General Scissors  

Sectional view of the cutting blade

Scissor parts

Scissors are sharpened according to the angles shown below.


Unless the scissors need to have a really honed edge, honing is not recommended for scissors. Stop after the sharpening step (but with a high grit level - 1,000 or so).


Some scissors have differing angles for the Thumb Blade (shown in red) vs. the Fingers Blade (shown in blue). In those cases, separate angles are shown in the table below.

I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil.

Truman Capote

General Guidelines
Type βThumb βFingers Notes
General Scissors 120°  
Bandage scissors 110°  
Cast iron paper scissors 95 - 195°  
Children's safety scissors 90°  
Cuticle scissors 115 - 120°  
Nail scissors 115 - 120°  

Notes & Comments

Information regarding Grindstones

SVX-150 scissors jig

The Tormek SVX-150 Scissors jig is the best to use for these.


Grindstone Rotation

When sharpening scissors, use the vertical position with the grindstone rotating towards the blade. This keeps the SVX-150 properly aligned to the grindstone. (If you use the horizontal position, the grindstone will pull the scissors away from the jig.)

However, if you are sharpening left-handed scissors and they cannot be disassembled into the two pieces, you will need to sharpen from the horizontal position as the piece not being sharpened would interfere with the process otherwise (it would hit the Tormek machine).


Diamond Grinding Wheels

Use of diamond wheels is not recommended. The sharpness of the angle for sharpening can damage the wheel. (And the SG grindstone works quite well.)


Salon or Barber Scissors

When sharpening salon or barber scissors, the Tormek is not recommended. Instead, use a specialized tool like the Hira-To Flat Hone Sharpening Machine. If you do choose to sharpen these scissors on the Tormek, be sure to use the SJ Japanese Waterstone.


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