How do you sharpen knives? Do-it-yourself or turn to the pros?
From
| May 14, 2010
In Coffee and Convo, Kitchen Basics
My knives are embarrassing. I have allowed them to become so dull, I’m going to have to turn to a professional to get an edge put back on them.
Years ago, I went to a little mom and pop hardware store that sharpened tools and knives in the back. Unfortunately, they went out of business. So I’m on the hunt for a new place to sharpen my knives.
How do you sharpen your knives? Are you a do-it-yourself-er? Or do you turn to the professionals?
Do you turn your old kitchen knives into shed tools and buy new ones?
Join the conversation and share your opinion in the comments section at the end of the post.
Notes from Beverly:
You can try professional knife sharpening by mail! The Wall Street Journal recently tested five of these mail-order services and got great results. Here is the link to that story: Click here!
Also, here are the actual websites of two of the services I found online:
http://www.precisionknifesharpening.com/ (Charges start at $5 for an 8-inch blade (plus shipping) and go up $1 or so for every inch of blade thereafter.
http://www.theknifeguy.com/ (Got so much business after the WSJ article that they are not accepting new knives until July 1!)
Hope this helps!
Comments
From Beverly Mills - May 14, 2010
Hi Samina, this blog has put a fire under me, so I am going to ship mine off too!
From John - May 16, 2010
I find many knives do not need to be sharpened as much as they need to be honed. A good honing steel, often called a sharpening steel, aligns the edge to move smoothly. They usually come as part of knife sets, and the majority are at least passably useful. When I train students I focus on maintaining the correct angle, a quarter of vertical from the steel. There are some good videos on youtube.
From Beverly Mills - May 16, 2010
Thanks John. I’ll check that out, too!
From Bonnie - May 16, 2010
My local grocery store will sharpen knives for a nominal fee. Maybe you can talk your butcher into offering this service?
From Alicia Ross - May 17, 2010
I have seen groceries in California that offer knife sharpening services once a month, but never seen that in NC. I will definitely look into the local possibilities right in my stores.
From Sarah - May 21, 2010
My local JoAnn Fabric Store offers knife and scissor sharpening once a week, so you may want to look at your local fabric store.
From Beverly Mills - May 21, 2010
This is a great tip, Sarah. I’m going to ask at my JoAnn’s.
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From Samina - May 14, 2010
My knives are embarrasingly & dangerously dull, too. I use a handheld sharpener for home use, but it doesn’t put much of an edge on the blades. I read the WSJ article & am planning on sending my knives to the knife guy after he starts accepting new business again.