Realized I'd been sharpening my pruning saw backwards for three years when a landscaper laughed at me on a job in Portland last August.

I mean, the teeth were cutting fine on the pull stroke but the moment he pointed out I had the bevel facing the wrong way and showed me the difference in two cuts I felt like an absolute clown, anyone else discover something basic they've been doing wrong forever?

2 comments

2 Comments

kim.hannah10d ago

The real kicker here is that you were probably getting better cuts for certain types of green wood going backwards without even knowing it. I've run into old timers who swear by a reverse bevel on hand saws for wet, sappy branches because the teeth don't clog up as fast. Might be worth testing both ways on some of the tougher stuff around your yard and see if your old method actually gave you a cleaner finish on certain days. Sometimes what looks like a mistake has a hidden benefit if the timing and material are right.

susanm2210d ago

Three years, that's nothing. I spent two whole seasons thinking my loppers were dull before someone from the local garden club, not @kim.hannah but another lady, pointed out I had the blade upside down in the handle. She took one look at my rag-tag cuts and started laughing. Now I double check every new tool before I even touch a branch because apparently my brain just assumes all sharp edges face the same way. I mean, your story makes me feel way better about it.