Tweezer sharpening is simple and quick. All that is needed for this chore is a sheet of coarse-grade metalworking sandpaper, a sheet of fine-grade metalworking sandpaper, and a thin piece of metal or a metal ruler. The entire process takes about five minutes and will help avoid having to send tweezers to a repair company for sharpening or having to purchase a new set every time this tool is dropped.
The first step in tweezer sharpening is to file the inside edges of the tool's tines so that they will again be able to grab fine objects. To begin, wrap a piece of coarse metalworking sandpaper around a thin piece of metal or a metal ruler. Only one layer of sandpaper should be bent around the metal edge. Using a fair amount of pressure, pinch the tweezer onto the sandpaper and metal and then pull the instrument away from the sandpaper. Repeat this step several times.
Next, soak a sheet of fine-grade metalworking sandpaper in some water for a minute. Remove the coarse sandpaper from the thin piece of metal and replace it with the wet, fine-grade metalworking sandpaper. Again pinch and hold the tines together on the sandpaper and pull away. This should be done several times, creating a slurry of water and sand on the surface of the paper. The inside edges of the tweezer’s tines should now be sharp and the tines should meet evenly when the tweezer is pinched.
The last step in tweezer sharpening is to hone the ends of the tines. Pinch the tines together firmly and hold. Using the slurry just created, run the tips of the tines back and forth in the slurry. Some tweezer tips are angled. If this is the case, be sure to maintain the same angle when sliding the tips of the tines across the sandpaper. If the tweezer has a blunt tip, then it can be run across the slurry while being held perpendicular to the paper.
To test the tweezer sharpening, use the instrument to pick up a tiny object. A magnifying glass can also be used to survey the end of the tweezer and evaluate the results of the sharpening. If the tines do not meet completely, repeat the tweezer sharpening steps once more.
If the tweezer is sharp and does not need further work, it is important to properly clean it before putting it away or using it. First, rinse the tweezer in some water. Second, completely clean the surface of the instrument with rubbing alcohol.