Product Review: All American Sharpener

Part of maintaining your lawn mower requires you to sharpen blades at least once a year. There are multiple ways to go about this. As someone who prefers to do required maintenance tasks, especially simpler things like this one, rather than paying someone else to do it, I wanted to find best tool to help me each time I have to do this task.

I tried a couple of different tools and techniques initially. The traditional file took a long time, and I never felt confident that I was matching the angle of the blade with each pass. The drill attachment I initially thought to be a good idea. But, even though it has a guide it still can be tipped away from or toward you while you’re using it if you’re not paying attention. Also, when it spins I found it hard to control, and it would often jump around across the blade. I also tried a small angle grinder, which worked the best at the time, but it was hard to keep the angle on the blade consistent.

Then I learned about All American Sharpener. Simply put, it’s a small vice designed to hold your blade, but it also has an arm that connects to your angle grinder, allowing you to maintain the same angle with each pass as you sharpen the blade. Even better, the model I decided to purchase (5005) allows you to adjust the angle, giving you an array of options depending on how conservative or aggressive you need your blade angle.

Setup was easy. Just about everything you need is in the box, and the instructions are easy to follow. The only hardware that you need to provide to set up the kit is two nuts and two bolts to attach to your workspace, which makes sense. They don’t know where you are going to put it, and can’t provide a one size fits all solution for that. Not a big deal to dig up a couple of nuts and bolts to attach it to my table in my garage.

The kit includes several different sized rods to attach to your angle grinder. Find the one that fits yours and screw it in. That rod slides into the arm of the sharpening tool, which helps you maintain the angle.

As always, make sure you remember safety when sharpening blades. Gloves, ear protection, and eye protection, as well as proper clothing and footwear are more than a good idea.

I really enjoy using this tool. It is made of quality materials, and is built to last.

Sharpening my lawn mower blades is no longer a guessing game. I know that I’m getting the same angle with each pass, and that makes it entirely worth it. And, it doesn’t take up hardly any space on the table. It’s always there and ready to go. I could imagine this is a great addition to a truck or trailer for a lawn care company as well.

I love finding and trying products like All American Sharpener that make the job easier, and when I do find them, I’m more than happy to recommend them.

You can learn more about and purchase the All American Sharpener from allamericansharpener.com.