Sharpening service, who's the best?

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wlkngcrcls

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So if i wanted to take a new knife, and send it off to be sharpened to a ridiculous level...who would i want to pic? I don't trust my knock off sharpening system on my new microtech or my less than practiced skills at using it.

Are there any people out there known to be premier sharpeners? forum members? small businesses?

thinking something like this lol
 
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I sharpen professionally now; as an amateur, I sharpened my first blade in 1976 IIRC. So I have at least some experience in making dull edges sharp.

I can, however, beyond any shadow of doubt and without any hesitation or reserve whatsoever, recommend Josh from Razor's Edge wholeheartedly based upon technical expertise, experience, and ethics. If I have a blade that I want sharpened, and I don't wish to do it myself for whatever reason, it goes off to Joshua. I cannot speak highly enough about his services.

There is also a gentleman whose services I have yet to try, but I've heard nothing but good about him, and he sharpens for Ferrum Forge. I don't know if he is a member here, and I don't know therefore if I am permitted to name him publicly. To be safe, I'll suggest that you simply e-mail me: helltownknives@gmail.com and I'll be happy to provide more information.
 
I know a guy

He doesn't do forums so I can't recommend him... But I'd put him up against anyone listed here.
 
Call me an old fashioned curmudgeon but I sharpen my own and always have. I ruined a few in my younger days learning the process but they pop hair when I'm done. I don't like being without my knife and I wouldn't know when to send it in. How dull do you let it get before you send it in? I clean my own guns, wash my own car, polish my own shoes (now that shows I'm old when I look around at peoples shoes). But I guess if you want to waste money having someone else do it, it's your money.
 
GermanyChris said:
Yea...if your going to buy multihundred dollar knives you should learn to sharpen them.
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I'll offer a counter argument.

If you're going to buy multi hundred dollar knives you can afford not to bother sharpening yourself, especially given the equipment and knowledge necessary for working with modern super steels and complex grinds to keep the expensive knife in pristine shape. You can afford to have a professional do the job using all their expertise, in the knowledge that you will have other knives to fill the gap until it comes back and the super steel makes the requirement for sharpening relatively rare in an environment where these knives don't see all that much hard use, if any.

I'd go so far as to say that even in the age of a pocket knife being nothing but a simple and cheap tool, for every old timer who always sharpened their own knives, there were 20 who just took their single pocket knife to the hardware or shoe repair store for a quick touch up on the grinding wheel.
 
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It seems more and more on this forum that innocent questions or a simple recommendation turns into and judgemental indictment of the original poster, then the sneering hubris turns really nasty and the thread gets closed.

What is wrong with the OP saying he feels his skills aren't up to the sharpening level he wants? Why does anyone need to make him sound lazy or irresponsible? Why is it a point of derision for him to admit he can't sharpen to the best of the knife/steel capabilities?

Some people buy autos now that they can't work on, yet when I was a youngster I did just about everything to my old trucks. i am a contractor, and I paint several houses a year. When I was a kid, we painted the house over a series of several weekends. Anyone can throw paint on a house, but some people want a professional grade job. Likewise with dozens of other home repairs. My Dad made sure we did it ALL, weekend after weekend, including his two weeks of vacation was often spent on home maintenance.

Should I belittle the folks that bring me business because (using the same logic here about ownership and responsibility) they don't want to spend a simple 30 minutes to replace a toilet with common tools? Because they don't want to repair a pipe jack roof leak (15 minutes, tops) with a caulk gun with a sealant cartridge? Or because they don't want to install new a new hose bibb, new door locks, trim their trees, etc., etc.? We did ALL of those things when I was a kid.

Yet I have plenty of business doing those things and others when (again, using the same logic) "if I was able to purchase a house, >>> I <<< should be able to take care of it and maintain it", I would lose 80% or more of my business. I don't sit in judgement of those that don't feel confident in their skills, don't have the time to learn new skills, don't want to learn new skills due to other commitments, some they may think more important than learning knife sharpening.

He asked a simple question about getting his knives sharpened. I didn't see anywhere in his post where he invited snotty opinions on his perceived personal inadequacies.

That being said, I have heard nothing but good things about Razor's Edge for a while. And going old school, Krien used to do a lot of sharpening and regrinds for the guys here with amazing success.

Robert
 
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RLDubbya said:
There is also a gentleman whose services I have yet to try, but I've heard nothing but good about him, and he sharpens for Ferrum Forge. I don't know if he is a member here, and I don't know therefore if I am permitted to name him publicly. To be safe, I'll suggest that you simply e-mail me: helltownknives@gmail.com and I'll be happy to provide more information.
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I know who your talking about. He only does convex edges and all by hand. He does a nice job. Def a good recommendation.

midnight flyer said:
It seems more and more on this forum that innocent questions or a simple recommendation turns into and judgemental indictment of the original poster, then the sneering hubris turns really nasty and the thread gets closed.

What is wrong with the OP saying he feels his skills aren't up to the sharpening level he wants? Why does anyone need to make him sound lazy or irresponsible? Why is it a point of derision for him to admit he can't sharpen to the best of the knife/steel capabilities?

Some people buy autos now that they can't work on, yet when I was a youngster I did just about everything to my old trucks. i am a contractor, and I paint several houses a year. When I was a kid, we painted the house over a series of several weekends. Anyone can throw paint on a house, but some people want a professional grade job. Likewise with dozens of other home repairs. My Dad made sure we did it ALL, weekend after weekend, including his two weeks of vacation was often spent on home maintenance.

Should I belittle the folks that bring me business because (using the same logic here about ownership and responsibility) they don't want to spend a simple 30 minutes to replace a toilet with common tools? Because they don't want to repair a pipe jack roof leak (15 minutes, tops) with a caulk gun with a sealant cartridge? Or because they don't want to install new a new hose bibb, new door locks, trim their trees, etc., etc.? We did ALL of those things when I was a kid.

Yet I have plenty of business doing those things and others when (again, using the same logic) "if I was able to purchase a house, >>> I <<< should be able to take care of it and maintain it". I don't sit in judgement of those that don't feel confident in their skills, don't have the time to learn new skills, don't want to learn new skills due to other commitments, some they may think more important than learning knife sharpening.

He asked a simple question about getting his knives sharpened. I didn't see anywhere in his post where he invited snotty opinions on his perceived personal inadequacies.

That being said, I have heard nothing but good things about Razor's Edge for a while. And going old school, Krien used to do a lot of sharpening and regrinds for the guys here with amazing success.

Robert
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Your on a knife forum. Everyone is going to interject and add options and what not.
 
I have a couple I plan on sending out to @T.L.E. Sharp in the new year... was going to send them sooner, but finances, holidays, etc. has my timeline pushed back a bit.
 
Pomsbz said:
I'll offer a counter argument.

If you're going to buy multi hundred dollar knives you can afford not to bother sharpening yourself, especially given the equipment and knowledge necessary for working with modern super steels and complex grinds to keep the expensive knife in pristine shape. You can afford to have a professional do the job using all their expertise, in the knowledge that you will have other knives to fill the gap until it comes back and the super steel makes the requirement for sharpening relatively rare in an environment where these knives don't see all that much hard use, if any.

I'd go so far as to say that even in the age of a pocket knife being nothing but a simple and cheap tool, for every old timer who always sharpened their own knives, there were 20 who just took their single pocket knife to the hardware or shoe repair store for a quick touch up on the grinding wheel.
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What a great post! Excellent!

My grandfather hunted game all over the United States. Elk, Mule deer, etc. As his energy level began to wane, he became a sport fisherman and moved to the Gulf Coast and bought a boat so he could fish whenever he felt like it. Try as he might, he could never get the really keen edge on his knife he wanted, and he loved to use a sharp knife. This was in the 1920s up until his death. His sharpening problem was compounded when my Dad brought him hunting knives from Germany when he was staged out there in preparation for Korea in the early 50s. He had never owned a real "Solingen" knife and was afraid that he would screw them up if he sharpened them himself.

So when he hunted, the "fixit shop" guy got a call from him a couple of weeks before the trip. He sharpened on stones and could put a razor edge on a screwdriver. On his return, Grandad always gifted him a few pounds of meat. Later, when all he did was fish, he would simply buy a new Rapala floating fish filet knife when the last one he could find got dull. When he rounded up several, he would take the knives to the same guy and bring him several pounds of fish in return for sharpening a box of filet knives.

Pretty good system.

Robert
 
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