Knives (NRR)

[elise]

faux_rillz said:elise saidJ_Enki said:elise said:


Question...should I take in my Global to get it sharpened at Sur la Table? They say it is safe, but I feel weary about it.




For what it's worth, as I was looking around for a good sharpening spot, I heard a lot of negative feedback about Sur La Table (the one on 4th St. in Berkeley), including allegations that they just run your knives through one of those electric sharpeners.




I figured that much. I've also wondered about the people who sharpen knives out of their trucks at the Farmers' Markets, too. I just don't trust strangers with my knife.




I use a woman named Margery Cohen, who sets up at the Chelsea Market two days a week.





She has restored two knives for me that were badly damaged by a total hack.





Her website says that she comes out to the Bay twice a year (usually March and August) to do sharpening:





http://www.samuraisharpening.com/schedule.html

Margery Cohen has been sharpening knives since 1974 when she worked at a fish market on the New Jersey Shore. After ten years of working in various fish markets and a move to The Bay Area, she joined master woodworker, Ray Nitta's business, Samurai Sharpening Service in 1984 at the Berkeley Bowl in Berkeley, CA.





Shortly after that, Nitta moved back home to Kauai and Margery took over the business. She sharpened at that location for 12 years before her move to New York City where she opened Samurai Sharpening Service at The Chelsea Market in 1997. 2009 will mark the 25th anniversary of Samurai Sharpening Service.

Wow, thank you! I will be looking into this. Plus, it is a wonderful excuse to finally go to the Berkeley Bowl.

 

[nzshadow]

Aser,





You have made this thread absolutly essential.





Thank you.

 

[pcmr]

nzshadow said:Aser,





You have made this thread absolutly essential.





Thank you.

 

[Aser]

Finding a trustworthy knife sharpener is like finding a barber or tailor. People are fiercely loyal to their choices, it's like a marriage.





Best suggestion, before sending your knives in for sharpening is to ask lots of question.





1. Do you sharpen Japanese knives differently than Germans?


2. Do you use water stones?


3. Do you use a grinding wheel with no cooling properties?


4. What grit rating do you sharpen up to?





I would suggest you avoid any sharpeners that strictly use a grinding wheel. The heat generated in the process can ruin the original tempering of the knife. This excess heat can cause the steel to change properties, making it brittle, soft, etc.





The two best sharpening options in N. America are...





http://www.japaneseknifesharpening.com/





http://www.korin.com





Best way to test your knife's edge? Just drag it through newspaper with a pulling motion. If it goes through the entire edge smoothly, then you're fine.

 

[LaserWolf]

:bonus: