Whetstone Hand Sharpening
SHARPENING BY HAND HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE BEST FOR KNIVES
”Tests comparing factory sharpening to whetstone sharpening for Global knives showed factory sharpening led to a reduction in hardness at the edge for reduced edge retention. Therefore Hand Sharpening is recommended.”
Dr Larrin Thomas
Knife Engineering: Steel, Heat Treating and Geometry, 2020
LOCATIONS
CAULFIELDPETER’S MITRE 10
95 Normanby Rd
EVERY WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY
9am - 3pm
BRIGHTONPETER’S MITRE 10
343 New StEvery 2nd & 4th SATURDAY of the Month
9am - 2pm
ALPHINGTON
Opposite the Alphington Farmer’s Market
2 Wingrove StEVERY 1st & 3rd SUNDAY of the Month
8am - 1pm
GARDEN TOOL BLITZ DAYSCAULFIELD MITRE 10
Every Friday at Caulfield Store 10am - 2pmBRIGHTON MITRE 10
Every 2nd & 4th Saturday at
10am - 1pm
ENQUIRIES
Please contact us if you have either a general sharpening enquiry or a more specific enquiry regarding:- Japanese & Higher Carbon Knives
- Knife Restoration
- Scissors
- Hand-Forged Axes
- Hunting & Survival Knives
- Garden Tools & other itemsWe will respond very soon.Thank you.
REGIONAL, INTERSTATE & INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS
We are here to help regional, interstate and international home cooks get their knives properly sharpened by hand.Please contact us via the Enquiry form above and include:- WHAT you need sharpened or restored
- WHERE you are from
- IF & WHEN you will be in Melbourne
MAIL-IN JOBS
Please request a MAIL-IN BOOKING FORM via the Enquiry form above.
CHEF/RESTAURANT SHARPENING BOOKING REQUEST
CHEFS who seek our hand sharpening service must contact us via the Enquiry form above.Please carefully read about us on this site before you choose us as your preferred sharpener.
SERVICE TERMS & QUOTING
Home Cooks: No booking required!Just bring clean knives safely wrapped in a tea towel inside a bag.————————————————
Jobs are First In, First Out. The earlier you arrive the sooner you get your knives back.————————————————
SAME DAY SERVICE on MOST KNIVES and can be turned around within 2 - 4 HOURS on average.Some knives may run into next day service if we are busy or if they require additional work.————————————————
We have EXCLUSIONS and may reject some knives for sharpening.This is based upon our knowledge of what knives and knife steels will and will not hold an edge for you. We will explain everything when you come in.————————————————
All knives assessed prior to service and we ONLY provide quotes in-person.We charge by steel, by time and by materials and skill-level required for the job.Photos and descriptions do not help us assess damage or repairs on knives or garden tools.There is only one way to assess things properly: in-person.————————————————
Return customers can enjoy ongoing reduced fees on knife sharpening.We will explain terms of discounts when you come in for your first assessment.
Chefs/Restaurants: Please contact us via the Enquiry form above.A booking time may be required depending on quantity and types of knives requiring assessment and sharpening.
ABOUT SHARPENING
BY HAND
THE ART & SCIENCE OF WHETSTONE SHARPENING————————————————
Hand sharpening is the best way to ensure the maximum sharpness and extends the life of your knife.Our business is based upon the art and science of sharpening knives and tools on whetstones, which is a practice many thousands of years old refined by many cultures throughout the world including the Japanese, who are most famous for it.————————————————
TOOLS OF THE TRADEAll the whetstones we use are 100% made in Japan and sourced from local businesses. We have no secrets and there is no mystery to our work. We invite all our customers to watch while Leigh sharpens your knives by hand. We take great pride in our work and in offering this unique service so you can experience the difference in your knives.————————————————
OUR PROCESSWe appraise each item individually and assess its requirements for sharpening before quoting. This cannot be done over the phone or via photos.————————————————
100% BY-HAND WORK ASSURANCEWe assure all our customers that their knives will be sharpened exclusively by hand on Japanese whetstones. We provide advice on ensuring the correct care and maintenance of your knife based on the steel type and/or previous damage or mis-sharpening your knife has endured.
KNIFE SALES
EXCLUSIVE OUTLET FOR NEW, HAND SHARPENED KNIVES————————————————
We are a retail outlet for Eastern and Western knives and unique, high quality, handmade knife care products made by Carmen as well as custom-made, sustainably sourced Australian timber chopping boards.To purchase a knife come in and try a knife with us during our operating hours and locations.Our new Knife Shop website is currently being built.————————————————
WE MAKE & STOCK- knife storage options
- safety chopping boards
- handmade timber chopping boards
- kitchen shears & scissors
- cleaning equipment
- knife care products: strops, oil, cleaning clays & timber wax————————————————
CUSTOMISING KNIVES FOR LEFT-HANDED PEOPLEWe are also able to customise new knives for left-handed people because everyone deserves a knife that feels right and works perfectly for you.
INFO FOR CHEFS & RESTAURANTS
Chefs’ knives often require more work as many have been mis-sharpened or over-used.————————————————
If you wish us to be your preferred sharpener please contact us via the Enquiry form at the top of this site.————————————————
We are here to service your knives if it genuinely matters to you that your knives will be sharpened by hand.————————————————
PLEASE NOTE: We will NOT undertake sharpening work for the following types of food businesses or customers:- commercial fast food
- large scale catering
- food processing
- where quantity and speed are of higher value than quality
- looking for convenience over quality sharpening
- expecting discounts for big jobs
- asking for discounts on first visit
- expecting same-day service on damaged knives————————————————
We kindly ask that you respect our work, our assessment and work process as well as how we set our fees.
WHAT WE DO AND DO NOT SHARPEN
Our primary focus is on sharpening straight edge knives but we also specialise in sharpening:- bread knives including Japanese
- manual gardening tools
- tailor’s and barber’s scissors
- axes and hatchets
- cut-throat or straight razors————————————————
WE DO NOT SHARPEN:- motorised garden tool blades
- power saw blades
- drill bits
- clipper blades
- blender blades
- cheap or damaged scissors
- hand saws
- electric knife blades
- chainsaw blades
- chisels and plane blades
- guillotine blades and draw blades————————————————
A NOTE ON PULL-THROUGH “SHARPENING” DEVICESALL “Pull-Throughs” are terrible for knives. Please throw yours out and bring your knives in for assessment as soon as possible.————————————————
We do not advise maintaining your knives on “pull-through knife sharpeners” no matter the brand or the price you paid for them.***————————————————
Leigh states that they are a sales gimmick and a form of forced obsolescence designed to reduce the life of your knife by big companies.————————————————
“They operate by using lateral force that shears the steel to replicate a sharp edge but effectively rips it apart and leaves tiny particles of sharp steel in your food. I have had many pieces of steel stuck in my fingers from sharpening this kind of knife damage. We call it “wiring” and we will stop jobs that begin to do this as it is an OH&S issue for my staff and I. We can read pull-through damage on almost any knife due to the shape of the chips on the edge and horizontal scratches or grooves they leave on the flat side of the blade.”
Leigh
OUR TEAM
LEIGH, OWNER
CHIEF SHARPENER
(DUDE IN THE BANDANA)Leigh has sharpened well over 12,000+ knives as well as an extensive number of hand forged axes, scissors, cut throat razors and Japanese gardening tools amongst many other rare, unique and unusual knives and tools.His extensive knowledge of knives, knife steels, manufacturing processes and whetstone sharpening methods means he has the ability to read every knife individually and adapt his technique in order to refine its cutting edge.He specialises in sharpening and customising high carbon, super steel and niche outdoor hunting and military knives correctly and thoroughly by hand to ensure they work for you at their optimum.————————————————
CARMEN, MANAGER
SERRATED KNIFE SPECIALIST, KNIFE RESTORERShe specialises in sharpening bread knives by hand and oversees all restoration work and is the first person to assess your knives and items.Her main focus is on ensuring that all jobs run smoothly and that the Sharpened By Leigh Standards are met at every stage of every job.————————————————
3RD YEAR APPRENTICE (PREFERS ANONYMITY)
GARDEN TOOLS, KNIVES,
LEFT-HANDED ITEMSOur third year apprentice is exceptional at hand sharpening secateurs, loppers and shears and as a left-hander he is often tasked with sharpening the left-handed knives and scissors.Through rigorous and methodical training Leigh has ensured that our apprentice's work is of the same high quality and consistency as Leigh's own.We check and test every knife that goes out before it is returned to our customer.
WHAT WE DO AND DO NOT SHARPEN
Our primary focus is on sharpening straight edge knives but we also specialise in sharpening:- bread knives including Japanese
- manual gardening tools
- tailor’s and barber’s scissors
- axes and hatchets
- cut-throat or straight razors————————————————
WE DO NOT SHARPEN:- motorised garden tool blades
- power saw blades
- drill bits
- clipper blades
- blender blades
- cheap or damaged scissors
- hand saws
- electric knife blades
- chainsaw blades
- chisels and plane blades
- guillotine blades and draw blades————————————————
A NOTE ON PULL-THROUGH “SHARPENING” DEVICESALL “Pull-Throughs” are terrible for knives. Please throw yours out and bring your knives in for assessment as soon as possible. We do not advise maintaining your knives on “pull-through knife sharpeners” no matter the brand or the price you paid for them.————————————————
Leigh states that they are a sales gimmick and a form of forced obsolescence designed to reduce the life of your knife by big companies.————————————————
“They operate by using lateral force that shears the steel to replicate a sharp edge but effectively rips it apart and leaves tiny particles of sharp steel in your food."————————————————
We call it “wiring” and we will stop jobs that begin to do this as it is an OH&S issue.————————————————
We can read pull-through damage on almost any knife due to the shape of the chips on the edge and horizontal scratches or grooves they leave on the flat side of the blade.————————————————
If you have been using a pull-through device we highly recommend that you bring in your knives for health-check assessment as soon as you can. The steel may be disintegrating at the edge into your food as you cut on a hard surface.
OUR TEAM
LEIGH, OWNER
CHIEF SHARPENER
(DUDE IN THE BANDANA)Leigh has sharpened well over 12,000+ knives as well as an extensive number of hand forged axes, scissors, cut throat razors and Japanese gardening tools amongst many other rare, unique and unusual knives and tools.His extensive knowledge of knives, knife steels, manufacturing processes and whetstone sharpening methods means he has the ability to read every knife individually and adapt his technique in order to refine its cutting edge.He specialises in sharpening and customising high carbon, super steel and niche outdoor hunting and military knives correctly and thoroughly by hand to ensure they work for you at their optimum.————————————————
CARMEN, MANAGER
SERRATED KNIFE SPECIALIST, KNIFE RESTORERShe specialises in sharpening bread knives by hand and oversees all restoration work and is the first person to assess your knives and items.Her main focus is on ensuring that all jobs run smoothly and that the Sharpened By Leigh Standards are met at every stage of every job.————————————————
3RD YEAR APPRENTICE (PREFERS ANONYMITY)
GARDEN TOOLS, KNIVES,
LEFT-HANDED ITEMSOur third year apprentice is exceptional at hand sharpening secateurs, loppers and shears and as a left-hander he is often tasked with sharpening the left-handed knives and scissors.Leigh's rigorous and methodical approach to training our apprentice has produced a young, extremely proficient sharpener who produces work to Leigh's standards on every knife.
RESTORATION SERVICE: VINTAGE & ANTIQUE KNIVES & TOOLS
We have restored handles and blades on thousands of knives including hundreds of vintage, heirloom and antique knives.————————————————
Knife or Tool Restoration Work may require longer in-person assessments so please allow time for this in your schedule.————————————————
Turn-around will be between 2 days to 2 weeks depending on work required.————————————————
We approach each restoration differently according to its age, steel, condition and what the customer wants.————————————————
We consult with the owner and work out the best method for restoring and an old or unusual item so it can remain in your family and not suffer further deterioration.————————————————
Our Guarantee to You:
We use NO MACHINES in the restoration or sharpening of any item.————————————————
We specialise in the careful restoration of historical items that are both significant cultural artefacts and highly important and sentimental heirlooms including Army, Navy and Airforce service knives.————————————————
We also offer the best possible advice and will assess each item individually but may not always detect flaws or damage until the item is being cleaned and sharpened. It is important for customers to understand that some items may not be able to be restored to an as-new or fully functional condition.
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