After years of sharpening my own knives I decided to see if someone else could do it better or at least not screw it up. This isn’t to say I’m not able to get an edge I can live with from my stones & steels. I’ve always wondered if they could do better? Or worse? A co-worker took their knives to a local guy and it came back with a VERY shiny edge, about 1/2″ up. That may be okay for a high-carbon blade, but it would ruin the look of my old carbon steel blades. I held back for a while.
Earlier this year I noticed a man perched at the upper end of the Berkeley Farmer’s Market Saturday mornings. I stopped a few times to see what he was up to. He made a point NOT to use a grinding wheel, or electric anything. Sharpened by hand so you didn’t take off too much steel, said he.
This last Saturday I dropped off a 50 year old Sabatier 7″ slicer, Carbon Steel it is. To my delight Eric didn’t screw it up. This means two things, I get a razor sharp knife back AND I get to take another one next week. I can hardly wait. Which happy blade goes next?
Here is how I received the knife after Eric was done, sans the trees, grapes & chicken. I guess it makes sense after the fact, but still. It was nice to get it back all wrapped up tight & safe. It shows he cares and doesn’t want to be liable for skewering a customer.
First off I can’t believe my camera actually focused on the sharpened edge of a small knife, but here’s the proof. Secondly you can see he got it sharp down to the point. That was always a tough spot for me to get as sharp as the flatter portions of the blade. I guess that’s why he gets 5 dollars and I don’t, he’s good at it.
I don’t believe I will use my round steel for this one, it’s too coarse. I’m going to use my F. Dick Multi-Cut on this one only. The multi-cut steel is a VERY VERY VERY fine steel. In fact, when you run your hand over it there is no discernable rough surface. It does to a cooking knife what leather does to a straight razor. If you think your knife is sharp after a round steel, try something finer for the next run and listen to your jaw drop. PLUNK.
Thank you Eric for doing an excellent job, I’ll see you on Saturday. Remember, sharpening your own knives is a real great skill to have, useful too. But sometimes it’s nice to have some help out.
Eric E. Weiss
Knife & Scissor Sharpening
510.654.1389
Dear Biggles, it is soo cool to read what you’ve written about Eric! Eric and I are partners. He showed me your card and told me about your knives and that you had taken a picture and WOW! This is soo cool! Thank you so much! And now I get to read your stories and recipies. I’m a bit of a foodie myself. I found a niche for catering Bar and Batmitzvas, and I’m a veteran staffer with Blue Heron catering. I also worked at Verburgges’ sea food restaurant (long gone) for 5 years and the Swallow Restaurant (very long gone) in the Berkeley University Art Museum for another 5 years.
Anyway, thank you again for your article and enthusiasm!
Janet Sue Jacobson
I have a few western boulder fixed blade hunting knives that have never been sharpened and I want them Razor sharp but I don’t want to mess them up. Can you do this and how much you charge per knife?
Thanks,
Chris
Hi Chris,
You need to visit Eric at the Berkeley Farmer’s market on Center St. in Berkeley every Saturday morning. He does other markets, but can’t remember which ones. Sorry!
Biggles