Sharpen a Nail Clipper

Many years ago when this nail clipper was new I needed to cut a couple of fine copper wires. I had nothing else at the time and I used my nail clipper. The wires made nicks in the cutting edges of the clipper. Eventually I learned a way to sharpen the clipper's cutting edges evenly and did so. (Ignore the surface rust that has appeared in the years since.)

Step 1: Remove the Actuating Lever

The jaws will need to be held in position for sharpening. You need some precision difficult to obtain by using the actuating lever alone. Remove it by squeezing the jaws together with your thumbs or thumb and first finger, or with a pair of pliers as shown here. The lever falls out of the pin. Remove the pin.

Comments

[WalkGood]

What if you have a curved nail clipper?

[Phil B]

Several who also commented offered a couple of approaches to that problem.

[david547]

Thank you, Phil. I now have the courage to cut wire with my nail clippers (if necessary). ;-)

Dave

[Phil B]

I think you wrote that tongue in cheek. At the time I cut wire with my nail clipper, I was a college student living in a dormitory. I had no access to tools, but needed to cut some fairly thin copper wire. I would not advise cutting wire with nail clippers then or now.

[david547]

Quite right ! Thanks to our industrious friends in China I have several appropriate wire clippers and strippers. There are many parts of the world where your instruction will be extremely valuable. You have enriched humanity by sharing your insight. Thank you.

D

[tdc2202]

Thank you Phil for this informative instructable. I have a pair of clippers I loved and couldn't find another like them, but they were so dull I couldn't cut with them anymore. I kept them however, hoping someone would put up an instructable just like this!! Now I can use them again. YAY!

[Phil B]

Thank you for looking and for your comment. In addition to the things you mention, I enjoy the look on someone's face when he or she says, "Where did you get that?" and I say, "I made it from some scrap in my garage."

[bobcat1947]

As you put it so well, I, too " appreciate Instructables from others that are practical and address real problems with useful solutions." I was unsuccessful with sharpening nail clippers in the manner I was using. thanks for a straight-forward approach.

[Phil B]

Thank you.

[Keithr606]

I like seeing instructables that save folks money. We all don't have a couple of bucks. Savings of any kind is ok by me.
GREAT INSTRUCTABLE!

[Phil B]

Thank you.

[Eddie_T]

I have touched up edges that aren't nicked with a round ceramic rod knife sharpener. The use of the bolt is clever.

[Phil B]

Thank you.

[Eddie_T]

I have another reason for resharpening. I found an old clipper in a box of trinkets, so old that it were made in the US. It is more substantial than the newer China version and more comfortable to use. It was dull so I resharpened it several years ago holding it partially closed by hand. After reading the instructable I decided to try a clamp rather than the bolt. I used a Grip-It clamp (with the handle on the clipper in the closed position) to get the right angle for sharpening. It was so easy that I plan to keep these quality "made in the USA" clippers forever. Thanks for a great Instructable.

[Phil B]

Thank you for looking.

[Eddie_T]

BTW, as stated in an earlier post I used a ceramic rod about 5/8" diameter for sharpening.

[Nervo19]

Oh...and google books dot com has scans of Popular Mechanics from 2005 to the 1920's to read for free! I've recently been reading one per night. I love them!

[sreeci]

Simple hints like these make life so easier.
My nail cutter is 22 years old made in England, (Cooks) that was so blunt that I couldn't use it any more on my nails.
I did exactly what Phil instructed, but held the cutter on vise used smooth round file on the mated surface, gave a 30 run over it, especially caring for the edges.
There... I have a brand new nail cutter.
Thanks a million Phil. You made my life easier.

[Phil B]

I expect your nail cutter has a history with a lot of memories from over the years and you will recall them whenever you use it. Here in the USA MasterCard does their "priceless" advertisements. They go something like this. "Price of a manicure: X pounds and shillings, price of a replacement nail cutter: Y pounds and shillings, sharpening a nail cutter you have had for 22 years yourself and enjoying the memories of times past: priceless."

[Yankeeheart]

Never would have dreamed this. What a great idea!

[Phil B]

Thank you. Quite a number of things we assume are throwaways can actually be sharpened.

[rippa700]

Thanks - I have been pondering that job for a while. Good post.

[Phil B]

Thank you for looking. I am glad you can use it.

[Bill WW]

Nice as usual, Phil, I will give it a try. I have been on a sharpening kick lately.

[Phil B]

Thank you. Sharp implements are a joy to use.

[carmstrong2]

Phill, and all, for those interested in Hebrew Scripture, look up Mark Biltz -- Eclipses on YouTube. You'll be amazed at how the current world events are recorded in celestial cycles, as revealed in matching NASA Lunar and Solar eclipses with Hebrew Calendar dates! On May 28th, this year (2012) Mark made an update to that 2008 presentation, including an amazing celestial event that harbingers cataclysmic World events soon coming!

He opens up much more of the Hebrew Records relative to today, so go and watch in awe!

Oh, most of his presentations are found on Vimeo - look for El Shaddai Ministries.

On this sharpening guide GREAT! I've long wondered how to do it! Just didn't want to ruin a clipper trying!

[Phil B]

Thank you for your comment. I will look for the videos. I hope you can use this Instructable to keep your personal grooming tools sharp and ready.

[nevadita]

I wish many more people would repair things that can be repaired, but because it is easier to throw away things and buy new ones, specialy with so many chinese disposable things they make, humans are contaminating the Planet in such way that we are destroying everything and the time is near when it will be impossible to live on the Earth. We all should be more conscious and responsible by repairing whatever can be repaired. Perhaps many would say they will die before that time comes, but.............. what about the future generations? what are we leaving to them? PLEASE, think about it!

[Susan Cirigliano]

Do you think it would work on the blade of a paper cutter?

[Phil B]

I assume by a paper cutter you mean those devices seen in many schoolrooms. They are about 12 x 12 inches with a rule across one end. A long lever with a blade built into it can be brought down to cut paper in a straight line. We had one in the office where I worked. In 17 years I sharpened it twice and I had only the side walk outside the front door as my tool. I removed the cutting strip on the cutter's bed. I held it with the cutting edge flat on the sidewalk. I held it at a slight sideways angle of 5 to 10 degrees and moved it around in a figure eight pattern until any wear or rounding on the top cutting edge was gone. The I removed the curved knife from the lever and basically did the same thing with it while trying to give the whole of the curved length equal treatment.. Even if the sidewalk was not perfectly flat or level, it still worked quite well.

[mikeasaurus]

new nail clipper = $2.00 (or less, choose your currency)

I like renewing just about anything (even tools), however you have to wonder if the time spent is worth it. I mean I don't re-bend my used staples. I guess my question is: why bother?

[mikeasaurus]

Re-reading my comment, seems more abrasive than I intended. Selective editing would have helped. Also, apparently there's a larger community of people who have an affinity with nail clippers than I thought. To be clear, I don’t think that re-sharpening clippers is a bad idea, though I think the die has been cast on that from my previous comment. Your approach to the problem of dull clippers is very clever. DIY sharpening is a skill I wish I had. Kudos, Phil!

[carmstrong2]

Take a look at the American Malaise and then at the Gigantic trash flow of good, useable merchandise flooding foreign land fills where you pay to have it trucked and shipped! You still don't get the picture? Sorry, I tried . . .

[Phil B]

Thank you, Mike. There is probably nothing that can be written in the English language that cannot be misunderstood by someone. I remember hearing and reading that 58% of our communication is non-verbal (body language, facial expressions). 35% is voice tone. The remaining 7% is the words we speak. Both of the first two are missing in Internet posts, opening the door for a lot of miscommunication.

[AlphaRomeo]

Thanks for this information, Phil. Do you thing (or anyone for that matter) with more people using internet, over a period of time we may improve the writing communication skills?

BTW - I will be sharpening my nail clipper this week end.

[Phil B]

I expect communication skills to slide downward. Clear writing requires clear thinking. Good grammar and good spelling are very important, too. Texting and quick posts in comment sections allow anyone to shoot off whatever comes into their gray matter without any attempt at analysis or clear communication. Look at what has been happening to spelling due to texting. Soon anyone who can forge a proper sentence will either be totally despised or a scholar-king.

Thank you for looking at this. I do not know why it is suddenly gathering so much attention. It got linked somewhere after plodding along for a couple of years and now is drawing all manner of attention. Enjoy your newly sharpened clippers.

[AlphaRomeo]

Good thinking - but may be it will be like formal dress code - at teens and a bit teen kids wear what they want - dress however they like but once in the open world we all dress nearly alike. Well time will tell.

As for my clippers, those need sharpening - the cutting edges are gagged and I have to first grind the cutting edges so they meet evenly with each other.

[Jehu_McSpooran]

I'm not sure if someone else has said so yet but it was featured in the latest Instructables email newsletter. Grats on being featured.

[Phil B]

The appearance of this in the Instructables newsletter surprised no one more than it surprised me. I posted this a couple of years ago and it plodded along. Very recently, someone somewhere noticed it and put it into some sort of spotlight. Since that time it has drawn lots of attention. I am happy if it is just useful to someone. Thank you for looking and for commenting.

[electric_piano_5k]

The sharpening takes less time than a trip to the store, so it is time saved, not time spent. I didn't even do the screw trick, I just held the clippers closed while I rubbed them on the sharpening stone. Took about 1 minute. So now I have half an hour to waste on instructables.com instead of going to the store.