How to Clean and Sharpen Secateurs / Homegrown Garden 

Would recommend greasing before putting back together, will make it easier to take apart next time, will operate smoother and prevents parts seizing and getting stuck (like the screws). Although you probably don't leave yours as long as mine between sharpening 😂

Thank you, Katrina ❤ For years I've avoided having special secateurs because a certain someone in my life regularly misplaces/misuses them and I couldn't take the heartbreak every time I found a pair buried in a pot, or similar 🙄😂 But when I got my tax return last year, I finally bought my Felcos, which I keep safely hidden! This year's tax return shall now be spent on some Niwaki bits and bobs, which I hope to also use on some other garden tools. Having never sharpened tool blades on my own before, I was after some tips and came across this video. Your gentle, calm approach, quietly spoken manner and obvious enjoyment of your vocation are such a pleasure to watch and listen to. I felt both inspired and relaxed after this 😊 Now I am subscribed and looking forward to watching your other videos, as well. Thanks again! 💚

My Felco no.9 (for left handers) were £28 when I bought them, now they are £65, yikes! Will be giving my 6 year old pair this treatment. Thanks for the lovely video.

Very, very useful! It’s your ‘aura’ and your style of making videos which makes every one of them soooo satisfying and cooling to watch.

Nilwaki Cream Mate should be in every gardeners tool kit, they're a game changer!! They're tools are fast becoming industry standard ❤

I found some secateurs buried in our veggie patch (from a previous owner)... I plan to try and take them apart and restore them... this video should help me achieve that, thank you!

I started following you last week as I’ve had exhaustion for 7 weeks and but my brain is still planning for my “new” hobby, gardening!

Well, I'd been putting off giving our secateurs an overhaul for far too long, but this finally made me do something about it and now we have shiny, sharp secs which work - huzzah! Thank you :)

Thank you! I'm feeling even more embarrassed than you at the state of my secateurs. You've motivated me to take mine to pieces and give them a really good clean and sharpen. It's not a Felco but I have a second new pair so I think it's worth risking not being able to get them back to together if I can get anything like the results you have.

Useful guide to tool care! Thanks for taking the time to make all the videos you do. I had COVID recently and you videos helped get me through. Especially enjoyed the tour videos. Keep up the great work and I’ll look forward to seeing what you share with us this year 😊

Thank you for the motivation to clean my secateurs. I recently treated myself to all the cleaning goodies from Niwaki but wasn't quite sure as to how to proceed and you made it so easy to understand. Job well done!

Very informative. Pleasure to watch.

Thank you for teaching this old dog new tricks, really useful.

Thanks for your inspiration. I’ve got some tools that might need some attention. One in particular which has a spring identical to the one on your secateur. (That’s a new term for me, call them pruners) This one is my wife’s inheritance from her grandfather and have fewer pieces, and looks antique. At his funeral (20 years ago), my wife suggested I trim his grape vines which had grown a bit wild. It was something he had kept well maintained but had gone unattended for a while. Many of his friends came by and took trimmings. His secateurs were quite sharp and we’re a pleasure to use. I think they could use a little sharpening and cleaning.

Thank you, Katrina! I have just bought myself the Niwaki sharpening stone and Camelia oil. I hadn't heard of the Cream Mate, so will be getting one of those stones too!

I have to admit, I have never invested in a good quality pair of secateurs. I instantly Googled some after watching your video and will be taking better care of my tools from now on. Thank you.

Great tutorial, this came just at the right time as I've been putting off cleaning my secateurs which are in dire need of some TLC 🙃Thanks!

So therapeutic to watch! I might put together a similar kit to yours as a present for my mum 🙈

that was so nice to watch!!! i like how you are showing all sides of gardening and working on the land

I inherited my dad's old left hand ones, probably over 30 years old. Quality product are Felco. Need to get myself a right handed pair

Thank you for sharing this video, my Secateurs definitely need a good cleaning too, lovely job you have done on yours 🙂 take care 🙂

Just got Felco 2’s from Santa, and I would have ruined them if I had not watched your video. I am from the US but this was brilliant!!! Thank you so much!

Nice video! I've got those same clippers -- never called them "Secateurs" though... A little silicone spray after cleaning a tool helps prevent rust.

Exakt what i neendet. My Felco hast been sitting there to be done. I just haven"t done this before. Now after seeing this I am ready to go. Thanks to you 💚🐝🌻

Excellent video Katrina and tool maintenance is important because we don't want to be infecting our plants with diseases. Have a good week and stay safe, warm and well.

Thank you! I was looking at mine yesterday and noting they needed help. Perfect timing. 😁

Your video was very fun and inspiring. You planted a little seed of guilt in me. I will set about giving my tools some tender loving care. Thank you from Richard, a perfect stranger living across the pond from you in good ol Indiana. Cheers!

Very nice. It is still winter in Montana, but we are having a 20 degree higher in temperatures than is usual. Looking at install a green house in very early spring as the snow might be all gone soon. I would also oil all metal surfaces, in particular where wear is evident, before assembly. It would not only protect the metal, but make operation easier. Too bad we can't all sit down for tea. In Denmark, we also did that, and it is sorely missed.

Great video!! I disassemble, clean and sharpen my wife's pruning shears and other metal equipment and use an inexpensive magnetic cup to hold the metal parts as I work. I tend to loose those small pieces far too easily.

Really good video, I am guilty of not really looking after my tools properly, but seeing how easy it is to do I shall be more careful with them.

Great tutorial! I am motivated to clean my Felco's now!

great video. Thanks

Thank you for the tutorial I usually buy new Clippers have been afraid to take them apart. I was able to take mine apart clean and put back together. I wouldn't have attempted without your video. Thanks. Laverne West Virginia USA

Thank you and I believe mine are equally dirty so will be giving them some love too 💚

I enjoy the video hope you are having a great day today God loves you and so do I my sister in God's family

I have bought 6 pruning tools FELCO from Lee valley Montreal when I was in CANADA.. thanks for advice us about really good maintenance for beautiful your tools that i am still to looking to them ..also you should visit my farm in BAGHDAD to know what does mean the farm ..

Ty! Just got mine! Looking forward to pruning!

Hi Karina! A good videoclip about cleaning your gardentools! Very interesting!

lovely video

Oddly calming and satisfying to watch. Thank you for the great detail! My Felco needs some attention. Sadly, I have an odd small sharpening device that I purchased at the same time. I need to move up to the Niwaki line 👍🏻. Your older Felco has a “look” to it that is better than new! Well done video and great close-ups.

can't wait to see your beautiful cosmos in a couple months. Hope all is well.

Wow great tools you have it for your garden Excited to see your garden plant 🪴growing this summer season 🙌👌

I was just looking at Niwaki the other day for sharpening tools and saw their care and sharpening set which I got. So this is very timely as I was wondering if there was a good tutorial on how to use it. Fantastic you are as always. Loving your Run and Fly dungees too. I am saving up for some Duluth trading gardening bibs as they are fabric covered in vegetables. Happy day to you from an equally wet and windy Wales xx

Great Video. Thanks for reminding me. I'll be giving all my tools a good clean this week and maybe revamp and repaint my wheel barrow too👍👍❤❤

Thanks for the useful and clear instructions. I'd never heard of Niwali crean mate! Happy gardening.

Explained simply. Excellent. Lovely person.😊

Great video. I like it look after your tools and they will look after you ✂️.

Thanks for the lesson!

your so organised its nice to see

Thanks for another great video, I love your garden and your great tips. I have the Falco 2 secateurs and they are fantastic, just a heads up on the screws you referred to they are flat head screws not Phillips, love from Fremantle Western Australia 💕

KATRINA thanks for showing how to take secateurs apart I spray disinfectant and give a wipe after using

Fantastic job’ such a difference.

morning Katrina that was an interesting video and your outfit suits you with the flowers

Great instructions! Thank you!❤️

Great video. Fabulous smile. Very helpful, thankyou.

Thank you for the help

Love your enthusiasm top grader channel take care ✌️✌️👍✌️

Hi, Katrina. New subscriber here. Ive been loving your channel and learning alot. Your English allotment aesthetic is just wonderful to watch as an American. We just dont have anything like it here. May I suggest an addition to your tool kit? A brass wire brush. That stone will get more rounded as time goes on. The brush will get in the hard to reach spots. Brass is weaker than steel so it wont wear out the metal. As a machinist that cleans and sharpens tools for a living, you did an excellent job on that clean and sharpen job. Pro quality! :)

Three solid thumbs up for showing this. Thanks for sharing!

It's good to see your tools being maintained. May I suggest that you apply a drop of oil to the surfaces that rotate against each other as you assemble them, rather than just at the end? Your Felcos will thank you!

Excellent episode,I didn’t know about some of the products that you used ! Thank you & greetings from Zimbabwe

Great video of tool care . Do you have any other videos of tool maintenance .?

thank you for all the information you offer us

Fantastic! Thank you!

Great video!

I did not know that they were called “secateurs”. On this side of the pond we use the term “pruners”. I also like the term “spanners” for what we commonly refer to as “wrenches”. I remember as a child reading Sherlock Holmes - he’d ask for a “torch” when he needed to illuminate something in a dark place. A battery powered lamp, as it turns out.

Love your enthusiasm top drawer 💪💪💪💪💪💪

Hi Great video. I got Felcos for Christmas so i will definitely need to know how i clean them. Thank you for sharing 😊

Wow. Amazing.

Thank You Very Much Sis! Really Appreciate It Your Effords! 💯👍👍👍😁😁😁

This was helpful! Thank you!

Very interresting. Thank you

Paraffin is really good for cleaning and breaking down grease and grim.

Thank you! 👃

Thank you. Now I’ve got to try it out 😊😊

✂️ Very satisfying to watch! You’ve reminded me that I need to invest in a set - I keep hearing Saul Walker and Lucy Chamberlain from the Talking Heads Podcast discuss Felco vs Niwaki and have been meaning to try some, though I recall the last time I looked I was overwhelmed by the range and variety!

Excellent terrific share 💫🤗

Great video!!!! We've been working on our garden tools as well.

Feeling totally guilty now about the state of my secateurs, maybe I’ll do them this evening. Enjoyed watching and listening ☺️

Thank you. Xx

great info! thanks

Just found you, subbed automatically, an excellent YOU Tuber and excellent info, thank you so much!

thank you for this very useful

A bad craftsman always blames his tools - because a bad craftsman dose not look after them. End of November I clean and sharpen all my tools and coat all wooden handles with a little linseed oil Metal surfaces coated with a little oil and everything is ready for the new season

After seeing your post that they needed cleaning I was hoping you would do a video on the process. Thank you! Now that it's getting time to start doing yard work again I was just thinking that my trimmers needed some upkeep and did not know how to go about it.

Very helpful!

GREAT VIDEO!!! GREAT CHANNEL!!!

Fantastic thank you 😊

Well done.

Really helpful and relevant. Thanks

I enjoy cleaning and sharpening my garden tools. I think the crean mate is amazing. I also use ARS cleaning solution for gardening tools. It melts away that grime. I keep a can of scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner in my kit too.

I did it!!! :) Wow. Thanks for the advice to take the picture first. I needed that picture... Wow, they look new; they Cut fantasticly and look fantastic. Saddly discovered that my felco secatares are fakes. I was saddened I got conned. Boo hoo. Kim xx

Nice felco secateurs.

Lovely!

Thank you for this easy to follow guide. I purchased the grey block used by yourself but was not sure how to use it. The sharpening stone is different from the one I ordered (sandstone color). What was the one you were using? I also cleaned up my hedging sheers and was very impressed at how easy the grey blok removed the build up of grime. Thanks for taking the time to do video 🙂

I spray my cream mate with wd40 and its works wonders. I also wipe with alcohol run between plants and mine stay clean.

Good advice 👍🏻

Vicks vaporub is good for cleaning off the gum and keeps rust away.

good work 💐💐

Great informative video, I'll definitely get myself a Crean Mate, It looks very useful. One small point though, a Phillip screwdriver has the cross head, the one shown in the video was a flat head screwdriver. Subscribed, looking forward to watching the back catalogue and future videos, Katrina.