Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blades With A Versatile Find From Amazon

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Whether you have a big yard and a powerful ride-on mower or a modest plot and a walk-behind model, sharp blades are vital for keeping your lawn lush and well-manicured. Blunt blades mash the ends of the grass so it looks scruffy and is prone to disease. There are lots of ways to sharpen your lawn mower blades, but you'll be hard-pressed to find one that's more versatile than the Sharpal Pocket Diamond Sharpening Card Set. It's currently available from Amazon for $26.99.

There are three sharpeners in the set with coarse (325), medium (600), and fine (1200) grits. Each is around the size of a credit card and comes with its own pouch that slips easily into the pocket of a jacket or coveralls. Monocrystalline diamonds are chosen because they are extremely hard and durable, sharpen any metal with relative ease, and, unlike many sharpening stones, don't need oil or water for lubrication. The diamonds are bonded to a rust-resistant stainless steel base. There's also a clever, ergonomic holder that has a slot for the sharpening cards and a ring grip for your finger. Using this allows you to keep your hand away from the blade.

Unlike many sharpening tools, the Sharpel can be used in two ways. You can take a card to the tool, working it across the cutting edge. Alternatively, you can use the ring grip to hold the card inverted in the palm of your hand and work the tool across the sharpener.

You can use the cards to sharpen a wide variety of different blades. When you are sharpening a lawn mower blade or an axe, for example, you need a coarse grit to remove thick material quickly. However, there are dangers in not using the proper tools to sharpen knives, and with finer blades, that coarse grit could do more damage than good. For them, you need a medium or fine grit, and that's exactly what the Sharpal set provides. You could even sharpen fishhooks and arrowheads. Diamond sharpening stones are low-maintenance but can clog eventually, so they'll benefit from an clean with a toothbrush and some dish soap after a few uses.

The Sharpal Pocket Diamond Sharpening Cards are hard-wearing, convenient, and affordable. A handy thing to have with you the next time you notice the signs your lawn mower blades need sharpening. Or your pocketknife is blunt. Or that big-mouth bass spat out its hook ...