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I needed to sharpen a pair of scissors, so I did a quick Google search to learn the technique. I was very surprised to find a number of sites suggesting that scissors can be sharpened by cutting a piece of aluminum foil. It doesn't make any sense to me, and I didn't bother to try it. But there were enough references that I'm curious whether anyone has ever actually tested the claim and formed a conclusion. I found an assortment of comments from people saying it works or doesn't work, but nothing convincing either way.

For example, This Old House makes the claim.

Fold a sheet of foil several times and cut through it with a pair of dull scissors to sharpen the blades.

Aluminum Foil to Sharpen Scissors is a YouTube video illustrating the technique.

Liam
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Mark
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    Searching and sandpaper supposedly works too, which makes more sense to me. – AthomSfere Jan 14 '15 at 14:27
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    @Tanath, it sounds like you're describing [stropping](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Razor_strop), which straightens out a folded-over cutting edge without removing material. [Sharpening](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife_sharpening) removes material to create a new, sharper edge. – Mark Feb 01 '15 at 19:54
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    Yes. Regardless of what you call it, it makes it more effective, which I think is the intent. – Tanath Feb 02 '15 at 18:14
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    I have no evidence for this, but intuitively it makes a lot of sense. Aluminium is harder than many steels, especially cheap steels likely to be found in scissors. A handy way to polish steel parts is to use wet aluminium foil, which degrades into a grinding agent when rubbed on something hard (I've used this technique myself, often). I don't know whether this would work for sharpening, but it ought to at least _polish_ the steel. Be interested to a properly sourced answer. – John Doucette Apr 17 '15 at 22:09
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    sharpening is done at an angle. this at most hones the scissors edge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU2mbWwVSXU – n00b Apr 22 '15 at 20:06
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    @JohnDoucette "Aluminium is harder than many steels…" Really? I always thought aluminium is *softer* than most types of steel. Sure, there might be some exotic(?) aluminium alloys that are harder than the softest steels, but I doubt that's what is in aluminium foil. – ESultanik Sep 03 '15 at 16:26
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    Yeah, I should have been clearer. It's aluminium _oxide_ that is harder than most steels (Moh's hardness of 9). The oxide forms on the outside of aluminium foils and powders. See: http://www.reade.com/Particle_Briefings/mohs_hardness_abrasive_grit.html – John Doucette Sep 03 '15 at 17:38
  • There are two references but both seem miserable. I would say, close. – h22 Jan 29 '16 at 13:57
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    @h22 This Old House is notable. – ventsyv Aug 04 '17 at 13:56
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    Everything I've found is anecdotal with many of the more informed one saying that this will only work a few times before the shears are ruined. – Sean Duggan Aug 05 '17 at 12:11
  • My grandpa told me to cut fine sandpaper. I ever wondered if that works, as well. – Raphael J.F. Berger Jun 02 '18 at 04:44

1 Answers1

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I could not find experimental evidence, but the majority of people on a sharpening forum seem to agree that it will not work. https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/sharpening-scissors-with-aluminum-foil.847263/

Here it is discussed that dirt and rust may be removed which facilitates cutting, but it is not sharpening per se. https://adventures99.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/is-it-true-sharpening-scissors-with-aluminum-foil/comment-page-1/

All high-quality scissor manufactures I looked up do not list aluminium foil for sharpening, this can be seen as weak evidence against the efficiency of it.

Tim M. Schendzielorz
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    The same question has been asked at the Physics SE ([here](https://physics.stackexchange.com/q/439238/75633)), and in [my answer](https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/442478/75633) I add some considerations on the possibility that aluminum oxide film might be abrasive enough to do some sharpening (spoiler: probably not). – stafusa Nov 22 '18 at 11:42