Being a very enthusiastic home cook, I always dreamt about owning and using a handmade Japanese knife. After lots of research, it was quite evident that if I were to invest in a handmade Japanese knife, I was going to have to learn to look after it! Judging by the state of my knives in the kitchen at that time, I had a lot to learn!
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I took delivery of my first ever whetstones. After watching many tutorials on knife sharpening and hoovering up all of the tips and tricks that I could, I spent hours and hours obsessing over chasing the perfect edges for my knives. I bought new whetstones as the old ones wore out and I studied Japanese knives, sharpeners and techniques. Most would say that I became obsessed!
Fast forward a year or so and I was the proud owner of lots of nice whetstones and sharpening gear. But I still hadn’t invested in the Japanese knife I promised myself. The only reason I started sharpening was so I could own and look after a nice knife but I had become obsessed with whetstones. I had reached the point where local chefs in and around Sheffield started to contact me for advice and for sharpening services. This was when Sheffield Knife Sharpening was born!
I am now a full-time sharpener, using traditional methods and techniques the get the best results possible. Sheffield Knife Sharpening offers Japanese whetstone sharpening services to professionals and home chefs. I service businesses and restaurants in the South-Yorkshire area. I also offer a postal sharpening service, so no matter how far away you are, you can still benefit from my services.
Whetstone sharpening has many benefits over pretty much every other method of sharpening. The main benefits being:
- Minimal steel removed from the knife, so you get many more years of use out of your blade.
- Bevel angles and blade geometries can be set specific to the knife and the user.
- No heat is generated in the process due to the slow speed and the use of water. This avoids softening the steel, which can happen with other grinding and sharpening machines.
- Almost any type of kitchen knife can be sharpened on whetstones, from bread knives to Japanese single bevel knives and everything in-between.
- Knives can be finished on different stones for different results. Finishing on a low-grit stones often leaves the knife with a toothier, more durable edge. Finishing on higher grit stones can give the knife a finer, polished and more precise edge.
As I have developed and grown with Sheffield Knife Sharpening, I have added more services including:
- Blade thinning –when I knives I used a lot and sharpened many times, it starts to become thicker behind the edge. Thinning the blades helps the blade to keep its out of the box geometry and vastly improves the performance of the blade.
- Blade restoration –if your knife has heavy patina or rust, this can be repaired.
- Re-handling –I can now offer rehandling of Japanese knives. Using locally sourced woods, I make a custom handle to fit your requirements. Images and details can be seen onmy Instagram account.
- Saya/Sheaths –custom made to your knife and your requirements.
Each and every blade that enters my workshop gets my full attention and always leaves in a much better and sharper state than when it entered. My passion for knives and passion sharpening is reflected in the work that I do.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with all your knife related questions.