You have a kitchen knife that’s as dull as a marshmallow. You can’t even butter your toast without the result making it look like an urban war zone. That is when you enter the world of knife sharpening services. Knives can be described in many words. They are quick to the point. But if they are dulled, they’re that intern who is eager but doesn’t quite seem to know what he is doing.
Professional knife sharpening is not for great cooks and wannabe chefs. Anybody who is tired of hacking into tomatoes like he is trying to cut down wood would love the service. You’ll find it satisfying to cut vegetables like performing a precise surgery.
You may think those dusty, old sharpeners that lie somewhere at the bottom drawer of the cabinet will do. Think twice. It is like making a homemade craft to sail a stormy sea when you could have hired a yacht. Professionals use stuff like special equipment; machines that sound like a hummingbird being blended in a smoothie will be used, and they will make your knife sharper than your grandma’s tongue on Thanksgiving.
A sharp knife is a good knife. It’s possibly less than flattering to say that a hungry grizzly bear is a friend, but it is, in fact. A blunt blade requires far more force, which does increase the chances of slipping. And slipping is not what you want to do, because the impromptu fling is not a good thing.
What if you could just make all dull knives magic slicers? You are the wizards in such a world, only in this day and age. Take out those whetstones for wands. Bob from across the street-for instance-you are welcome to bring him everything: your grandmother’s old cleaver, that bizarre boning tool that looked so cool during that midnight internet shopping spree.
He looks at the little guy, starts smiling, and with an all-knowing nod, he says, “This one’s got some potential!” Bob has seen a lot. Bob has seen them all. He shares this little secret of the trade with you every time. That makes you part of some ‘culinary elite’ club. A spoiler alert: the right angle, combined with patience, will give even dull edges their new life.
Knife sharpening may be nothing out of the ordinary for someone, but once you get into it, you’ll never want to let it go. Your cooking is never quite going to be the same: carrots-moved over; onions-you don’t stand a chance-when finally there is pizza on the menu after only toast.
You will probably enjoy watching all of it if you are that kind of hands-on person. A lullaby of sparks, rhythmic sounds of steel against stones and stone, are the lullaby of those who love cooking. Knife sharpeners do more than just keep their implements at their best: they give life back to the blades. And the sharpeners know each blade has a story to tell.
Hey, if ever you get tempted to give this a try, just remember this-definitely not a child’s play thingy. There is a ten-minute tutorial available on YouTube. But proceed with caution. You may end up with something far more appropriate to spread butter rather than to tear through poor meat. Carve a pumpkin for Halloween, and without practice, you may get more a mess instead of a masterpiece.
Give those blades a spa experience they deserve right now. Sharpening services help you skip the frustration that comes with cooking using ragged edges. You know the saying, “Keep your friends close and keep your knives closer”? Or was it something else? A sharp blade is always a good partner.