Knife Sharpening

I need a little help. I have had my set of Wusthof knives for about 5 years and have had them sharpened about once a year (yeah, I know it should be more often, but a lot of our current funds are going towards buying diapers. Being would sharp knives is a lot more tolerable and better smelling than being without diapers). We just move back to Chicago from South Carolina and I do not know of a place, hopefully in the West Suburbs that does a good job at sharpening knives. We are looking for a place that restaurants would trust.

When we lived in SC, I called Wusthof to see if the recommended anyone and they had a person in VA that did it, I would just send my knives and then get them back in 3-4 days. He did a great job, but I did not want to be without my tools that long now that wea re back in civilization.

Thanks

In forest park is Bagat Bros. Sharp Knife Service, which is fine, and he does a big restaurant trade.

I take my wusthof knives to Northwestern Cutlery to be sharpened, and they sharpen the knives for many, many, many restaurants in the city.

Bagat BROS Sharp Knife Service CO
(708) 366-2818
7621 Roosevelt Road
Forest Park, IL
60130

Northwestern Cutlery Supply Inc
(312) 421-3666
810 West Lake St
Chicago, IL 60607

I second Northwest Cutlery. It's cheap - something like $3 a knife - and they do it while you wait. You'll be on the streets with sharp knives in minutes.

rien

I third it! But, be supercareful afterwards! I wasn't and ended up in the e-room with 11 stitches!

Apple wrote:I third it! But, be supercareful afterwards! I wasn't and ended up in the e-room with 11 stitches!

Sorry to hear that.

[soapbox]
Besides the fact that it is important to always be careful when using knives, it is important to note that a very sharp knife is much safer than a dull one.

When chopping, slicing, dicing, whatever, with a less-than-sharp knife, the blade is much more likely to slide across, or slip off, the surface of the food you're cutting. A sharp knife moves smoothly and goes where you tell it to.

Keep your knives sharp!

I hone my knives with a steel before every use, and have them sharpened at NW Cutlery about once or twice a year, depending on the knife.
[/soapbox]

Best,
EC

A sharp knife cut also seems to heal quicker than one from a dull knife.It is a straight cut,not jagged.

Reading about straight and jagged cuts, I can't help but flash back to the B/D/S/M conversation on another topic. There's some sort of undercurrent at work, forcing convergence.

rien

Good point but I actually wasn't thinking of that when I posted.This time!

Hi,

Some years ago, my Dad bought a manual rotary slicer like you see in butcher shops. I got rid of it after having a dream about my blithely slicing my thumb in half before realizing my mistake. I never used it plus it took up valuable counterspace.

I agree a very sharp knife is an efficient tool. The problem is we often work with somewhat dull, which requires more personal effort for the same effect. You get used to overdoing it, then get into trouble when they are at peak sharpness again. I really do not have the tip of one thumb, which I lobbed off from such an experience. It took a long time to heal.

I do have a stone to keep them sharp, which I use regularly. Storing them in a block, rather than knocking against each other, keeps them sharp longer. Handwashing over dishwasher cleaning keeps them in overall better condition, also.

As a minimum, I have these knives: a long cerated bread knife, a boning knife, a french/chef's knife and some paring knives is all one really needs. I also have cleavers, one German, which I don't like, and a Chinese one which is fun to use and versatile; though neither is used very often. All the other odd knives I have (one just for cutting through frozen food!) came via gifts.

I just got this knife:

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.as ... 0733,40738

Very reasonably priced, super-sharp, easy to sharpen on a regular steel (or an Arkansas stone) - only downside is it discolors pretty easily. Doesn't affect performance, only aesthetics.

KevinT wrote:We just move back to Chicago from South Carolina and I do not know of a place, hopefully in the West Suburbs that does a good job at sharpening knives. We are looking for a place that restaurants would trust.

Kevin,

No help on the West burbs, but I most definitely agree with Ed Fisher, aka Gleam, and Rien on Northwestern Cutlery.

Northwestern uses the wheel/stone method and takes pride in their work. Northwestern carries a full line of knives, from inexpensive Dexter white handled sani-safe to the better known German and Japanese.

If you ask, they are not on display, Northwestern may still have a few original carbon steel Sabatier's in the back, which are hard to find. Northwestern does not carry Misono and is slightly weak in upper end Japanese knives. No custom knives either.

Northwestern has kitchen gadgets, accessories and cookware, including All-Clad, but, frankly, their prices are starting to creep up, still less than the majors, but not the amazing deals they were. A 'don't miss' at Northwestern is their bargain bins, the occasional amazing deal can be had.

Northwestern Cutlery is just West of Halsted on Lake, be advised Lake is (was?) currently closed going West at Halsted.

Coincidentally, I am going to Northwestern this morning to get a knife rebeveled. Seems some idiot (me) slightly twisted the knife while cutting through a turkey thigh bone and there is a small section missing.

Enjoy,
Gary

Northwestern Cutlery
810 West Lake St
Chicago, IL 60607
312-421-3666

Another great thing about NWC for the home repair challenged--they'll do some small appliance work. I just had the fizzling cord on my coffee grinder replaced for ten bucks. Took just one day.

I highly recommend Maestranzi Sharp Knife. Most of their work is for restaurants but they'll glady sharpen your knive while you wait -- just don't go at lunch time! They've been in business over 100 years. They are located just southeast of Lawrence and Harlem. My only complaint is you don't get to see the sharpening take place -- though I've never asked.

Maestranzi Sharp Knife
4715 N Ronald
Harwood Heights
708-867-7323

There used to be a guy who came around to our block once every year in Evanston to sharpen knives. Now that I live in the city (Bucktown) I don't know where (or how) to get my kitchen knives sharpened.

I welcome suggestions.

See these threads:

Sharpening a Global Knife

Knife Sharpening

Kitchen Knives

<gasp> my chef's knife broke

Sharpening Vendors

How to use the LTHForum.com Search Function

Chicgail wrote:There used to be a guy who came around to our block once every year in Evanston to sharpen knives. Now that I live in the city (Bucktown) I don't know where (or how) to get my kitchen knives sharpened.

I welcome suggestions.

Northwest Cutlery
312.421.7016
810 W. Lake Street
Chicago, IL

Chicgail wrote:There used to be a guy who came around to our block once every year in Evanston to sharpen knives. Now that I live in the city (Bucktown) I don't know where (or how) to get my kitchen knives sharpened.

I welcome suggestions.

I still have that guy come around in my neighborhood once a year...usually right around Memorial Day. Two years ago, I stopped letting him sharpen my knives. His work has become subpar. I don't know if it's just burnout or if it's his advancing age. In any event, I now take my knives to Northwest.

After posting a message last fall, I went to Northwestern Cutlery and they did a great job sharpening my Wusthof knives that had not been sharpened in 1-1/2 years. I would recommend them. On they way home, you can stop at Peoria Packing which is right down the street.

If Northwestern Cutlery is a daunting hike, as it is for me, I understand that The Wooden Spoon in Andersonville sharpens knives. I haven't used their services but have heard satisfied reports from people who have.

I just called NWC, and they've got a new supply of the Sabatier carbon-steel knives in, in a number of styles.

My all time favorite knife is a little three-brass-rivet Sabatier 4" carbon-steel utility knife that I bought at BHV in Paris in '84 for about $3 (of course, the exchange that yr was 10:1, which explains why I was in Paris: picking up my brand new half-price Peugeot 505!!)

So I bought a 6" chef's knife, sight unseen, over the phone just now. Yee-hah!

Geo

After reading some of the posts in this thread on knife sharpening I was surprised that nobody seems to be able to sharpen their knives theirselves. As fairly avid sportsman I have been sharpening everthing myself for years from fish hooks to kitchen knives. I learned this by reading a book by John Juranitch who authored the book "The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening". The web site is http://www.razoredgesystems.com
Also it can be had at Amazon. I never did buy the book my self though, I just checked it out of the library and with a little practice I was off and running. Hopes this helps.
harry

Harry wrote:After reading some of the posts in this thread on knife sharpening I was surprised that nobody seems to be able to sharpen their knives theirselves.

Thanks to SushiGaijin's post I've been sharpening my Korin Gyutou and others.

Occasionally threads seem to repeat, as gleam will attest

I know there were posts last summer about getting your knives sharpened at the Green City Markets, but where can a girl get her set of knives sharpened pre-season? I live in Andersonville but am willing to schlep me and the knives if it's not too crazy of a distance.

thanks in advance!

bjt

bjt wrote:but where can a girl get her set of knives sharpened pre-season?

BJT,

I highly recommend Northwestern Cutlery. Here's a past past knife sharpening thread.

Enjoy,
Gary

Northwestern Cutlery
(312) 421-3666
810 West Lake St
Chicago, IL 60607

bjt, chances are the Wooden Spoon is just a short walk for you. I don't know if knife sharpening's available whenever they're open, so you might want to call first.

I'd also recommend Northwestern Cutlery...you'll regularly see restaurant professionals in their getting their knives sharpened, which speaks volumes, in my mind.

One other suggestion: On weekends I've periodically seen a sign outside Sur la Table on North Ave. advertising free knife sharpening. I've never taken them up on it, and I'm not sure what kind of equipment they use (it's possible they're using one of those $100 appliances as a demo in an effort to sell you one). If they're using a really sharpening wheel (is that a whetstone?), presumably they'll take your money to sharpen your knives is they're not offering it for free.

just out of curiousity, how long does a professionally sharpened knife keep its edge?

Until you use it enough to dull it, basically.

HI,

Just after getting your knives professionally sharpened, be very careful how you use your knives. As the knives get dull, they don't cut as well. Intuitively you begin to add more muscle, which means the likelihood of cutting yourself increases. A few years ago, MAG cut herself badly enough on freshly sharpened knives to require stitches.

Another usefull attribute to getting knives professionally sharpened, it rescues knives that might overwise get tossed. Like if you chipped the blade or knocked the point off or other travails.

I also keep a stone at home for sharpening my blades in between servicing. I really should say I used to have a stone, because it has disapeered which means all my knives need fine tuning now.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Just after getting your knives professionally sharpened, be very careful how you use your knives.

_____Yeah, and another useful tip (no pun intended...see story to follow), don't use a mandolin without a guard. Or at least pay attention and take it slow.
_____Turning 3-0 last year was a milestone, no doubt, but cooking the meal for my family (I know that seems backwards considering it was my birthday, but that's how I roll) and slicing off the tip of my middle digit was no picnic. That puppy bled for half a day before I finally went to the local Prompt Care facility.
_____Not exactly the best day to receive your long awaited present, a 10 piece set of Wüsthof knives. Very difficult to use 'em for the first month.

...still have a scar and humility.

Z