Sharpening Garden Tools
“I’m digging in the dirt.
Why do I need to have sharp tools?”
Larry took on the challenge of answering this question at our February 2020 meeting, and by the end of the presentation, we were all reaching for our files.
Most tools only need to have one side of the blade area sharpened. Lay a shovel in a “normal” position with the handle as you would grab it. Sharpen the upper side of the leading edge of the bucket, leaving the lower side untouched and “flat”. In this way the shovel will not “travel” as it is pushed into the dirt.
In sharpening a “limb trimmer”, “hedge trimmer”, or any other scissor mechanism tool, only sharpen the outer side of each blade’s cutting surface, leaving the inside of both blades flat and rubbing against each other.
Protection of the sharpened metal can be done with oil. But not just any oil. Since you are working in a garden, you will need to use vegetable oil. NOT A PETROLEUM PRODUCT such as motor oil.
An easy method of application is to get a 5 gallon bucket, fill with fine sand, then add vegetable oil to the sand (sparingly). Pressing the sharpened tools into the bucket will distribute just enough oil onto the surfaces of the tool. The “sand application bucket” can be capped and will be viable for your next sharpening session.