I make knives. I sharpen woodworking chisels to scary degrees of sharpness. When my partner said her Fiskars #5 needed attention (after some abuse it must be admitted) I thought it would be an easy matter to restore the cutting action for needlework use. I looked at the edges under a high-power lens and became very cautious. The "shear angle" on the Fiskars is not the same as "normal scissors", and my jigs would not be suitable. I looked around the web/youtube and found that several people had had very good results with these, and probably more had had difficulties. This sharpener is so cheap compared with the cost of #5 scissors I thought I would order one up, and try it out - I could see why people might have difficulty, and if it didn't work, I would have, at least, a use for the small ceramic rod. Technically, using the terminology I'm familiar with, this is a "hone" - rather than a sharpener. One is reforming the edge, rather than removing metal along the bevel edge. The ceramic rod is set at exactly the right angle for the Fiskars needlework scissors. I put some very high quality surgical scissors in the device, and you could see that the fine edge of the blades would not be touched until a lot of metal had been removed. The inner surface of the scissor blades MUST be in firm contact with the face of the plastic guide. You MUST NOT allow them to twist as you slide the scissors through the device. You get more control if you start at the tip and push the scissors through, allowing the blades to open as the ceramic rod moves towards the scissor hinge. The diagram on the packaging is very poor - if I didn't know about edge profiles I would have totally ruined the scissors. But, despite all my experience of hand-sharpening blades of many kinds, the results from this little gadget are phenomenal. You can cut a wisp of thread as it falls through the air, there is the satisfying sound of blades meeting correctly. If you've spent £15+++ on a pair of Fiskars small needlework scissors, then get one of these to maintain them. Do not expect good results with scissors that do not share the acute bevel angle that Fiskars use. Read full review
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It's smaller than I expected and awkward to use with no instructions how to use it. After trial and error I decided the best method was to insert scissors at the tip and push the blades through. I wouldn't use it on a 'good' pair of scissors for example my fabric scissors. It has put a better edge on my household scissors but I can't recommend as a household must have.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
When I went shopping for scissors sharpeners, all I could find were spendy countertop things. These very simple sharpeners work great, don't take up space, and seem not to be available in the US. I bought several to last the rest of my life! They took a while to get here from the UK, but arrived in excellent condition.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Small and therefore bit difficult to use. It does work but is fiddly and doesn't feel very substantial but maybe just my expectations of Fiskers which I associate with quality. Arrived quick so can't fault the vendor
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
This is a simple device which gives good results if used carefully. No instructions. Designed for Fiskars scissors so the angle of the cutting edge of the scissors is not adjustable, The natural tendency is to pull the blade towards you, but that risks the blade cutting your hand, so it is safer to push the blades into the device. Works well on my Fiskars scissors, but would not suit, say, paper-cutting scissors with a different cutting edge angle, or stout scissors with a fat blade. Good price for something whcih does what it claims, so I'm happy.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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