It’s time to sharpen up those knives for carving the Thanksgiving turkey, slicing the holiday ham and dicing those fruits and veggies that round out a feast.
A few swipes on the unglazed bottom rim of Grandma’s rice bowl may not be enough, though that would suffice for a quick touch-up during the year, says Christopher “Wolf” Greywolf, who has owned Cutting Edge Sharpening for 30 years.
He and Dexter Freitas, who’s operated Keen Kutter Saw and Knife Sharpening Service in Kalihi since 1988, recommend home cooks get their knives honed one or two times a year — and always right before Thanksgiving — to keep them performing optimally.
“The knife will tell you when it’s needing sharpening — when you can’t cut a tomato,” added Greywolf, whose regular customers are restaurant chefs and meat cutters.
Both say it depends on what you cut, how often you use the knife and how you store it.
Freitas suggests having four basic knives — a standard chef knife, boning and paring knives, and a cleaver (besides chopping through bones, the cleaver can be used to slice a pizza, he suggested.)
Most people use just two knives regularly, he said. Unfortunately those blades may be employed for tasks like prying open jars, which can bend or break them.
“The most important thing is when you’re done using it, wash it, wipe it and put it away,” Freitas said. Keep knives from bumping into other utensils by storing them in a wooden block holder, a sheath or a magnetic bar mounted on the wall; not in the dish drainer, as water will corrode a knife’s edge, he added.
If a knife is well cared for and protected, a professionally honed edge can last three to six months, said Freitas, adding that people ask him about this the most. He charges $4 to $5 to sharpen average kitchen knives, unless they’re extra long, of a special type or damaged; he doesn’t charge by the inch.
People can learn to do their own sharpening by watching online tutorials, but they need to practice.
“It’s good for people to sharpen or touch up their knives,” Freitas said. And should they dull the edge by mistake, Freitas can easily resharpen it.
Greywolf, whose Young Street shop burned down in January, is working out of Sako Electric Motor Rewinding Corp. in the Nimitz industrial area until his shop is renovated. He charges $5 for knives 5 inches long or less; anything longer is an additional $1 per inch.
Because few people have any idea how to sharpen their own knives, he always shows his customers how to maintain the edge in between professional sharpenings. They can bring a whetstone to practice, but he usually suggests they take a few swipes on the bottom unglazed edge of a rice bowl, at a 10- to 11-degree angle, to get a decent edge.
Greywolf has found most people use too rough a sharpening stone. Neither does he recommend sharpening steels, and “throw away those slide-through sharpeners — they’re horrible on knives; they just scrape the steel.”
Customers should call for an appointment, then they can wait 15 to 20 minutes while he works, or come back in an hour or so for pickup — that way they get their knives back the same day, and he’s never left with a lot of knives sitting around the shop. “There’s never a dull moment around here,” he quipped.
Freitas doesn’t require appointments, but the sharpening takes two to three days. He’ll make exceptions if possible if someone has a special request for one-day service.
Greywolf used to drive to restaurants to service chefs’ knives, but with so many closed or reduced in hours during the pandemic, his business has felt the impact. But he also makes a living as a swordmaker, knife refurbisher and blacksmith, and has built chain mail and suits of armor for movies (though that’s another story).
Freitas’ business comes from sharpening various items, not just knives. Sharpening tools for construction workers, tree trimmers and machinists has kept him busy even during COVID-19, he said. “To stay in business I have to do a multitude of things, and I’ll try almost anything.”
KEEP IT SHARP
>> Cutting Edge Sharpening: 2023 Republican St., inside Sako Electric Motor Rewinding Corp.; 277-2738
>> Keen Kutter Saw & Knife Sharpening Service: 738 Gulick Ave.; 845-6996
>> Mobile Sharpening Services: 772-7782; email mobile808 sharpening@gmail.com
>> Nagatani’s Blade & Tool Services: 230 Jack Lane; 330-4899
>> DS Knife Sharpening: Kaneohe, 376-0689
