Scissor and Shear Sharpening in Clearwater
Fabric shears, pinking shears, rotary blades and thread snips.
Good shears are not disposable. A quality pair of dressmaker shears can be sharpened many times over a lifetime, and sharpening costs a fraction of replacing them. We sharpen sewing shears, household scissors, pinking shears, rotary cutter blades, thread snips and small embroidery scissors at our Clearwater shop.
What the service includes
- Dressmaker and tailor shears, bent handle and straight
- Household and utility scissors
- Pinking shears, cut back to a clean zigzag edge
- Rotary cutter blades
- Thread snips and small embroidery scissors
- Pivot screw tension adjusted so the blades ride correctly against each other
- Nicks and rolled edges taken out, not just a quick pass on a stone
Problems we fix every week
If it uses a needle and thread to sew, we repair it. Home machines, industrial machines, embroidery machines, sergers, quilting machines and antiques.
The shears push the fabric instead of cutting it
They chew and fold the fabric near the tip
Silk, chiffon and other slippery fabric slides out of the blades
The pinking shears leave uncut spots along the zigzag
The rotary blade skips over the fabric instead of slicing
The pivot screw is loose and the blades wobble apart
There is a nick in the blade that snags on every cut
The handles are stiff and hard to close
The thread snips no longer meet at the point
They were dropped on the floor and now they cut crooked
How a repair works
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Bring them in
Drop them off at 13101 56th Ct Ste 801 in Clearwater during shop hours. You can bring one pair or a whole box of them.
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We look before we grind
Sharpening is not the answer to every problem. Sometimes the blades are fine and the pivot screw just needs adjusting. We check the pair and tell you what it needs.
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Edge, pivot, then test cut
We set the edge, take out the nicks, adjust the pivot tension, then test cut on fabric so the blades cut clean all the way to the tip.
Common questions
Can pinking shears really be sharpened?
Yes, and it is a specialty job. Every tooth has to be brought back so the zigzag cuts along the whole edge. Many places will not take them. We do.
Do you sharpen rotary cutter blades?
Yes. A rotary blade that skips or leaves threads uncut can often be brought back rather than thrown away. Bring the blade or the whole cutter.
Is it worth sharpening cheap scissors?
Sometimes, and sometimes it is not. Very light stamped scissors do not hold an edge. Bring them in and we will tell you honestly. There is no charge to look.
Should I sharpen shears myself with a gadget?
We do not recommend it for good fabric shears. Those small sharpeners change the blade angle, and once the geometry is wrong the shears push fabric instead of cutting it. That is a harder fix than a normal sharpening.
Do I need an appointment?
No. Come by Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We are closed Saturday and Sunday. Call (727) 321-9344 first if you are driving in from Tampa or St. Petersburg with a large batch.
Related repair services
Sewing Machine Tune-Up and Maintenance
Clean, oil, re-time, set the tension, sew on it.
Home Sewing Machine Repair
Bring your machine in and a technician will look at it for free.
Sewing Machine Parts
Bring the old part in. That is the fastest way to match it.
Used and New Sewing Machines
Machines a technician has already gone through and sewn on.
Is your machine giving you trouble?
Call and tell us what it is doing. The estimate is free and you do not need the model number.