Understanding Sharpening Methods for Your Gardening Tools
Keeping your gardening tools clean and sharp is not only the best way to protect yourself from injury, it is also important for ensuring your tools are the most effective and efficient as they can possibly be. If you are looking to invest in a sharpening tool, here is a bit of information into what and how each of these tools are used for.
Sharpening Tools
• Whetstones- are blocks of fine-grained stone. There are two types and some require oil or water for lubrication to help the blade slide over the stone. These are suitable for knives and secateurs and should be used on a sturdy surface, like a table.
• Diamond coated sharpening tools- come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The diamond-coated blocks and portable, pocket-sized types are perfect for sharpening secateurs and knives on the go. The diamond-coated files are more suitable for spades or hoes.
• Sharpening steels- are usually used for kitchen knives, however there are a few versions that are designed for maintaining garden blades, such as loppers.
• Files- are excellent for sharpening cultivation tools like spades and hoes, just ensure to get one that is suitable for metal work.
