The Titanium coated shears such as the Bonika Kaleidoscope shears have become some of the most popular shears on the market. Recent advances in scissor making has given us the beautiful rainbow colors baked into the metal. Unlike the painted shears of the past where the coating flaked off over years of use, these titanium coating stay on, at least until it’s sharpened off. And that brings us to the question. What is the best method of sharpening the titanium coated shears. It is important to understand that the outer coating is harder than the stainless steel underneath. In fact, the stainless steel under the titanium coating is usually much softer than an identical shear. The hardening process for the titanium affects the underlying metal. Therefore, it may take a little more aggressive abrasive to remove the titanium to get to the steel while the steel underneath may remove quickly. Here are some suggestions on sharpening these types of shears that we have discovered through trial and error. You have found some other techniques that work well, please let the editor know and he will be glad to publish them as well. Step 1: Work the rideline. An incomplete or missing rideline seems to be the number one problem in adequate sharpening that I have found. After taking the shears apart, work the rideline on a more aggressive abrasive such as a 6000 grit Norton stone or other waterstone or 9 micron microfilm on a honing block. Remove enough of the color to form a complete rideline. Stop at this point and switch to a 8000 grit or 3 micron for the rideline polish. Do this gently because this metal underneath will be removed surprisingly quickly as compared to the previous step. Inspect the rideline carefully for this is the foundation for all the other sharpening. The ride must be a distinct silver color down the entire edge and over the half moon surface. Step 2: Create a bur with a light touch and an abrasive that is strong but fine. I like to use a silicon carbide 40 micron for this process on Scimech flathone. A diamond wheel would also accomplish this as well. It is important to note that even though these shears may look like a convex edge and even be advertised as having a convex edge, in reality they are beveled. The bevel might be slight, but it is there. You will need to sharpen them as a bevel. The bevel edge will become more noticeable with subsequent sharpenings but this is unavoidable. If you decide to sharpen these shears as a convex edge you will end up removing even more of the pretty color coating and often the edge will not hold as well because of the softness of the metal. Step 3: Continue the sharpening using finer abrasives. Remember to use a light touch because the steel may remove quickly. Remove the bur in your usually method and test the shears. I have found that if the shears do not cut correctly after the sharpening, the problem is invariably a problem with the rideline. This is why step 1 is so crucial. When you sell these type shears or when you sharpen them, let the customer know that a small amount of the titanium coating will be removed during each sharpening and the appearance will change over time. It is much better to explain this before sharpening than afterwards. Bonika Kalediscope shears and other Bonika shears are available wholesale to ALL sharpeners regardless of their sharpening equipment. To learn more contact Bonika Shears 1-888-290-3393 www.bonika.com or www.scimechsharpening.com |
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