I purchased a pair of Fiskar Left-handed pinking shears six years ago when I took up sewing.
I have used them well and hard. When I wanted to cut something harder than fabric, like the excess of a zipper, I always reached for them before my worst scissors.
I realized last week that they finally were completely dulled, and wouldn't even cleanly cut interfacing anymore..
What to do? The last time I had my lefty haircutting scissors and Gingers sharpened they came back with waving, ruined blades and I had to have them replaced.
I didn't want to risk having to pay for sharpening as well as replacement, so I was considering just buying another pair of the same pinkers.
Luckily, I ran across this tip on the seeitsewit.com forums and it works:
*To sharpen pinking shears, cut through doubled aluminum foil.
I cut through trebled aluminum foil, five times (I saw nothing to lose, and honey they were D-U-L-L!) and I have my sharpy blades back!
Now mind you, my Fiskars weren't passed down the family line and they were cheap to start.
The look on the Britex lady's face told me they were only a step up from safety scissors, but they worked then and they work again. Yay!
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Thanks for this tip!
3/23/06 5:35 PM
Hey, I have two pair of Fiskar's pinkers - I like 'em! Frankly, I don't use pinking shears often enough to warrant buying a more expensive brand. Luckily, I have a great local sharpener so even the 30 year old pair still works great.
3/23/06 7:14 PM
I was just talking with one of the guys at the office about this today. Why is it you can take a pair of scissors that cut material and mess 'em up cutting paper. OK, OK, I don't do it often. Well . . . not THAT often. 'sides, they're my scissors. I'd never do it with my wife's scissors or there'd be howlin' from the doghouse. Anyway . . . you can fix 'em with aluminum foil. Go figure!
3/23/06 11:07 PM
Don't do this with your dressmaker shears, whit! Just your pinking shears. Something about the pinked blade going through the foil really does work, you can kind of hear and feel the friction working.
3/24/06 0:02 AM
This is really great. My very old Wiss pinking shears were ruined when I had them sharpened. I will try this. I won't send pinking shears out to be sharpened again. Thanks a lot for passing this on!
3/24/06 0:03 AM
Thank you, because my pinking sheers NEED it!
3/24/06 0:24 AM
I really needed this tip.I have a pair of Ginghers my DH bought me when I started sewing many ? years ago.They are not bad, just dull.This is my tip to try tonight!
3/24/06 0:44 AM
Slick as a button on a shirt!
3/24/06 0:49 AM
Thanks. I have been afraid to send the pinking shears out for sharpening, cause i wasn't sure they could be sharpened. Since I'm reading this so late, I will try this in AM. They are Fiskars, & probably 25 years old.. I'll test it on them before I do the old Wiss I inherited from my aunt.
3/24/06 1:54 AM
Many thanks for sharing this tip. I have heard of it before, but couldn't see how it would work. Now, where did I leave my pinking shears!
3/24/06 6:54 AM
Great tip, thank you!
3/24/06 11:05 AM
My mom just told me this morning that her pinking shears need sharpened. I just joined a few minutes ago and already learned something valuable. Thanks
3/24/06 12:52 PM
Good tip. I have "passed down the family line" Wiss pinking shears. Don't use 'em much 'cuz I'm afraid of "dullifying" them. It's good to know that they can be sharpened.
3/24/06 5:02 PM
I have a pair passed on from DMinL- I was ready to throw them out because they won't even cut cardboard. I'll experient on those and then try it on my own if it works.
3/24/06 11:33 PM
Well, I waited to comment until after I actually tried this out...didn't work. I cut double foil, tried fabric...then triple foil, tried fabric...then 6 layers of foil even...lots and lots of cuts. I must say, they cut the foil beautifully, lol. I should add, this was my old pair, not my good Wiss from dear grandmother that are over 50 years old and still extremely sharp.
3/25/06 4:51 AM
Thank you!
3/28/06 1:57 AM
I wish this tip had worked for my pinkers, like it must have for so many others :(
3/29/06 6:16 PM
AuntyQLace, Sorry it didn't work, but I hope it didn't hurt! Yes this method did work for me, and if you google, "Sharpen Pinking Shears Aluminum Foil" there are a lot of people for whom it did work. BUT I'm glad that you commented that it didn't work for you. (And SewVeryTall as well!) It is most helpful to get all sides. :D
3/30/06 11:46 AM
THANK YOU! I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MINE ALSO, NOW I KNOW MORE.
4/12/06 8:44 AM
I tried it on aancient and dreadfully dull pair of pinking shears that I inherited from MIL. It worked pretty well! They are not going to replace my newer shears yet, but at least they no longer tear the fabric. Thanks for the tip! -Ann
4/12/06 3:02 PM
I'm with Gigi: I don't use the old Fiskars (racy sounding name, don't you think?) often enough to warrant buying a new pair, but I'm not above giving this old pair a little life support. Thank you!
4/12/06 8:16 PM
Thanks for this tip. I walked in yesterday as my husband was cutting a credit card with my pinkers!
5/9/06 8:37 AM
I'm another one for whom the aluminum foil didn't work. As SewVeryTall said, they cut the foil beatuifully, but didn't do anything for the fabric.
9/28/06 8:51 PM
I was so excited about this tip but unfortunately it didn't work one little bit.
8/13/07 11:25 AM
Just tried this as well and it actually made my shears duller. Anyone else have ideas? I really don't want to have to buy another pair.
8/19/07 0:39 AM
I tried it on shears I bought on eBay. I was so mad they were dull, and I was ready to send them back, but it worked like a charm!
9/18/10 1:19 AM
Tried this on 2 pair and did not work. I am trying to pink edges of a dress lining. So that was the test. They already work ok on heavier fabric.
2/28/12 10:58 AM