Sharpening for money

[bobbylongblades]

But wouldn't people pay extra money to have a hair whittling, mirror polished edge?

They already do. His name is Josh and he's at Razor Edge Knives - I think this is the guy you need to chat with to learn the basics for starting such a business. There's a blade sharpening company down the street from me, been there for over 30 years. Lawn/tree equipment keeps them in business. Good luck man, follow the dream.

 

[killgar]

It's not uncommon for people to learn how to sharpen knives, become filled with pride an enthusiasm, then get dollar signs in their eyes and start thinking "I'm really good. People will pay me to do this". But there's a big difference between being able to sharpen a knife, and operating a successful sharpening business. And starting a business when you don't know anything about that business is a great way to go OUT of business.

My advice, if you want to start a sharpening business, learn the business from the inside. Find a sharpening business and ask for a job. If you're THAT good, then perhaps they will hire you. And if they can't afford to hire you, then volunteer your time in exchange for learning the business. This is how many successful business owners got started. It won't immediately fill your pockets with money, and you might end up doing a lot of schlep work, but the knowledge and experience you gain might prove invaluable.

 

[Etap73]

Every knife sharpening service I've seen has been a compliment to a sales business. So I don't think the sharpening hardly pays for itself directly, but more indirectly as to get customers into the store or keep them happy. This is all purely speculation but I would guess that some even take a loss on sharpening but make the profit on the knife sales. Of the stores I know of they all use power equipment and sharpen knives in no time. High end cutlery is a bit different but the majority of chefs I know have their knives sharpened on a schedule regardless of whether they need them or not and the store they got them from offers the service. If you can make a few bucks sharpening a knives great just know what your getting into.