About a decade ago we were given a very nice set of knives in a butcher block. Over the years, the butcher block disappeared to make more room on the kitchen counter, and the knives were relegated to a drawer. When the knives became too dirty and we were too lazy after dinner for a decent clean up, the knives found their way into the dishwasher. And in that imperceptible way that only happens day in and day out, it became evident that the knives needed sharpening. The jostling in the drawer and the jangling in the dishwasher did their deed, dulling the blades.
The stone that accompanied the original butcher block landed further away in the drawer (perhaps fully disappeared), and in any event I held out no confidence that I knew how to bring the knives back to a sharpened condition anywhere near their first use.
What to do?
When I was a kid a guy with a pulley contraption walked through our neighborhood, and we’d watch as Moms brought their knives out for sharpening. For decades thereafter we’d use the phrase “waiting for the guy to come down the block” whenever we had to solve a mysterious problem.
What to do today?
Fire up the Googlator and look for a local service shop to handle the chore? Or try mailing in my knives to be sharpened? What were the economic terms? And how would I be assured of a quality job?
With understandable trepidation I requested a mailer from Knife-Aid which arrived several days later. The directions were pretty clear: essentially put each knife edge into the fold of the cardboard sleeve, snip off any extra cardboard and the adhesive inside would keep the knives from clanging into each other en route, which they had been doing in the drawer and dishwasher for far too long.
The mailing kit came with a prepaid shipping label, and off went our knife collection.
We managed to eat out or do without the knives for the next several meals. When the knives arrived back a few days later, I forgot my trepidation as I begin slicing vegetables. The difference reminded me of the first time I ever put on eyeglasses and I stepped outside the optometrist; I think The Who song “I Can See For Miles” was playing in my head.
In this case knife cut through the food like, well…butter.
Knife-Aid is a very wonderful way to solve a problem you must admit is probably festering away in your kitchen.
$9-$12 per knife, depending on quantity.
More about Knife-Aid here.
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