Are multitool saws resharpenable?

[Syncop8r]

Modern handsaws are generally disposable; they can't be resharpened because of something to do with the way they are hardened (apparently).
What about multitool saws?    I would hope that since the knife blades are resharpenable then the saws are too.

[Zed]

There Re - Bendable   

[AimlessWanderer]

The Victorinox double acting saws are sharpenable with a small triangular diamond file. Care is needed, but if you get the file aligned correctly, passing the file down each tooth groove will sharpen both the push and pull cutting edges either side of the groove.

The Leatherman pull cutting edges won't accept this file, as the groove is more acute than 60^o, however a small half round (which usually has a larger radius than half the file width) may be able to sharpen them albeit only to a partial tooth depth.

I haven't checked the Gerber and SOG offerings, but I am confident I could sharpen both with my small diamond files.

[Syncop8r]

There Re - Bendable   

Yes! 

[Syncop8r]

OK, so the metal hasn't been treated in such a way as to be too hard to sharpen with a normal file?

[AimlessWanderer]

Update:

The SOG saws and Diesel Saw are pull cutting, and therefore need sharpening with the half round like the Leatherman saws described above. The Strata saw is double acting, and can be sharpened with the triangular file.

A note of caution:
Using the half round file to sharpen the pull cutting saws, may lead to the half round part abrading the spine of the tooth. Depending on how much sharpening is done, this could thin the tooth over time, and make the teeth weaker and the saw more prone to losing a tooth. This is not the case with the double acting saws, as the profile is maintained while sharpening, though the teeth may become a little shallower over time, as most small diamond files won't be sharp enough to reach right to the root of the tooth. This shouldn't have any detrimental effect on performance or strength.

OK, so the metal hasn't been treated in such a way as to be too hard to sharpen with a normal file?

I don't have any standard tool steel jewellers files to check this with. I can't imagine the saws being treated too highly as nobody wants a saw with brittle teeth, but I don't know what hardness jewellers files are taken to either. As an aside, I think a lot of saw blades (and plier teeth) are laser treated to case harden them rather than a soak and quench type process.i don't know whether this translates to multitool components too, or just dedicated tools.

Tl:dr = dunno

[Syncop8r]

I'm just thinking of how the likes of Irwin and Bahco handsaws get used and discarded on building sites as opposed to traditional handsaws which get sharpened.

[lister]

Sharpening a saw must be a slow and annoying. All those teeth...   

[Syncop8r]

The Leatherman pull cutting edges won't accept this file, as the groove is more acute than 60^o, however a small half round (which usually has a larger radius than half the file width) may be able to sharpen them albeit only to a partial tooth depth.

To me it looks like the angle could be 60º, just that the file would be rotated.

[Syncop8r]

Sharpening a saw must be a slow and annoying. All those teeth...   

Apparently sharpening a handsaw should take about 4 minutes, setting it another 4.

[AimlessWanderer]

I'm just thinking of how the likes of Irwin and Bahco handsaws get used and discarded on building sites as opposed to traditional handsaws which get sharpened.

A) not cost effective due to time taken
B) sharpening will remove case hardening

The Leatherman pull cutting edges won't accept this file, as the groove is more acute than 60^o, however a small half round (which usually has a larger radius than half the file width) may be able to sharpen them albeit only to a partial tooth depth.

To me it looks like the angle could be 60º, just that the file would be rotated.

You're right. I must have been having a incompetent moment 

Just checked the ST300 and KF4. I'll go back and check the SOG and Diesel 

[AimlessWanderer]

Yeah, the SOG and Diesel can be done with a triangular file too, but they're at a wazzy angle (like the LM's) so it's not as easy a process as the Vics. You have to rotate the file, angle it to the cutting geometry AND angle the file upwards too.  It certainly seems to me that the Vics would still be a lot easier to sharpen. Not got any Wenger saws anymore.

[Syncop8r]

I'm just thinking of how the likes of Irwin and Bahco handsaws get used and discarded on building sites as opposed to traditional handsaws which get sharpened.

A) not cost effective due to time taken

Supposedly it only takes about 4 minutes to sharpen a resharpenable saw - let's make it 5 so 1/12 of an hour. So what costs more: a new (disposable) saw, or 1/12 of your hourly rate?
Perhaps it's more a case of the CBF attitudes of our disposable modern mindset?

[AimlessWanderer]

I'm just thinking of how the likes of Irwin and Bahco handsaws get used and discarded on building sites as opposed to traditional handsaws which get sharpened.

A) not cost effective due to time taken

Supposedly it only takes about 4 minutes to sharpen a resharpenable saw - let's make it 5 so 1/12 of an hour. So what costs more: a new (disposable) saw, or 1/12 of your hourly rate?
Perhaps it's more a case of the CBF attitudes of our disposable modern mindset?

All I know is that it would take me personally a heck of a lot longer than that  Not like these guys ....



I have a couple of old saws that I really ought to have a go at getting back working again (assuming they're just blunt and don't have any broken teeth)

[Syncop8r]

Awesome vid! 

All I know is that it would take me personally a heck of a lot longer than that....  I have a couple of old saws that I really ought to have a go at getting back working again (assuming they're just blunt and don't have any broken teeth)

Perhaps these will help?

Sharpening rip saws:


Sharpening crosscut saws (pertinent to multitool saws):

[AimlessWanderer]

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Unlike in those sharpening tutorials, I noticed in some of the saws you have to angle the file away from horizontal, as well as rotating axially and angling away from perpendicular. I think the trick is to sharpen multitool saws while there is still plenty of tooth form to act as a guide for the file. Going back to the hardness, I don't have saw files, but my diamond files would do the job just fine 

[Syncop8r]

I might need a diagram to understand some of that.... 

I have a saw file but it's probably too big for multitools. I will use the triangular file that came in a set of cheap needle files.

[Zed]

Going on how easy they bend and bend back I think these will be easy to sharpen,  I'll need to give it a go but none of mine are blunt yet 

[pfrsantos]

Glad to see you answer your own questions.

 

[Syncop8r]

Glad to see you answer your own questions.

 

 

The question was not how to resharpen them, but rather can they be resharpened.

[Dutch_Tooler]

Well, the nitpicker in me says, if there's an answer to the question "how" that implies that the answer to "if" is "yes"...

Sent on my SM-G930F with Tapatalk

[VICMAN]

The Victorinox double acting saws are sharpenable with a small triangular diamond file. Care is needed, but if you get the file aligned correctly, passing the file down each tooth groove will sharpen both the push and pull cutting edges either side of the groove.

The Leatherman pull cutting edges won't accept this file, as the groove is more acute than 60^o, however a small half round (which usually has a larger radius than half the file width) may be able to sharpen them albeit only to a partial tooth depth.

I haven't checked the Gerber and SOG offerings, but I am confident I could sharpen both with my small diamond files.

Thanks for the info!

[AimlessWanderer]

The Victorinox double acting saws are sharpenable with a small triangular diamond file. Care is needed, but if you get the file aligned correctly, passing the file down each tooth groove will sharpen both the push and pull cutting edges either side of the groove.

The Leatherman pull cutting edges won't accept this file, as the groove is more acute than 60^o, however a small half round (which usually has a larger radius than half the file width) may be able to sharpen them albeit only to a partial tooth depth.

I haven't checked the Gerber and SOG offerings, but I am confident I could sharpen both with my small diamond files.

Thanks for the info!

Vicman,

It turned out that the 60^o diamond file worked on the other saws too. They are just harder to align with the tooth form on the pull saws

[Syncop8r]

Did you need to use a diamond file?

EDIT: Disregard - I just re-read an earlier answer of yours:

I don't have any standard tool steel jewellers files to check this with. I can't imagine the saws being treated too highly as nobody wants a saw with brittle teeth, but I don't know what hardness jewellers files are taken to either. As an aside, I think a lot of saw blades (and plier teeth) are laser treated to case harden them rather than a soak and quench type process.i don't know whether this translates to multitool components too, or just dedicated tools.

Tl:dr = dunno