I have a bunch that I have been saving. I need to send them off.. I have the little blue hand sharpener and it does make the blade last a little longer.. Enough so I feel I get my moneys worth. :-) I would much rather send them off and get the resharpened ones than toss them..

Thanks,sounds like everyone has the same problem ,safety is a factor in putting them in the garbage. I have a big enough container that it will be ages before throwing it out. I haven't had much luck with sharping them. Harbor frieght one come cheap and last long enough.

An old plastic milk jug works great for disposing of sharp objects like needles, pins and rotary blades. Use one that has a screw on lid and cut a small slot in the upper side. When ready to throw away just put some packing tape around the jug where the slot is. Items inside are visible so everyone knows to be careful and the plastic is heavy enough to prevent the items from puncturing. Nurses have been telling diabetics to use these jugs to dispose of their sharp supplies for years.

I buy my blades at Harbor Frieght. they are called carpet blades. Just got some week ago 2 blades for $1.99 at this price and just put in a new and throw away the old ones. I tried using the sharpners they will get ou by to you can get a new blade if you don't have one... I have the round blue one.

I have used the blade sharpener's for years; and yes, they do work. I just love mine.
Judy

I worked and worked with them with no noticeable results. There was an address in the Quilting Magazines for a place some time ago that you mailed them in and got sharpened ones back. I sent some there and they WERE sharper. But I don't have the address anymore, try Google?

My DH sharpens my blades and they are good for several more cuts after that. I always save the containers the blades come in and put the used blades (for discard) in those containers. Then when I go into town I take them to my doctors office and they let me put them in the bio hazard container.
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Don't have time to read all the replies so hope this isn't a duplicate. I have one of those sharpeners and I think it gives you alittle more use. With a 40% off coupon I think it is worth the money.

I bought a sharps container from the pharmacy and have it on my sewing table for blades, bent pins anything sharp, when it gets full all I have to do is drop it off at the pharmacy and they are safely disposed of and I have my container to refill granted it takes a long time to fill but it works great and is easy to see in my piles of stuff.

I had purchased the one from Grace Quilting, it works FANTASTIC. I have even sharpened a blade with a nick in it. It was not cheap but for me well worth it, I think I paid about $60 for it and with the way I go through blades I have about balanced out.

My small town transfer station (formerly known as dump) does recycle steel, but tossing small wrapped up rotary blades into a 30' dumpster filled with scrap iron just doesn't seem logical to me at all. Mine get put into an empty blade contaner, wrapped with duct tape and tossed in the regular garbage. We don't have landfills anymore, so they go off to the incinerator just like the rest of the trash. No one handles them.

One of the ladies from my quilt guild brought one to the meeting and she said she had tried all kinds of sharpeners and none would work right. She brought one from Nancy's Notions. She swears by it. I can't think of the name of it..but it's sort of long looking..runs around $39 unless it's on sale..than about $29. I haven't tried it yet...but she loves hers.

i have never used this site - but i guess to can send them in and get a discount on new blades. I think they just ask that they get sent in the little yellow package they come in when you buy them. when i get a couple more used ones built up i plan on sending mine in.

Geez. I had forgotten about those slots in the bathroom medicine closet! I sharpen my blades a time or two, oil them well, and use a while longer. I keep the container they came in, fill it up, tape it shut and discard.

I also resharpen my blades and when they get dull so that it doesn't appear as if I want to use them I use them to cut batting, paper ( cardmaking) also make good scrappers - for one of us who paints the walls, trim and glass windows. HAHA The way to dispose them is put them in a plastic container with a tightly fitted lid, tape the lid and then dispose of them into the garbage. Olfa actually sells unit you can put your blades into to dispose of.

This is where I send my used blades, been doing business with this company since 1992. http://www.lpsharp.com/3.html

I take mine to the local junk yard, they will gladly take them, since I believe the blades are aluminum or stainless steel, they will be recycled that way.

Thanks for the info. I had seen them before, but didn't know anyone who used them. I have also tried the aluminum foil trick and it does work (running the blade across folded aluminum foil).

I have used LP Sharp and he does a great job. You can find his ad in most
quilting magazines with the address. I sandwich them between cardboard
and put in a padded envelope before mailing them. Reasonable price too.
I have been looking at the new electric sharpner, but the cost??? I could
have LP sharpned lots of blades before I spent that much. JMHO

I've been using a blade sharpener for about 7 years now and have had great success with it.

I keep mine, I will look in my files, cause there is a place where you can send them and they will send you blades back, refurbished I would call them, but at least you get sharpened blades to work with. I will check and see where this place is and get back to you all.

yes i bought a sharper from walmart the blue one it has two sides you put the blade ine there and sharpen on one side then turn it around and sharpern the other side and the blade is sharpen it works real good it sharpens them and keeps me from throwing them away
benson1

Here it is ladies lpsharp.com/3.html you can get Olfa blades or generic blades really good prices. I am sending mine there.

Thanks I'll try LPSHARP.COM

go to goggle and look up L.P. Sharpe.....I send all mine to him to either replace or you can have him sharpen and return. I think hes still in business...it was about a year ago I sent him a dozen of them to replace.

I have used blade sharpeners with limited sucess. I use packing tape to tape them to the lid of a soup can, etc. then toss into my recycling. The tape is clear so anyone can see what they are picking up and they are smaller than the lid so the edges of the lid keep you from getting cut. I did this recently at our beach house because I couldn't figure out any other way to toss mine into the recycling without getting cut on it later when I sorted it upon my arrival back to home base with a bag full of recycling.

I love the "jar" idea - I use old pill bottles for my bent pins and needles and when it gets full, I seal it up and toss them into the garbage.

I paid a pretty penny for a blade sharpener and found it as useful as a wart on a pickle. I have never talked to anyone who was satisfied with the blade sharpener for rotary cutters. But I do wish there were one that worked. froggyintexas

Yes, they do work. I've sharpened some of my blades more than once

I have wrapped them with duct tape as someone mentioned. Lately I've been saving the containers that hold a 5 pack and marking "used" on it til it is full and then throwing that away.

I manually have to sharpen my blades, but I do try to buy them at Walmart when I can. A while back I thought I read where someone on here were getting blades from Harbor Freight. I know that many quilters shop at the hardware for quilting supplies.
Linda King

blade sharpners
 

You have to make sure your blades are really dull before you use your sharpeners.

I have purchased the blade sharpener by Grace products, I love it! I have resharpened blades at least 10 times and they are still good. I had even had one with a nick in it and no problems. the sharpener was pricey, but well worth it to me.

I tried the blade sharpeners and no it did not work - I ended up returning it!

I put my bad, dull blades into an old Altoid box...it is marked SHARPS on tape. When it is full I wrap it up with packing tape so that the sharps still shows thru.

In our area, we're able to get a 'sharps' container from the county health department (like they use for needles). When it is full we can take it to the health department and they recycle along with theirs.

I've used this service numerous times & have always been happy with their service. I highly reccommend (that doesn't look right --- sorry --- it's late... LOL!) them!

I send my blades to a man who sharpens scissors. He sharpens the blades which can be saved and are of good quality.

I wrap mine in aluminum foil and put them in the recycle bin for aluminum/metal.
Our trash pick-up also picks up recycle every other week.
We have a special bin for it.
I write SHARP BLADE on the outside of the foil.

I try to use foil I have already used in cooking so its used twice. :thumbup: