I can sharpen as well as you can.

A chef said this to me recently and to be honest, maybe he can, I have never claimed to be the best sharpener around. However, when someone tells me that they can sharpen as well as I can, I am doubtful to be honest, now if they didn't say that I would think more of the individual and regard him/her as a really good sharpener.

Anyway in response to the " I can sharpen my knives as good as you, I just don't have the time" I asked the following questions:

1. "What is your profession, a Cook?"
Ans: "Yes"

2. " What are your hobbies, what do you do in your spare time?"
Ans: "Biking, video games, just relaxing"

3. "What is the most important thing in your life?"
Ans: "My job and my health I suppose"

4. "If  you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?"
Ans: "Australia"

5. "How many hours do you sharpen in one month?"
Ans: "I sharpen my 3 knives every 3 months so about 1 hour per 3 months".


Now I asked him to repeat the questions to me.

"What is your profession"
My answer: Knife Sharpening

2. "What are your hobbies, what do you do in your spare time?"
My answer: Knife sharpening, I sharpen knives in my spare time.

3. "What is the most important thing in your life?"
My answer: Knife sharpening, ensuring people are thrilled with their knives when I sharpen them.

4. "If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?"
My Answer: To the fish market in Japan and watch/meet master knife sharpeners.

5. "How many knives do you sharpen in one month?"
My answer: I sharpen for 3-4 hours a day


Does this make me a better knife sharpener?

Not necessarily but it's all I do, I'm consumed with it so I think when people are consumed, driven by something, they get good at it, like olympic athletes who dream of becomingOlympians when they are children, they start their journey young and nothing else seems to matter.

As I said, I've never claimed to be a better sharpener than anyone else, if you think you are THE knife sharpener, good on ya, I'm proud of you, seriously.

 Here is a picture of a very beautiful Maestro Wu hand made damascus knife that I finished with the ultra cool Kityama 8,000 grit water stone. Of all the knives I have sharpened, this is one of the very sharpest. This one belongs to Chef Bill Pratt, Proprietor of Cheese Curds and Habaneros, he is a hell of a guy and one lucky man to own this beauty.