if your scissors are rusty or they are quite dull, this may not create enough of a difference to improve your ability to cut items with your scissors.

At the end of the day, proper sharpening needs to be done for all cutting tools to maintain the proper cutting edges and keep burrs and other damage off the cutting blades.

How to Use Sandpaper to Sharpen Scissors

You will want to have medium or fine sandpaper on hand for this task. Very coarse sandpaper can actually damage your scissors further and make them have chips and burrs on their cutting edges.

You might not even be able to cut through some thicker and rougher sheets of sandpaper, which can defeat the purpose of trying this trick to keep your scissors sharp for longer.

1. Select one or two sheets of sandpaper. Use a fine grit like 6000 grit for best results. Make sure that you shake the sandpaper sharply to remove any loose grit that might become trapped in between the cutting blades or in the joint between the two blades.

2. Cut through the sandpaper precisely and with even pressure. Do not tug on the sandpaper as you cut through it or you could create waviness in the blades or leave behind grit that you do not want on your scissors.

3. If you want to smooth the edges further, you can cut a finer sheet of sandpaper a few times to finish the task. You can also use fine sandpaper to rub gently along the cutting edges to remove imperfections and burrs that have been left behind.

4. Rinse or clean your scissors carefully to remove leftover grit from the cutting surfaces. You do not want to have grit trapped in between the blades making wear marks on the cutting surfaces that will further dull your scissors.

5. Make sure to dry your scissors thoroughly before you store them. Rust and grime that are left behind by moisture can ruin scissors faster than dulling them through use.

Always Sharpen Scissors Properly

You should only use this trick in an emergency. Always make sure that your kitchen scissors are sharpened periodically by a professional.

You can also take care of this process yourself if you wish, but you will need to be comfortable with taking your scissors apart and sharpening each half with the correct sharpening angle.

Scissors that have not been taken apart when they are sharpened or have been sharpened with the wrong angle can be ruined and might not be salvageable.

Always be sure that you can complete the sharpening process correctly before you undertake this job. It is not very expensive to have an expert sharpen your scissors and it might be worth having a pro take care of this important task for you.

Caring For Your Scissors Can be Easy

Making sure that your scissors are stored dry and clean each time they are put away can save you from having to sharpen them frequently or from having to use the sandpaper sharpening trick to keep them going for a few more uses.

Taking care of any of your cutting tools in the kitchen can improve their overall usable lifespan and make sure that you do not have to replace them frequently.

Use the sandpaper sharpening trick only in unique circumstances and consider that you might want to have two sets of kitchen scissors on hand to avoid issues caused by a lack of sharp scissors when you need them.

There is no exchange for taking the time to properly sharpen your kitchen cutting tools and even this hack can lead to an increased risk that your scissors will be damaged beyond repair.

Take care of your kitchen scissors like you would one of your good kitchen knives, and they will last for years of use.