Whether you’re holding a set of Shun Premier knives or a budget-friendly collection of Chicago Cutlery blades, you have to sharpen them regularly.
How regularly?
Well, most experts recommend having your
However, many
There are many brands out there that offer free sharpening programs where all you have to do is send over your knives and the company will sharpen them for free.
For most people, this is the best way to maintain your blades.
In this article, we’ll be going through some of the most convenient ways to have your
Through our research, we found that these are the best places to get your knives sharpened;
- In-store sharpening
- Korin
- Togu Knives
- Carisolo
- National Sharpening Co.
- Sur La Table
If you aren’t sure which sharpening service is the best pick for you, you’ve come to the right place.
We go into more detail about the different
Keep reading to learn more.
How Often Should I Sharpen My Knife ?
As we mentioned earlier, experts recommend sharpening your
However, this depends on how often you use the
For example, professional chefs who use their knives for tough tasks all day, every day usually have to get them sharpened twice a year, if not more.
An average home cook who makes around 1-3 meals a day won’t usually have to sharpen their knives this often.
Remember, that sharpening is different from honing and it’s best to hone your knives before and after every use (but more on that later).
The best way to check if it’s time to sharpen your
Simple hold a piece of paper by the corner using your thumb and index finger and try to slice through the paper with your
A sharp blade should easily be able to glide through the paper with close to no effort.
But if you notice your blade is having a hard time cutting through the paper, that’s an indicator that you need to sharpen your
Where to Get Your Knife Professionally Sharpened
There are many different places that offer
In this section, we look closely at the different
In-store Sharpening
If you’re lucky enough, your local grocery store,
Certain stores offer free sharpening services to customers, but most people don’t know about them.
To check if your grocery has sharpening services, all you have to do is head to the meat section and ask.
The advantage of this is that you won’t have to spend at all to have your knives professionally sharpened and restored.
You can also leave the blades with the sharpener, go about your groceries and errands and come back to pick them up.
Keep in mind that not all stores offer this service so you will have to ask first.
And if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to get your blades perfectly and professionally restored without having to pay.
Korin
Korin Japanese Trading is a retailer that many different chefs and home cooks love.
They are known for their extensive catalog of Japanese kitchen cutlery, tableware, and other kitchen products.
Korin hosts different products from a wide range of brands, but one service many people don’t know Korin offers is
Korin stores have in-house professional
You can trust Korin to expertly sharpen your
If you’re lucky enough to have a Korin store near you, simply head on over and ask about their sharpening services.
For those who don’t live near a Korin store, you can mail in your dull
The rate is around $15 per
Keep in mind that you also need to cover all shipping costs when having your knives resharpened by Korin.
Togu Knives
If you always want to have access to incredibly sharp Japanese kitchen cutlery, Togu Knives is a great service for you.
Togu is a
For a $6 a month subscription you receive one santoku and one paring
Once you subscribe to the service, Togu sends you a pair of knives which arrive at your doorstep within 2-3 days.
After that, they will replace your set with a newly sharpened pair after eight weeks and you send your old pair back to them.
Shipping is included in the subscription fee, which is a huge plus for many chefs.
If you feel like your knives have dulled about before they send you a new set, you can always send it back earlier.
But since the blades are made out of VG-10 steel, the chances of this happening are very slim.
All the sharpening is done by hand with whetstones, which ensures that your blades will always have a razor-sharp edge when Togu ships them.
Carisolo
Arguably one of the best
Based in Wisconsin, the Carisolo business is family-owned and is currently run by the family’s fourth and fifth generations.
When you send your knives to Carisolo, master sharpeners hone, polish, and re-sharpen the blades by hand using a water-cooled grindstone.
On top of that, Carisolo can also repair any chips or breaks in your
Carisolo sharpens single and double-beveled blades while also sharpening machine blades like those for food processors.
Prices for Carisolo services range between $50-$100, depending on the number of blades you need to be serviced.
The $50 package is used to sharpen up to five knives, while the $100 package sharpens 17-20 blades.
This is a great service for chefs and home cooks alike and is an easy and quick way to keep your blades razor-sharp.
National Sharpening Co.
This company offers great mobile sharpening services for people in a variety of locations.
The National Sharpening Co also offers mail-in services for customers across the United States.
The company services a wide variety of blades, from standard kitchen knives to serrated knives and kitchen shears.
When you send your knives to the company, they use a combination of machine sharpening and stone sharpening to achieve the sharpest edge possible.
Pricing depends on the
Sur La Table
For those in need of sharpening services on a budget, Sur La Table might be the best pick for you.
Sur La Table has over 100 different locations across the United States.
Sharpening at Sur La Table can cost you as low as $5 per
They can sharpen any
Keep in mind at Sur La Table uses a machine to sharpen knives.
So, this means that their sharpening services won’t be as tailored or bespoke, but it still restores a razor-sharp edge to the blade.
We give these knives a quick twirl and review, and then we pass them on to a few lucky home chefs!
Why Should I Have My Knife Professionally Sharpened?
One of the main reasons both chefs and home cooks should have their knives professionally sharpened is safety.
Contrary to popular belief, dull knives are actually more dangerous than sharp ones.
Dull knives are more likely to slip from the ingredients you’re slicing, which could spell a wide range of different problems.
When a
On top of that, dull knives are also harder to use.
With a dull
And as everyone knows, slicing and prepping food evenly is key to ensuring the food cooks evenly.
So, to ensure the best kitchen experience, we recommend that chefs always use sharp knives when slicing.
Conclusion
Sharpening a
Commercial
So, many chefs and cooks out there prefer hiring a professional to sharpen their knives.
When a
If you need to get your
And once you figure out which one first your needs the best, all that’s left to do is mail in your knives or visit the store and your blades will be razor-sharp in no time!
Ryan Leavitt
Hi my name is Ryan Leavitt a Marine Corps Veteran and currently an over the road trucker (Long Haul). I am no expert chef but am enjoying preparing my own meals on the road and testing all the different knives.We give these knives a quick twirl and review, and then we pass them on to a few lucky home chefs!