Is It Worth Sharpening These, or Should We Just Buy New?

When tools start to dull or underperform, the question usually is: “Is it worth sharpening these, or should we just buy new ones?” If you work in joinery, kitchen manufacturing, aluminium fabrication or shopfitting, you already know how crucial clean cuts and consistent performance are. But what’s the smartest move for your bottom line and your workflow? Let’s break it down.

Sharpening Can Save You More Than Just Money

For most industrial cutting tools— sawblades, router bits, planer knives, CNC router bits, diamond-tipped cutters, and more — resharpening is generally the most cost-effective and productive option. 

A professionally sharpened tool is restored to near-new condition. It not only saves you the high cost of replacements but delivers 'as-new' results, just like a new tool.

You’ll benefit from:

• Faster feed rates
• Clean, fine finishes straight off the tool
• Reduced sanding and rework
• Less strain on your machines and spindles
• Lower health and safety risk due to smoother cutting action and fewer tool failures

Dull tools, on the other hand, create more dust, make more noise, increase vibration, and demand more effort from both the machine and the operator—not ideal in a busy production environment.

Ever wondered how we sharpen your spiral cutters so accurately? Watch here:

How Long Should Tools Last Before Replacing?

Cheap cutters are considered disposable – they’re designed to be thrown away when blunt. Their carbide tips are very thin and are of a low grade tungsten, their bodies are made from less dense steel, and their cutting geometry is not suitable for high production cutting speeds – hence the cheaper price.

High-performance cutting tools, properly cared for, are designed for multiple sharpening cycles. 

For example:

• TCT router bits – 2 to 5 resharpenings
• TCT sawblades – up to 6 sharpening cycles
• PCD (diamond-tipped) tooling – often 2 to 6 resharpenings

Of course, these numbers vary depending on what materials you’re cutting, your feed speeds, and your maintenance habits. But one thing is clear: a good tool can go a long way with proper maintenance.

We sharpen a huge range of tools, including advanced pulveriser disks or blades:

Don't Guess — Get Expert Recommendations

Customers often try to assess tool condition themselves — looking for chipped edges, burning, noise, or poor finishes. But it's easy to misjudge. 

Some tools may seem worn but have plenty of life left with expert sharpening. Others may look fine but are too damaged for further use, posing a risk to your machines and materials.

That’s why we always recommend sending the tools you use to us. Our experienced sharpening team and saw doctors can accurately inspect each one and let you know whether it’s worth sharpening or if it is time to replace. We’ll help you get the most from your investment, tool by tool, and advise you if the tool has genuinely reached the end of its productive life.

The Hidden Cost of Cheap Tools

It might be tempting to cut costs with cheaper tooling when you’re trying to save, but over time, they usually cost you more. Cheaper bits and blades are intentionally made from inferior materials, and they tend to:

• Dull faster
• Perform inconsistently
• Be designed to be harder or impossible to resharpen by reducing critical clearances etc
• Increase the risk of tool breakage and safety incidents
  

By investing in higher quality tooling, you get better edge retention, more consistent results, and multiple resharpening cycles—stretching your dollar further while keeping your machines running smoothly.

Sharp Tools = Better Productivity and Safer Workplaces

There’s no question: sharp tools make better business sense. They cut cleaner, run quieter, and reduce the load on your machines. They also improve operator safety by minimising kickback, vibration, and tool failure.

Establishing a simple routine for tool inspection and sharpening can transform your operations. That’s why we recommend a simple, smart maintenance 4-step system designed for fast-moving production teams: 

 🔁 Inspect → Resharpen → Reuse → Repeat

• Inspect for wear
• Resharpen before failure
• Reuse to get more from your tools
• Repeat and save again

It’s a routine that pays for itself over and over again. We’re here to help you every step of the way. Whether you’ve got a box of used bits or a blade starting to struggle, send them in. We’ll tell you what’s worth saving and help you get the best performance for the least cost.

Behind every tool we sharpen is a team of qualified experts and saw doctors with decades of experience. With our Sharpening Express Service, you get experience you can trust and results you can see. It's customised to your specific tool type, application, and wear patterns, ensuring optimal performance and longer tool life.

Our sharpening experts and saw doctors can: 

• Sharpen almost any industrial cutting tool
• Straighten the saw body and ensure perfect alignment of every blade tooth
• Repair broken or missing teeth

Using 4 fully computerised CNC grinding machines, we keep your tools in top condition, extend their lifespan, and save you money — whether you’re using various sawblades, CNC router bits, spiral & compression cutters, drill bits, PCD diamond tooling and much more.

Discover how our Sharpening Express Service works:

Ready to extend the life of your cutting tools and boost your productivity?
Send your tools in today, and let our experts take care of the rest. With our Sharpening Express Service, you get your tools back as sharp as new. It is premium, quick, and freight-free* across New Zealand. 

Feel free to reach out to us at 0800 488 647 or sales@tungstenandtool.co.nz for more information.

*T&C apply. Min. servicing value $100 + GST.