[julietmaria]

I want to buy something to sharpen my hoe and my shears and my secateurs - I don't know what to buy - what do other use?  Is it better to get a file?  I read that was a good idea?  Would rather spend less than more 
thanks 

[Totty]

I have a little dremmel multi tool. It gives an amazing edge to all my knives, secateurs, hoes etc, and is really fast and easy to use. Mine came with a 40 piece accessory kit which gives it loads of handy uses around the home. I see there are some on eBay that are exactly the same as mine but a different name on the side. Only 19.99. Look up Ferm Rotary combitool.

Totty

[BigPaddy]

Wetstone, or is that whetstone? Is my choice. Cheap oil to keep it happy.

Paddy

[jezza]

A whetstone is a good investment especially if you can get one with coarse one side fine the other, mines over50 years old and still plenty of stone left Draper supply them for about £10.00 theres are fine and medium grades  jezza

[julietmaria]

Thanks to you both, perhaps I will ask for the sharpening tool for Christmas,  - and paddy if i bought a whetstone how do I use it?  sorry to be so dense - or will there be instructions?  do I sharpen both sides and when do you apply the oil.  and is vegtable oil ok, or what oil do you get?  And why do you apply it.   Also I have a couple of really old hoes quite rusty really, do you think they could be sharpened with a whetstone or would I need to get a new one and look after it from the beginning?  Perhaps that should be the Christmas pressie 

[Annen]

I bought a Swiss Army sharpener from Lakeland a couple of years ago, and I have seen them in Wilko's during the gardening season, but I think they put everything away in December It is just a sharpener on a handle and very easy to carry to the plot in your pocket.


I looked online and I can't find one the same as mine but THIS is very similar.

[tadpole]

For your hoe, get a cheap file. It is more than enough to keep the blade sharp. for your secateurs, a needle diamond file. Depending on what kind of shears you mean depends on what kind of sharpening tool. Hedge shears use a file, curved shears or hand shears use a small file. Whetstones are great for long grass hooks and the like, but unless you need a razor edge on say a knife or pruning blade, you don't need one for most sharpening Jobs. A Bastar* file, a medium file, and a fine file will do for all your gardening jobs.

[BigPaddy]

Thanks to you both, perhaps I will ask for the sharpening tool for Winterval,  - and paddy if i bought a whetstone how do I use it?  sorry to be so dense - or will there be instructions?  do I sharpen both sides and when do you apply the oil.  and is vegtable oil ok, or what oil do you get?  And why do you apply it.   Also I have a couple of really old hoes quite rusty really, do you think they could be sharpened with a whetstone or would I need to get a new one and look after it from the beginning?  Perhaps that should be the Winterval pressie 

The stone is abrasive so you can either rub the tool on the stone or rub the stone on tool, depending what works best. So for my Hoe I rub the stone, but for a pen knife its easier to rub the knife on the stone. Basically you are trying to create a gradation from the thick metal to a sharp edge. Its easier when you get started. As regards which side(s), look at the tool you are sharpening. A hoe would typically only be sharpened from one side with a flat bottom. Knifes usually both sides etc.

The oil acts asa lubricant, but I think it also collects the bits into a kind of paste which helps grind. It will also keep the sharpened edge from rusting.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpening_stone

Paddy

[grendel]

for penknives I use a small diamond stone, for most other things I have a whetstone, or I use my 4 1/2" grinder to reshape an edge onto a blade prior to using a stone. you can get diamond stones in a round rod type configuration which can be useful.
Grendel