Sharpening Service?

I.N.F.K

I.N.F.K

Joined
Jul 7, 2012
Messages
1,896
I have all of a sudden come to have a reputation being really good at sharpening knives. It started with my dad, then his friends, my uncle, my aunt, my grandma, my friends, their friends, well you get the picture. So now I find myself sharpening everything from pen knives, to axes. Most of the time they're not even my knives. I have about 45 knives and edged tools, in which I use several files, stones, and rods for. I'm wandering if anybody here has ever thought about, has, or currently is offering a sharpening service? Because I've been thinking about offering a local sharpening service myself, nothing serious. Just something to give me a little extra walk around money. I believe a knife store here did, but the owner died. Such a shame too, he owned that same store in the same spot for about 30 years. I don't think it would immoral of me to offer my services for a little cash, maybe they could do something for me in return, or trade a knife. Obviously I wouldn't expect my relatives to pay me or anything like that. Unless they ask too much.
 
It's not a bad idea at all. There are a ton of people who have drawers full of dull knives and would love for at least a few of them to be sharp. I don't know what you charge, but at the Gun Shows I see a lot of guys charging $1 per inch with a $2 or $3 dollar minimum.

At one time, I offered my sharpening services to a guy with a Gun Shop who moved quite a few knives. He said that there was a guy who offered that service previously, but that a lot of people didn't want to leave their knives and come back for them. They wanted their knives sharpened on the spot. You might want to think about a mobile service where you visit the store once a week or something like that. You may also want to give Gun Shows, Flea Markets and Craft Shows a look over. Restaurants are also another good source of people who need sharp knives.

I believe there are a few members who do sharpening services, you might wait for them to chime in also.
 
back in the 90's i used to travel around to other towns and sharpen for pizza shops and small restaurants. i still sharpen for local pizza shops but i sharpen their knives in exchange for pizza that i get for my dad since i'm no longer able to eat pizza. if you can travel, i would look in the phone book and hit every eatery you can.

since i'm not able to travel, i sharpen knives for members on the forum and people that find me on the internet.
 
I've seen guys sharpening at gun shows too. I remember one guy at a gun show did the worst sharpening I've ever seen, and charged $10 a knife for it. His bevels were so rough they seriously couldn't cut card stock. If you offer a quick, reliable service at some local events I'm sure you could make some extra spending money.
 
I never thought about sharpening for restraunts, and I know that their are plently of local restraunts around who might be interested in my services. Free food sounds just as good as cash to me.
 
I have been doing it for years. Had a seminar (2) on knife sharpening,in my community, just so others know that I do it. It was a great way to show them before and after. Only want to do it part time to pay for my supplies and a little pocket money. I mainly do it because I enjoy putting a good sharp edge on a knife that cuts poorly, if at all. My prices are up to 4" $3.50 Over 4" $4.50 Axes and other edges I give a quote. If I did it for free they would line up outside the door. For most I tell them that after I put a good edge that they should get the Spyderco sharpmaker to maintain the edge. Most all of my work is done on a Kalamazoo 1 x 42" belt grinder. By hand the price would be higher due to the time and finish required.
Police and those in the service I do their duty knives for nothing. This time of the year I get quite a few pruning shears. The restaurants want you to do it on the spot or if you have a few of the knives that they use you pick up theirs and leave the same type that have been sharpened.
It's an enjoyable pastime for me now that I am retired.
 
Not a bad idea. I've thought about it too, as a sideline. But getting knives from and back to customers is my glitch.
I'm sure as soon as I had a mobile unit I'd get a citation or two from the gov't wanting me to buy a license, insurance of various forms,
get OSHA certified and need a note from my teacher.
Thinking of getting the Kalamazo 1X42", using wheels and stones now.
Subscribed.
 
The thing of it is, you are going to have to be able to do the job both quickly and well, with little or no rework in order to make any money at it and/or develop a happy base of customers. You can't do enough volume at an hour a knife if you have to do it freehand. That leaves power tools which in this context are going to be either the belt or the paper wheel.

Believe me, I am not wishing to rain on your parade but volume is the key to making money and quality is the key to getting volume via a reputation.

I do some pretty good sharpening work if I do say so myself. I also do some pretty nice sheath work to my eye. However, in neither case could I meet the necessary service levels/turn around to be able to make people happy.
 
I've read some good advice. The thing that has stuck out the most for me, is free hand. I personally only do free hand, that is what I started out on, and all I really know. I really like sharpening because its therapeutic, and honestly like most of us. You have to at least get some kind of pleasure out of sharpening a knife. The downside I see to sharpening for restaurants is the fact it coming to the point where it becomes a chore, and I start dreading it.
 
17 hours total. a lot of the knives had 2-3 blades each. some were 3"-4" long and each knife took a few minutes per blade to work up a burr.
 
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