Sharpening posture

I’ve been quite busy lately and haven’t updated for a while… Getting everything ready for next year, you know? (Smiles) Of course, the regular work keeps going on quietly in the background…

Even amidst all that, there’s been a lot of trial and error going on! As the year-end approaches, we’re getting lots of sharpening and repair requests from the neighborhood.

Our company’s sharpening area is set up with a standing position for basic sharpening. (By basic sharpening, I mean using a rotating flat stone machine.)

For the finishing touches, we sit on pipe chairs and sharpen using a sharpening table. But recently, I’ve started to question this sitting-down approach for finishing.

Most chefs stand up when they sharpen, right? (Most of the professionals who come to practice sharpening at our company also prefer standing!) But the seasoned craftsmen, they sit cross-legged, leaning forward and sharpening.

I wondered if there’s a difference between standing and sitting while sharpening… So, I tried standing for the finishing sharpening.

And you know what? It feels like I can sharpen more efficiently, with more vigor. It’s like the work gets done faster! (Laughs)

Maybe sitting on a chair to sharpen is, well, inefficient???

I might consider remodeling the company’s sharpening area soon… Who knows, maybe with a different perspective, there’ll be some new discoveries about knives and sharpening stones. Exciting times ahead!

Hibishugyo

• 2007-12-18