ABOUT

Great Grandpa kept his paint brushes perfectly clean at the end of each day’s work. My dad became a civil draftsman, before computers existed, drawing maps for roads, subdivisions, highways, and cities. I can still remember marveling at how he cared for all his tools of his trade. His pens, triangles, guides, and special erasers were always organized and in good working order. During my working life, I have always put a value on high quality tools and their maintenance in construction. Today, in sharpening, I feel like I am channeling my inner Danish roots to produce an unbelievably sharp edge on every tool I sharpen. I take great pride in knowing that I have made thousands of people’s work, hobbies, and house chores easier and more enjoyable.

I was working in residential construction in 2007 with 2 bad shoulders and a hand that would occasionally go numb. I had been looking for a new career in something having to do with food in order to avoid surgery. In the last couple months of 2007, the economy began to show signs of the historical recession. I had just finished a large project on December 22 with no jobs in the cue, and happened to be trolling Craigslist for anything interesting. And then, it was like the clouds parted. I saw the listing for “Fine Dining Knife Sharpener”. My wife had visions of me riding a bicycle with a sharpening stone going from place to place, begging for work. We had a mortgage and 2 little kids. Very ominous times indeed. I apprenticed for 2 years after getting the job, and decided to go off on my own, utilizing a different business model.