Can I Sharpen My Own Scissors?
Short answer
Absolutely not. Scissors are not knives, and treating them like knives almost always causes permanent damage.
Why scissors are different from knives
A knife is a simple cutting tool. To cut well, it needs only two things:
- a clean apex
- proper deburring
Scissors are mechanically more complex. Each blade interacts with the other, which means there are four working surfaces, not two.
In practice, scissors depend on:
- Tension – how tightly the blades ride against each other
- Edge geometry – the correct angle and hollow
- Alignment – blades must meet precisely along their length
A scissor can feel “sharp” yet still fail completely if any of these are off.
What goes wrong with DIY sharpening
We routinely see scissors damaged by:
- pull-through sharpeners
- “all-in-one” knife gadgets
- bench stones used like a knife
- well-meaning partners who “knew how to do it”
The result is usually:
- ruined edge geometry
- loss of blade ride
- uneven contact
- scissors that no longer cut, even though the edge feels sharp
Once that geometry is gone, it often cannot be restored.
Irreplaceable damage is common
We’ve seen:
- pre-war heirloom scissors destroyed by hardware-store machines
- professional shears rendered unusable in minutes
- family pieces damaged beyond repair by trucks and high-speed grinders
Scissors are far less forgiving than knives.
Professional scissors deserve professional service
We sharpen scissors for:
- garment manufacturers
- seamstresses
- quilters
- tailors
- textile professionals across Toronto
The difference is not just sharpness — it’s function, longevity, and feel.
The practical advice
If scissors matter to you:
- don’t experiment
- don’t “touch them up”
- don’t let a general knife sharpener guess
Do it once. Do it right.
Danforth Knife Sharpening provides professional scissor sharpening for household, tailoring, and garment applications, using methods that preserve correct tension, alignment, and edge geometry. Click the link above to book an appointment today!
