# When and why did we forget how to sharpen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 9, 2023, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833 "2023-07-09T21:29:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/41 "2023-07-10T14:29:47Z")
The only thing I sharpen these days are the edges of skis. For kitchen work, I prefer cheap serrated knives over expensive smooth ones. So not much need to sharpen. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/42 "2023-07-10T14:32:58Z")
Way long ago in my checkered past I was a machinist. Every machinist knows how to hand sharpen drill bits at a bench grinder, no jigs needed. I don’t do so. Ever. The fact of the matter is, unless you are working with a 1" drill bit, they are so inexpensive that it is not worth anyone’s time to try to sharpen them. Nobody really needs to waste time trying to sharpen a 1/4" drill bit, trying to get the point properly centered and so on. Just grab a new one. I keep packets of 5 each of the most common ones (that is, any bit in my drill index that I have ever broken). Pretty much none of the number drills in a drill index are worth sharpening. With that said, everyone should know how to do it, especially because there are times when a special edge is needed (e.g. drilling brass or lead). To answer the OP, in this field the cost of labor vs. the cost of tooling probably shifted, making it more cost effective to just replace the bits rather than try to reuse the old one. ---
**Author:** ![FeRDNYC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferdnyc/32/14000_2.png) [@FeRDNYC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FeRDNYC)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/43 "2023-07-10T14:36:47Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > The only thing I sharpen these days are the edges of skis. Are you a snow-themed Bond-villain / assassin with a penchant for elaborate murder methods involving unexpectedly-deadly winter sports equipment? If you are, you have to tell us. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/44 "2023-07-10T14:37:00Z")
I forgot about sharpening bits for the reasons you outlined. Last time I did so was around 1991. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/45 "2023-07-10T14:39:35Z")
> [@FeRDNYC](#): > > > [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > > > We also had an old pair of utility scissors that had been used trying to cut a thick wire, leaving gouges in both blades perhaps 1/8 inch deep. He _reground_ both blades to take out the gouges, leaving us with a functional pair of scissors. > > A perfect example. When “a pair of scissors” meant two solid metal legs on a pivot with fingerholds attached, you could do that sort of thing. The scissors currently sitting in the mug on my desk consist of just two thin slivers of blade, mounted in plastic arms. Nobody’s sharpening those, let alone _regrinding_ them — there’s no extra metal to grind down to, the entire blade would be ground away before they were any sharper. Another thing is that scissors could be unscrewed to allow each blade to be sharpened separately. Now, I think, many are riveted together so it’s not possible to separate them and I don’t think it’s easy to sharpen them. ---
**Author:** ![FeRDNYC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferdnyc/32/14000_2.png) [@FeRDNYC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FeRDNYC)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/46 "2023-07-10T14:43:30Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Another thing is that scissors could be unscrewed to allow each blade to be sharpened separately. Now, I think, many are riveted together so it’s not possible to separate them and I don’t think it’s easy to sharpen them. Basically, yeah. If scissors _can_ be sharpened, they’ll still be held together with a removable pivot screw. (I have a fairly recently-made pair of fingernail scissors that can be unscrewed, because they’re all-metal and could definitely be sharpened.) Most scissors these days **can’t** be, though, so to make that clear they don’t even bother to tempt you with a screw. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/47 "2023-07-10T14:45:02Z")
I have a pair of OXO kitchen scissors that are held together with a sort of bayonet mechanism, so they can easily be separated, though that’s mostly for cleaning than sharpening. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/48 "2023-07-10T14:48:52Z")
> [@FeRDNYC](#): > > > [@Pleonast](#): > > > > The only thing I sharpen these days are the edges of skis. > > Are you a snow-themed Bond-villain / assassin with a penchant for elaborate murder methods involving unexpectedly-deadly winter sports equipment? If you are, you have to tell us. My lawyer advises me not to answer this question. 😉 I’m not sure how much it matters at the skill levels we’re at, but if you’re already doing your own waxing, it’s very easy to sharpen the edges at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/49 "2023-07-10T15:21:08Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I’m not sure how much it matters at the skill levels we’re at, but if you’re already doing your own waxing, it’s very easy to sharpen the edges at the same time. The way my dad sharpened skis, you risked losing a finger carrying them if you weren’t wearing gloves. Nice on an icy day, though. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/50 "2023-07-10T15:55:19Z")
> [@FeRDNYC](#): > > (I have a fairly recently-made pair of fingernail scissors that can be unscrewed, because they’re all-metal and could definitely be sharpened.) Are you sure? A lot of larger scissors with a bolt & captive nut can be separated and reconnected. The nut is a bit out of round which is what lets you adjust the tension just right and have that tension hold. It’s not simply cranking the bolt down to tight. For fingernail scissors I’ve certainly seen the little screw which runs through a non-interference shaft hole in one half then into a threaded capture hole in the other half. Which is also a bit out of round (or was staked at the factory) to give the locking effect at the correct tension. But there’s very little “meat” on those threads. You certainly can disassemble the scissors. Whether they’ll go back together and lock at all, much less reliably at the correct tension is very much another question. Something I’ve learned the hard-ish way on a bunch of different products with what appear to be reusable fasteners but which are really assemble-and-adjust-once-at-the-factory fasteners. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/51 "2023-07-10T16:46:13Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > BTW: Maple is the bane of saw blades. Argh, it looks so nice but is the toughest wood I ever worked on. I think that’s specifically old maple. As I understand it, there’s resin in the wood that hardens with age, over the course of decades. And a lot of my carving experience has been with black walnut, which is even harder than oak. Of course, in the long run, carving hardwood is much easier than softwood, because it’s too easy to ruin a softwood piece by cutting a little too much somewhere. Though, most of my carving is also with just a pocketknife, not the larger or more specialized tools. What maintenance a drawknife needs, for instance, is not within my experience. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/52 "2023-07-10T16:50:37Z")
Drawknives are fun, you really feel like a pre-electric craftsman as you shape things up with them. Last year I fixed a bench with crapped out wood slats by replacing with cypress. The front slat was going to be uncomfortable unless I tapered it. So rather than a power sander or power planer, I just got out my best drawknife and had it shaped in minutes looking really nice. Bonus, I now had fire starter for the fire pit. Those shaving are they best for starting a fire. * * * * * * Building oars and sprits was far more work but in the end very gratifying. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/53 "2023-07-10T17:59:27Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I forgot about sharpening bits for the reasons you outlined. Last time I did so was around 1991. I have one of those 115 piece drill indexes, like this one: [https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product\_view.php?ProductID=2826&category=-456343308](https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2826&category=-456343308) Any machinist will acquire one of those sooner or later since it has everything you need in one handy place (or you could buy separate fractional, wire gauge, and letter sets…that’s for the guys who probably have a set of left-handed bits too). Mine has cheap gold-finish drill bits that break if you don’t use them gently. As such, I have broken many of them over the years, replacing them either with silver or black bits of much higher quality. So my drill index looks like it has the gap-toothed smile of a meth addict! At least it is full and all of the important ones are high quality. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/54 "2023-07-10T19:21:37Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > At least it is full and all of the important ones are high quality. There’s a lot of wisdom to that approach. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/55 "2023-07-10T19:56:43Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Drawknives are fun, you really feel like a pre-electric craftsman as you shape things up with them. Be careful not to pull too hard on a drawknife. That’s what happened to my half-brother. ---
**Author:** ![FeRDNYC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferdnyc/32/14000_2.png) [@FeRDNYC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FeRDNYC)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/56 "2023-07-10T20:09:19Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > > [@FeRDNYC](#): > > > > (I have a fairly recently-made pair of fingernail scissors that can be unscrewed, because they’re all-metal and could definitely be sharpened.) > > Are you sure? _Well…_ S’funny you should mention it. Shortly after I posted that, I got idly curious about disassembling the scissors. So I reached for one of my jeweler’s drivers and set about removing said “screw”… > [@LSLGuy](#): > > You certainly can disassemble the scissors. Yeah, not so much, as it turns out. What _did_ happen is that the (ostensible) screwhead immediately began tearing its slot wide open. But the “screw” never budged. So now I’m wondering if that even really is a screw, or if it’s simply a rivet with a purely-decorative slot in the head to make it **look** like a screw, in service of some sort of “scissors aesthetic”. Which is some _bullllll_-shit, if so. The stamp on one of the scissor-legs claims they’re Italian-made, not Chinese. (No offense to the Chinese; I think we all understand the role our respective countries’ consumer-goods industries play in all this.) But at this point, who knows? Maybe _that’s_ merely an aesthetic fiction as well! …I _really_ freaking hate late-stage, post-Milton-Friedman capitalism. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/57 "2023-07-10T20:09:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Be careful not to pull too hard on a drawknife. That’s what happened to my half-brother. I’m sure he’s all right now. ---
**Author:** ![FeRDNYC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferdnyc/32/14000_2.png) [@FeRDNYC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FeRDNYC)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/58 "2023-07-10T20:10:55Z")
Or it’s how he became a **half** -brother. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/59 "2023-07-10T20:14:37Z")
> [@FeRDNYC](#): > > So now I’m wondering if that even really is a screw, or if it’s simply a rivet with a purely-decorative slot in the head to make it **look** like a screw, in service of some sort of “scissors aesthetic”. Which is some _bullllll_-shit, if so. IME it really is a screw that really goes into a threaded hole in the lower scissor arm. But … At the factory they tighten the screw the right amount until the blades scrape against each other correctly. Not too much gap; also not so tight they’re hard to move. Then they whack the bottom of the screw with a hammer, in effect transforming the tip of the screw and the hole it threaded into a smashed-head rivet. Yet another [assemble it once then it’s disposable] consumer product. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833/60 "2023-07-10T20:33:03Z")
I don’t have a factual answer, but IIRC, Moxon’s and Roubo’s texts were targeting the hobby woodworker, or the interested casual, not the journeymen, apprentices, and other levels of the professional woodworking set. So those texts may be limited in sharpening content because that was work for the apprentices and not as “interesting” for their books. Again, that’s a hunch. And welcome to woodworking, it’s a rewarding hobby! An aside to the talk about sharpening in the modern day, as I got into woodworking and learning how to sharpen, it occurred, embarrassingly late, to me that my skills in the shop could be applied to my kitchen knives. No more would I need to semi-freeze chicken breasts to cut them into medallions. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833.md?page=4)