I might have found a passion, maybe calling?

WyrmDL · #1 02-10-2011, 11:12 AM

I have grown to absolutely looooove knife sharpening. I can watch a japanese master sharpen a knife all day long, just plain mesmerized.

I'm a complete newbie when it comes to anything knife related. I would like to get a few japanese waterstones and start practicing, but I'm broke. The only apprenticeship that I've found was about $6,000 for a week.

I don't know if I want to make a career out of it (but I'm unsure about careers out of anything). It's probably going to stick with me for the rest of my life.

Just looking at this puts me at ease...

thesilence · #2 02-10-2011, 11:16 AM

I to love knives and sharpening knives. I don't think I would want to do it for a living though more of a hobby

**Staccato** · #3 02-10-2011, 11:22 AM

Hint, there's a lot of us that use straight razors in the morning, and have an ongoing need for a good honemeister.
On SRP, they charge a fixed price that includes shipping to most locations in the US. You might consider branching out...

Phalex · #4 02-10-2011, 11:24 AM

When things are slow at work you can find me with my pocket knife and a ceramic fuse putting an edge on it. (Ceramic fuses are actually the bomb for putting an edge on a knife. They only have about 3/4" of ceramic surface on them, but I can get my knife shaving sharp.)

WyrmDL · #5 02-10-2011, 11:41 AM

Straight razors are absolutely in consideration.

I'm not quite a fan of the fancy-looking folding pocket knives though. I think I'm very old fashioned.

EDIT: Or anything quite fancy-looking.

Relic · #6 02-10-2011, 11:44 AM

look up FLknifemaker here on TB, he might be able to offer a suggestion or two.

MJ5150 · #7 02-10-2011, 11:48 AM

Then you can go work at one of those Japanese restaurants where they cook the food in front of you. Those guys have some serious knife sharpening skeelz.

-Mike

jugglingfreak · #8 02-10-2011, 01:47 PM

I wish I could sharpen knives. That is one skill that, for some reason, I can't even reach near the level of "mediocre".

Subrage · #9 02-10-2011, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacatto

Hint, there's a lot of us that use straight razors in the morning, and have an ongoing need for a good honemeister.
On SRP, they charge a fixed price that includes shipping to most locations in the US. You might consider branching out...

Ive been using a DE for the last year or so, but I picked up 2 straights about 2 months ago. Still dont have the cahona's to use them. But getting closer!

To Wyrm: Check out StraightRazorplace or Badger&blade. Theres a quite a bit of good Info

basstotheface · #10 02-10-2011, 04:08 PM

Benihana.

Pilgrim · #11 02-10-2011, 09:34 PM

I don't think there's any way to make a living from it.

But enjoy learning about it.

fdeck · #12 02-10-2011, 09:43 PM

Could there be a living in it, if you expand your hobby a bit to include industrial cutting tools? I know that some of those tools can be quite expensive and worth re-sharpening or repairing. I don't know what tool-and-die work is like right now due to the slow economy, but in better times, it seemed like a pretty good trade.

DUC1098 · #13 02-10-2011, 09:47 PM

When I lived in Connecticut I knew a few people who did sharpening as a side job. Pretty much sharpened anything, knives, axes, chain saws, etc. Not sure what they made doing it though. But they seemed to be kept busy, so must be a good market for it.

bongomania · #14 02-10-2011, 10:24 PM

Any decent-sized town will have at least one guy who drives around in a knife-sharpening truck. A city may have several. They make the rounds of every restaurant, cooking school, and food-production factory within driving distance. I don't know if it's a good living, but if you hustle it can be a living.

Most of them use power sharpeners though. There's an appeal to the art of hand sharpening, but I guarantee it's too slow for moneymaking.

WyrmDL · #15 02-11-2011, 10:23 PM

It would be a hard career to pursue. I've thought about the forgery of cutlery too, which also piques my interest a whole lot too. I just absolutely love the craft of cutlery period, sharpening, forging, etc.

Thanks for the input so far everyone

Passinwind · #16 02-11-2011, 10:27 PM

This guy is an old windsurfing buddy of mine. His company seems to have a decent reputation.

bongomania · #17 02-11-2011, 10:33 PM

Just for fun reading, check out John Juranitch. He holds (or at least held, at one time) the Guinness world record for "fastest sharpening of a blunt woodsman's axe" as well as "cleanest shave with a freshly-sharpened woodsman's axe".

warwick.hoy · #18 02-11-2011, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WyrmDL

I have grown to absolutely looooove knife sharpening. I can watch a japanese master sharpen a knife all day long, just plain mesmerized.

I'm a complete newbie when it comes to anything knife related. I would like to get a few japanese waterstones and start practicing, but I'm broke. The only apprenticeship that I've found was about $6,000 for a week.

I don't know if I want to make a career out of it (but I'm unsure about careers out of anything). It's probably going to stick with me for the rest of my life.

Just looking at this puts me at ease...

This is a beautiful knife.

WyrmDL · #19 02-12-2011, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Passinwind

This guy is an old windsurfing buddy of mine. His company seems to have a decent reputation.

Oh wow! I remember seeing that not too long ago. It would be good for me to look into it and study

I'm really GASing to buy some japanese waterstones and practicing. I have some very basic combo stones, but they are very coarse, and already have valleys

EDIT: Here is a video on that knife, cutting a few things. I am mesmerized...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOyE1WAwLaI

EDIT: And the final steps in the creation of the knife...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCtx8...eature=related