Knife sharpening at Druid Street

We are ridiculously excited. Even more excited than normal, and it's all because of the gadget above.

One of the questions we get asked regularly about Japanese style carbon steel knives is "how do you sharpen them?" The answer - a whetstone - is simple but the process is less so. It takes professional sharpeners in Japan years to perfect the craft of hand sharpening using a whetstone. You have to consistently keep the perfect angle, apply just the right pressure and develop a technique that allows you to sharpen a double bevel evenly along the length of the knife to the required angle, all without grinding away half the knife in the pursuit of sharpness. This is even before we get on to chips and uneven bevels.

This is where the Edge Pro comes in. The rig holds the knife static at the right angle, allowing the whetstones to be moved across the knife edge. Put simply, this produces far more consistent results, far more quickly. It still uses the same quality Shapton whetstones that are used for hand sharpening, so the same finely polished edge is achievable. Is it cheating? Yes. Does it work? Yes. Is it better than the average non-career knife sharpener? Most definitely, yes.

We love the Edge Pro and want to share the benefits. Come to Druid Street Market (Saturdays 10-4) with your knives and we will sharpen it for you for a small fee. Stop chasing that tomato round the board and get your edge back in the kitchen. We will also be on hand to discuss all things knife related, tips to keeping your edge longer between sharpening, and general maintenance. We will also have a stock of knife care kits on hand. Come say hello and, if you have any questions ahead of time, drop us an email at hello@kitchenprovisions.co.uk.