| Everyone uses knives. Knives exist in our kitchens | | | | sharpening your own knives, one of the higher |
| at home, in restaurant kitchens, in butcher shops | | | | quality slot gadget or electrical sharpeners will |
| and in medical and veterinary clinics. And every | | | | probably do fine for you. |
| one of these knives gets dull with use. Most | | | | Once you've mastered the techniques of |
| people do not know how to effectively sharpen | | | | sharpening though, you can open up a whole new |
| their own knives, and even professional chefs | | | | world of opportunity. By learning the proper |
| need to get their knives professionally sharpened | | | | techniques, you can not only sharpen your own |
| on a regular basis. Knife sharpening can become a | | | | knives, you can start your own small business |
| very profitable business for someone who learns | | | | within your community. It is easily possible to |
| the proper techniques for sharpening and honing | | | | make over $100,000 a year sharpening knives. |
| an edge. | | | | Even if your community is small, everyone needs |
| At home you can learn to use a whetstone. This | | | | sharp knives. |
| is a good place to start when you are first | | | | The professional sharpener has specialized |
| learning how to hone an edge. Whetstones come | | | | equipment for sharpening. Belt sharpeners can |
| in several varieties: Arkansas stone, Washita | | | | hone a blade in less than fifteen minutes, and if |
| stone and Japanese and Greek waterstones. | | | | you are equipped with all the major sharpening |
| Originally quarried from natural stone, today's | | | | tools, you can not only sharpen knives, but |
| stones are usually manufactured from natural | | | | scissors and manicure tools as well. Other tools |
| substances and they are very effective at | | | | that need sharpening include chisels and planes |
| sharpening a slightly dull knife. Some people prefer | | | | used by woodworkers, clipper blades used by pet |
| to use guides while using a whetstone to help | | | | groomers and shearers, hoof knives and snips |
| them keep the knife at the proper angle. | | | | used by farriers... the list is endless. |
| The next level of sharpening uses a rod guided | | | | It is true that you can learn the techniques to |
| stone system. This system mounts the knife on | | | | keep your own knives sharp easily. But with a |
| a stationary base, and then the whetstone is | | | | little more time invested, you could also learn a |
| attached to a rod that is guided through one of | | | | trade that will help you raise your standard of |
| several holes located above the knife. This puts | | | | living. Even if you only did sharpening on the |
| the whetstone at the proper angle to the knife | | | | weekends, you could easily make good money by |
| blade to achieve a good edge. | | | | making the rounds of the local restaurants or |
| You've probably seen slot gadgets and electrical | | | | medical facilities. Most places need to ship out |
| sharpeners at your local store that carries kitchen | | | | equipment for sharpening, since sharpeners are |
| equipment. The knife is run between wheels made | | | | getting fewer all the time. It's worth thinking |
| of ceramic or other material, with the theory that | | | | about. Knife sharpening is a skill that everyone |
| this will sharpen the knife. The quality of these | | | | needs to have handy at some point or other. And |
| sharpeners runs from really bad to good enough | | | | many are willing to pay someone to professionally |
| to keep a home kitchen equipped with decently | | | | sharpen their knives rather than try it themselves. |
| sharp knives. If you are only interested in | | | | |