Hand Knife Sharpening Service

[Captbutch]

Hello, 

Please read my post in the new members forum. I am very green in this forum.

 

Now for the meat:

 

I sharpen knives by hand in Essex County NJ. I vary the stones I use by the knife according to its heat treatment and the raw materials in the knife. I have years of experience as a chef and knife sharpener in New York. The kitchens on my resume include multiple Michelin and NYT stars. 
I regularly sharpen for NY and LI chef's from Manhattan to Montauk, and have experience with Japanese, American, English, French, Vietnamese, and German knives. I have institutional knowledge of forging and metallurgy, and know the lingo. 

 

Knives go through a spa experience. Getting the attention and experience they deserve. I use as many as 6 stones (all water. My preference) to shape the knife's bevel(s) to better than factory on stamped and drop forged knives, and to smith quality for hand forged knives. 
 

My prices are $10 for any knife. 
I charge $25 for any knife that requires thinning, tip correction, bevel set, switch to 50/50 from 70/30, or chip removal. 
I sharpen serrated knives, but recommend you buy a knew one. Dude. 
High speed powder steel pocket knives are $40

If you own a restaurant there is a $250 minimum order. 
 

Mail order can be arranged, drop offs are great!

Cheers and here are some photos of a recent chip and tip. 

 

[LPJR]

Welcome to the site @Captbutch!

 

[DBuck]

Do you recondition knives? I have a knife that was my Pop Pop's. The knife dropped out of my backpack on the last day of shotgun a couple years back, I found it the next year and it was not in the same shape.

[Rusty]

Welcome to the site  @Captbutch !!  

[not on the rug]

Welcome.  Very cool. It's rare to see folks actually know how to sharpen kinves these days.  

I just did a few of mine yesterday.  All japanese:  A takayuki VG-10 paring knive, a Seisuke VG10 santoku and  a Shiro Kamo blue #2 gyuto. I'll have to pick your brain sometime about hand sharpening VG10 on whetstones.  

Edited October 15, 2023 by not on the rug

[Captbutch]

@DBuck I definitely recondition knives. Post a pic please! Would love to see. Also I love having good luck finding shit in the woods that I lost. Glasses and sunglasses are my nemesis in that regard. 
 

@not on the rug his dudeness: for VG10 and other wear resistant fully stainless steels I highly recommend the suhejiro 240 or 220. I could look it up. MTC has it. Then as an intermediate and better alternative to a king I recommend the Arashiyama 1000 with natural grit. Bernal Cutlery has it. Almost always. Josh is a real disciple of that stone. And the Jinko Aoto. Both worth the money, but the jink better for wide bevel work. Gets real muddy. The arashiyama gets a light mud. It is really hard for a 1000. Which is the perfect massive burr raising pre-polish for these steels. The 220 will have to be conditioned with a nagura on occasion. Specifically those occasions where you flatten. Especially if you flatten with diamonds. Stay behind the edges and tell anyone you sharpen for the same. So many ungodly terrible UX-10's have come across that suhejiro. I'll post a pic of it next time the topic comes up. Saves a ton of time. A wheel waterstone woulda been nice like 7 years ago, but I never gave in and neither has that stone. Money is money. I prefer not to spend it too often lol. 

[DBuck]

7 hours ago, Captbutch said:

@DBuck I definitely recondition knives. Post a pic please! Would love to see. Also I love having good luck finding shit in the woods that I lost. Glasses and sunglasses are my nemesis in that regard. 
 

@not on the rug his dudeness: for VG10 and other wear resistant fully stainless steels I highly recommend the suhejiro 240 or 220. I could look it up. MTC has it. Then as an intermediate and better alternative to a king I recommend the Arashiyama 1000 with natural grit. Bernal Cutlery has it. Almost always. Josh is a real disciple of that stone. And the Jinko Aoto. Both worth the money, but the jink better for wide bevel work. Gets real muddy. The arashiyama gets a light mud. It is really hard for a 1000. Which is the perfect massive burr raising pre-polish for these steels. The 220 will have to be conditioned with a nagura on occasion. Specifically those occasions where you flatten. Especially if you flatten with diamonds. Stay behind the edges and tell anyone you sharpen for the same. So many ungodly terrible UX-10's have come across that suhejiro. I'll post a pic of it next time the topic comes up. Saves a ton of time. A wheel waterstone woulda been nice like 7 years ago, but I never gave in and neither has that stone. Money is money. I prefer not to spend it too often lol. 

[not on the rug]

@Captbutch Thanks for that info.  I think I need to add another stone to the collection, so I'll look into the 220 or 240 you recommend.   The VG10  steel definitely seems to need more bite and the coarsest stone I have is a 1000. No matter how much I work it, it just doesn't give me the results I'm used to getting from other types of steel.

I do flatten with a diamond plate, so I'll have to get a nagura as well.  

Thanks again

[Captbutch]

@not on the rug if you get the suehijro it comes with the nagura. I think it's like $90. don't quote me lol. 1000 is definitely not enough for something that hard. Lots of guys insist they get there, but their stuff comes out wedgy immediately and is dull in one day. 

[Captbutch]

@DBuck can be done. Would be left with some patina. Mirror polishing that or even cosmetic sharpening is ill advised. You would have to pay me more than the sentimental value. It will take a long time. I can get rid of almost all the rust (without removing the handle) which will certainly prolong the life. And it will have a good edge for you to touch up when needed. Long story short this isn't a budget project, but would be fun! 

[DBuck]

1 hour ago, Captbutch said:

@DBuck can be done. Would be left with some patina. Mirror polishing that or even cosmetic sharpening is ill advised. You would have to pay me more than the sentimental value. It will take a long time. I can get rid of almost all the rust (without removing the handle) which will certainly prolong the life. And it will have a good edge for you to touch up when needed. Long story short this isn't a budget project, but would be fun! 

PM sent