So am I a total neanderthal or what? I sharpen my mower blade and garden tools with a flat file. It's fast, efficient, and I can even get into sharp corners if necessary (my mower blade has one). The best part is, even on my best day, I can't get it hot enough to make the blade lose it's temper. I find that it is faster than setting up the grinder, and I don't get dirt and lawn gunk on my grinder wheels. A word of caution... Be careful. I slipped while sharpening a wicked little Japanese gardening knife for SWMBO, and will have the scar forever to prove it.