How to Sharpen Scissors & Knife With a Dremel?

Even the best pair of scissors or knives will get dull with use. It is why you need a good sharpening device handy to keep the blades in proper shape. The Dremel rotary tool is one of the more popular types of power tools and with the right Dremel bit, you can easily sharpen scissors and knives.

Dremel Sharpening Bits

What type of Dremel bit do I need for sharpening knives, scissors, and shear? You will need to use a Dremel bit that is designed for grinding and sharpening. These are either aluminum oxide stones or silicon carbide stones depending on the material to be sharpened.

Bit for Steel Blades

For sharpening stainless steel knives, and scissors you can use an aluminum oxide stone such as the Ø3/8 inch Dremel #932 or #952 bit. These are general-purpose grinding stones for metals.

Ceramic Knives

One of the more effective bit for sharpening ceramic knives is the Dremel Silicon Carbide Grinding Stone. This is a 4.8mm Model #84922 that works quite well for knives, scissors, and tools made of materials such as ceramic tile, glass, porcelain, and more.

If you cannot find the specific model, use any Dremel bit that is designed for sharpening metal. Be sure to shop around for the best one, which means a bit that can sharpen all the items you have without needing to change the Dremel bits. Keep in mind that a good grinding bit can last a long time with proper use.

How to Sharpen a Knife with a Dremel

Sharpening knives and scissors with the Dremel uses a similar technique. If you are sharpening a knife, then you are ready to begin. But if you are sharpening scissors, then you will need to separate them into two pieces and sharpen them separately as explained in the next section.

• Step 1: Place the knife into a vise with the sharp end facing the outward position. Be sure the angled side faces upward.
• Step 2: Put the right bit into the Dremel and make sure it is secure, Now, turn on the Dremel and you are ready to sharpen.
• Step 3: Hold the Dremel at a 10-degree angle against the side towards the top of the knife blade. You can start grinding across the blade until it is sharp.
• Step 4: Once the first side of the knife is sharp, you will need to sharpen the other side of the blade. Hold at a 10-degree angle and move the Dremel back and forth until it is sharpened. If the knife that you are sharpening also has a flat side, then only sharpen the angled side and leave the flat side alone.

You should be careful when sharpening and not use too much force. Instead, focus on sharpening one smooth stroke at a time until it becomes sharp. Finally, polish it with a stone or polishing pad to smoothen the edges and remove the burr.

With some knives, you may need to grind them at a greater angle compared to others. This will depend on the type of knife that is being sharpened. If you are regularly maintaining the sharpness of your knife, you can follow the existing angle. However, it is best to check with the manufacturer to find out what is the proper angle of sharpness that is needed.

How to Sharpen Scissors With a Dremel

Sharpening scissors, metal shears, garden shears, etc. require one extra step in the process. You need to disassemble the blades for easy sharpening. Remember that you are really sharpening only one side of the scissor blade as the other remains straight, so be sure you identify with side needs sharpening.

The following video from Dremel explains the step-by-step process of sharpening a scissor with a Dremel rotary tool.

Step-1: Disassemble the Scissors or Shear

Disassembling the blades makes it easy for you to sharpen the scissors. Unscrew the screw holding the pair of blades.

In case you find it difficult to disassemble, don’t worry. You can sharpen without separating the blades, but it is going to be slightly less effective.

Step-2: Clean the Blades

Use a wire brush or polishing bit to remove any rust or dirt. If you find any projections or uneven surface on the inside of the blade (flat side), remove it using a stone.

Step-3: Use a Clamping Vise

You can either clamp the blade and move the Dremel over it or clamp the Dremel tool on the vise. Ideally, you should use the Multi-vise accessory to secure the Dremel rotary tool in place.

Step-4: Attach the Bit

This step is self-explanatory. Attach the grinding stone and start your Dremel tool. For small scissors use Dremel #932 bit and for larger garden shears use the Ø5/8 inch #8193 stone.

Step-5: Wear Safety Gear

make sure that you are wearing safety goggles and a mask because the sharpening process creates fine grinding dust.

Step-6: Start Grinding

Grind only the angled edge of the blade. Align the blade angle to close the gap between the blade and grinding stone. Move the blade against the rotating grinding stone from the tip to the hinge. Move the scissor blade in a continuous, long, uniform motion to avoid any spot getting burned.

If you are clamping the blade on the vise, move the rotary tool against the cutting edges to sharpen it. Once the scissor blade is sharp, you can remove it from the vise and replace it with the other scissor blade.

Step-7: Deburring

If the blades were too dull, you may have to do remove too much material. This will create burrs at the ground edges. You can either use a polishing stone or a flap wheel such as Dremel #502 to remove the burr.

Step-8: Assemble

Now that the scissor or shear blades are sharp it is time to put them back. For large shears, apply lubricating grease around the hinge area and assemble the blades back.

When the blades are in open condition there will be a gap between them and you can feel the play. As you close the blades this gap will disappear. But if you tighten the screws too much, it will be very difficult to close the blades. Adjust the clamping screws to get the optimum gap between the scissor blades.

Step-9: Test Cut

The final step is to test your newly sharpened garden shear or scissors.

Dremel Sharpening Kit

The Dremel A679-02 is an attachment kit that makes your sharpening jobs easy. If you are a professional offering gardening or tree cutting and pruning service you may need to sharpen your cutting tools on a regular basis.

Dremel Sharpening Attachment Kit – Click to See Price

The sharpening attachment kit consists of a grinding guide for lawn mower blades, sharpening guides for gardening tools, chainsaw sharpening guide, spacers, grinding stones, and a wrench.

Which is the Best Dremel Tool for Sharpening?

For small scissors and knives, you can use a corded or cordless Dremel tool. To sharpen large shears and blades, I recommend the corded Dremel 4000 or 4300 which offer more power.

What is the Best Way to Sharpen a Knife?

The best method to sharpen a knife is to use a sharpening stone as soon as you feel that the blade is getting dull. If you continue using a dull blade it will spoil the cutting edges and may even cause damage to the edges.

You need a Dremel or a die grinder when the blades are too dull or damaged. At this stage, a sharpening stone alone may not help.
I strongly recommend maintaining the blade by sharpening often. This makes life easier and increases the longevity of the blade.