Took me three years to figure out I was sharpening my pole saw blade backwards

I was working on a big oak in my buddy's yard in Tempe last week, and my Silky Sugoi just wasn't biting like it should. My friend, who's a mechanic, watched me for a minute and goes, 'Dude, you're pushing the file the wrong way, you're just rounding the edge.' I'd been doing it that way since I bought the thing, always wondering why it dulled so fast. I flipped it around and the next cut was like butter. Has anyone else had a total facepalm moment with a basic tool like that?

4 comments

4 Comments

lilya762mo ago

Gotta disagree a bit, man. A sharp edge is a sharp edge, and physics doesn't care which way you push the file. I've sharpened my old Corona hand saw both ways out of pure laziness and it still cuts. The real trick is keeping a steady angle. Maybe your friend's advice just got you to focus more, and that made the difference.

piperbailey2mo ago

Reminds me of my grandpa sharpening knives on the bottom of a coffee mug.

spencer_owens582mo ago

Physics doesn't care," lilya76? Tell that to the oak branch that finally gave up after I stopped fighting the file.

david_jones381mo ago

Actually gotta side with Spencer here. That oak branch story proves the point. Sometimes the tool needs to fight the material a certain way to work right, not just follow the perfect angle on paper. Your saw might cut, but a green branch is a whole different beast than dried steel.