Repair vs. Replace?
This time of year, many homeowners getting ready for Thanksgiving and the holidays, in general, are asking this question. Are my knives even worth trying to sharpen, or do we go out and buy more knives?
Generally speaking, your knives still have much life left. Professional sharpening will extend the life of the blades you already have. The problem for most owners is that they need a reliable, trustworthy way to get their knives, scissors, and other blades sharpened.
There was a time not long ago when we had local sharpeners that catered to residential users. Those days of local service providers have given way to the fast-paced supposed efficiency of today’s world.
However, as you prepare for your upcoming holiday meals, the dilemma of what to use to prepare the meals will get asked a thousand times. Unfortunately, most will choose to buy new ones. While this is a temporary fix, it won’t take long before the new knives are dull and the homeowner is faced with the same problem.
My Facebook feed has had multiple ads for knives in the last few days. These ads prey on your frustrations with your current knives because they know your current set isn’t working the way you want. They will have you believe that this new knife set answers all your problems. These companies make many promises that won’t hold up. Think Ginsu, Miracle Blade, Miracle Blade III, the Ron Propeil “Wonder Knife,”; many others came with the same guarantees. They also promise many knives if you order right now. While the sales pitch has changed a bit, and the product looks a little better, it’s just rehashing the same old sales techniques of cheaply made products that look good and promise the moon but don’t deliver.
Most of these knife companies have never been heard of before this time of year and are direct-to-consumer products.
First, question any direct-to-consumer knife.
Second, any ad that says blades will remain sharp forever or never need to be sharpened is something to run from. It simply doesn’t exist. I’ve been sharpening for over 30 years and have seen many blades come and go. There are many gimmicks to get you to buy the latest and greatest knife set. If they were so great, why aren’t they sold in the restaurant industry, the proper testing ground for knives? Day in and day out, if a knife can hold up in a commercial setting, it can hold up in a residential neighborhood.
