It depends on what condition they are in to start with, Michael. If the reel is in great shape but the bedknife is just slightly blunt, it is possible to use a special hand-tool to touch up the front edge of the bedknife without removing it. However this is only for cases where the blades are very good indeed. For example, if the reel has been recently sharpened, after a few months of careful use you might touch up the front of the bedknife. You also might or might not backlap the reel, but this is a controversial subject. In any case though, if the blades and bedknife are blunt, they need to be professionally sharpened on a special purpose grinding machine.
