Question: Can you recommend specific honing or sharpening tools for keeping the blades of pruners, loppers, and scuffle hoes sharp? I have seen Arkansas oilstones, synthetic sharpening "stones", pruner sharpeners, etc. What is the best all-purpose tool and do you recommend coarse, medium or fine stones or a combination of stones?

Answer: To briefly answer your question, use a whetstone to sharpen pruners and fine gardening knives (such as Japanese gardening knives). Large-bladed shears and loppers, shovels, hoes, etc., can be sharpened with a medium-grit mill bastard file, and finshed with a finer grit file or whetstone.

Good luck!