Shanghied into work!

[Fnord5]

Ok, so, as a straight razor shaver, I have mentioned it at work a few times, once to a supervisor at work, when I was showing him my Bamboo scaled straight.

Of course, he asked me if I could sharpen a few knives for him. Can't say no to the boss.

So the first one, is his EDC, one of those "sheffield" brand half serrated jobs from Home Depot.
About as sharp as the back of a butterknife.
So I get out the lansky system, pop in a movie, and get to work.
I get it about as sharp as a derby blade, and give it back to him (not as sharp as a derby, I put a 25* bevel on it, but it could shave arm hair)
He is amazed at how sharp it is, and immediately cuts his thumb and starts bleeding
The next day he hands me a bag of knives to sharpen for him.
Says he is going to pay me, but who knows, I don't really care, might just get a 12pk of beer

So, these knives, 6 in total, are in various states of dullness.
3 are Case knives, 2 jigged horn/bone, the other looks to be buffalo horn(his dads, and a lockback)
The other 3, I am embarassed for him actually owning them.
One is a casino giveaway SAK clone, one is a Imperial lockback that is in sad shape, and the other is an aluminum handled "karambit" style junker.
The Case knives, are going to get the works from me, polished up bolsters, 20* edge 1000 grit finish and all that.
The others, getting a 30* edge, nothing higher than my Fine stone(600 grit)

Anyone else get suckered into sharpening things for people?

 

[richmondesi]

Just my dad's knives. I don't let anyone else know that I can do it

 

[mdunn]

all the knives for all my family

 

[Stubblefield]

Anyone else get suckered into sharpening things for people?

I have an Edge Pro Apex, so I do all my friends/family member's kitchen knives. I don't mind and actually find it somewhat therapeutic.

 

[SRock]

Just my dad's knives. I don't let anyone else know that I can do it

Smart man!

 

[Sullybob]

My families knives and my wife's families knives. Plus some of the guys knives at work and my boss will only let me sharpen his good knives.

 

[richmondesi]

My families knives and my wife's families knives. Plus some of the guys knives at work and my boss will only let me sharpen his good knives.

How nice of him

 

[Sullybob]

How nice of him

Thats what I thought! I get free fish on occasion so it all evens out in the end.

We have a "knife" guy who comes in every other week and sharpens all the house knives, he also sharpens personal knives for anyone who wants him to. Lets just say that I do a better job

 

[Nishnabotna]

Now, what's your address?

 

[Fnord5]

Thats what I thought! I get free fish on occasion so it all evens out in the end.

We have a "knife" guy who comes in every other week and sharpens all the house knives, he also sharpens personal knives for anyone who wants him to. Lets just say that I do a better job

There is a guy that stops by my store too, I sauntered over to check out his edges.
I had to laugh.

He gave me a dirty look, and asked why I was laughing.

I told him, "I could have put a better edge on that knife with a diamond steel, and the bottom of a coffee cup."

He didn't believe me, so I handed him my pocket knife(that had been sharpened with a diamond steel and the bottom of a coffee cup)

He was silent as he handed it back to me.

 

[Sullybob]

There is a guy that stops by my store too, I sauntered over to check out his edges.
I had to laugh.

He gave me a dirty look, and asked why I was laughing.

I told him, "I could have put a better edge on that knife with a diamond steel, and the bottom of a coffee cup."

He didn't believe me, so I handed him my pocket knife(that had been sharpened with a diamond steel and the bottom of a coffee cup)

He was silent as he handed it back to me.

Our knife guy says that he is glad that more people aren't like me or he wouldn't have any business. He has also tried to talk to me about buying a franchise in his business.

To be totally fair, he can put an okay edge on a crappy $8.50, 10 inch house chefs knife in about 90 seconds. The edge is good for a day or two. He is in the quantity business, I'm in the quality business.

 

[Fnord5]

Our knife guy says that he is glad that more people aren't like me or he wouldn't have any business. He has also tried to talk to me about buying a franchise in his business.

To be totally fair, he can put an okay edge on a crappy $8.50, 10 inch house chefs knife in about 90 seconds. The edge is good for a day or two. He is in the quantity business, I'm in the quality business.

Oh, for sure, he does a good job for the people that don't cook like I do.
And his edges are a good starting point, they are about what mine look like after my 70 grit stone..

 

[Sullybob]

Oh, for sure, he does a good job for the people that don't cook like I do.
And his edges are a good starting point, they are about what mine look like after my 70 grit stone..

Do you work in a restaurant?

70 grit... Nice. You could set a bevel in about minute on our house knives.

 

[Fnord5]

Whole Foods Market.
We have a prepared foods kitchen, a butcher, and a seafood department.

Yeah the 70 grit works well, but when resetting a bevel, from 40+ degrees, to 20, it takes a lot of time.

Especially on cheap chinese stainless, I don't know why, but it work hardens something terrible.

 

[dpm802]

Anyone else get suckered into sharpening things for people?

Instead of letting him give you a case of beer each time you sharpen his knives for him, let him bring over a case of beer, buy his own Lansky kit, and you TEACH him how to sharpen his own knives.

Your problem is solved, and other people can now bug HIM to get their personal knives sharpened.

 

[BigFish]

Every hunting season I get asked to sharpen several hunting knives. I don't mind, they're nice guys and almost always pay in beer!

 

[sapito318]

I am just now learning how to sharpen knive, and wouldnt have a problem sharpening knives for firends or family. Its something that I love, and am glad to do! (Just give me an ice cold mexican Coke in return )

 

[Sullybob]

I don't even think that our work knives are good enough to be Chinese. We have some "expensive" 10 inch chefs knives that didn't cost $10. The cheap Faberware 10 inch chefs knives cost $7.00 each, I'm not kidding. I like Japanese knives and my Misono gyuto probably cost more then all the house knives put together. The sad thing is that their is absolutely no reason for the chef to get better house knives because they get abused.