Today’s Sharpening Workshop

Today, I hosted a sharpening workshop for a customer who traveled all the way from Hawaii.

Calling it a ‘workshop’ might sound a bit formal, but it was more of a Q&A-style session where we explored sharpening techniques that suited them best.

If someone is a complete beginner, I would focus on teaching the basics of sharpening. But for someone already working in a kitchen and familiar with sharpening, it’s more productive to skip ahead and address the next steps.

Thanks to years of casually sharpening knives—experiencing plenty of successes and failures along the way—I’ve developed a knack for understanding a knife’s condition just by taking a look.

Today’s guest already had solid sharpening skills and no major issues, so we focused on their specific concerns, like wanting their knives to stay sharp longer and to have better edge retention. After explaining the characteristics of the steel used in their knives, we dove into the workshop, combining theory and hands-on practice.

I’ve done quite a few of these individual workshops over the years, and every time, I find areas for improvement. After the session, I often think, “I should’ve covered that too” or “I could’ve explained this part more clearly.” But today, I feel like I managed to hit all the key points smoothly.

Sharpening knives myself is second nature, but teaching someone else how to do it requires a completely different skill set!

In this case, the main goals were to address “long-lasting sharpness” and “better edge retention.” If those are achieved, the next challenge will likely be “knife ○○!”

When you combine knife ○○, long-lasting sharpness, and excellent edge retention, you’ll have a kitchen knife that’s practically perfect!
(What is knife ○○, you ask? That’s a secret!)”

• 2015-06-01