02/05/2026
And nowā¦ the annual event no one asked for but every pair of snips desperately needsā¦Snip Maintenance Dayāļø
Should I do this more often? Yes. Do I? Absolutely not. But when things slow down and I finally sit down to sort them out? Itās oddly brilliant. Quiet. Methodical. And by the end, Iām looking at those snips like Iāve just rebuilt an engine š§
What I use:
š§Open spanners (various sizes) ā donāt use a screwdriver, youāll wreck the screws eventually
š§¦Rag for wiping grime
š§«Small dish of water (for soaking your stone + Clean Mate)
š§½Clean Mate (absolute weapon. removes sap + rust ) by .hq
šŖØ1000-grit sharpening stone. Mine is from .hq
š«Jar with vinegar (optional, for soaking small rusty bits)
š¢ļø oil (I use mechanical food-grade, but camellia or any other mechanical oil works too just not cooking oilā¦ it gets sticky and gross)
Step 1: Pull them apart
Use your spanners and take photos as you go. Trust me future you will be grateful when itās time to reassemble.
Step 2: Clean
Soak your Clean Mate and stone (if using wet).
Scrub every piece using your Mateāespecially the bladesāto remove sap, rust, and grime. Bit of elbow grease here. Wipe clean with your rag. For the small bits (like screws), pop them in vinegar for about 20 mins. Youāll see the rust come off. Rinse, dry, done.
Step 3: Sharpen
Using your sharpening stone, long smooth strokes on the beveled edge at about a 20Ā° angle.
Focus on the curved outer edge (for secateurs/shears). Several passes does the trick.
Step 4: Reassemble + oil
Put everything back together (check your photos if needed). Test the snipāthis is the satisfying part.
Then oil it up, give a few practice snips to work it through the mechanics, and youāre done.
Sharp, clean, and ready to go again.
Honestlyā¦ love that sharp snip sound š¤¤
