For about the past six months I have been sharpening at the same sporting goods store, at the same counter. I have numerous repeat customers.
They have placed a sign on the counter which reads simply, "Chico's Professional Sharpening." A brief list of my hours is included. To me, the idea should seem simple.
I have two complaints. The first is just a nagging concern. While not a problem for our gunsmith, many people ask "Is it free?" They seem genuinely miffed when I tell them that this is my job.
The second complaint is more serious. For example, when they change the oil on my Harley, I do not sniff the dipstick to see if the oil is fresh. Since I no longer have a local oil dump (and I'm tired of wrenching), I pay for the service, and I seek a professional.
To that end, every knife--every single one--no matter how modest that knife is, will be returned with a gleaming, uniform and sharp edge. Every knife.
But get this, every edge is tested. Sure, I'm irked that my work must be checked, but I doubt these people even know what they're doing. These knives are sharper than they've ever seen, and yet people roll up their sleeves and scrape hair from their arms--all the while holding the blade at bizarre angles.
Or they scrape their fingernails. My favorite is the 'skin test.' They take a thumb or index finger and brush perpendicular to the edge. I can see a faint layer of skin roll up on the edge, angstroms away from a deeper cut which will not be felt.
Today, a guy brought me two knives. One was an Osbourne with a bad chip near the tip, and the other a rubber-handled Gator knock-off the owner claimed was 'junk.' I fixed the Osbourne, but the 'Gator' had a very steep bevel which shined easily and was definitely sharper than the blunter yet more expensive knife. I informed the client of this.
Without a comment, the client slid his finger down the 'Gator,' and I watched several onion-skin thin layers of skin get shaved painlessly from the test. The owner had no idea thin skin was indeed being sliced.
"I can't tell," shrugged the owner, "I just use them until they don't cut very well. Then I give them to my uncle, or you--yours are prettier."
Prettier? Sure, I try to maintain the cosmetic quality of the knife, but my goal is to provide a level of service the client has never been able to purchase.
They don't know what they're buying, they don't know what they're testing for, and I have to watch that 'skin thingie.'
Oh, well. There's no heavy lifting and the tips are good.
They have placed a sign on the counter which reads simply, "Chico's Professional Sharpening." A brief list of my hours is included. To me, the idea should seem simple.
I have two complaints. The first is just a nagging concern. While not a problem for our gunsmith, many people ask "Is it free?" They seem genuinely miffed when I tell them that this is my job.
The second complaint is more serious. For example, when they change the oil on my Harley, I do not sniff the dipstick to see if the oil is fresh. Since I no longer have a local oil dump (and I'm tired of wrenching), I pay for the service, and I seek a professional.
To that end, every knife--every single one--no matter how modest that knife is, will be returned with a gleaming, uniform and sharp edge. Every knife.
But get this, every edge is tested. Sure, I'm irked that my work must be checked, but I doubt these people even know what they're doing. These knives are sharper than they've ever seen, and yet people roll up their sleeves and scrape hair from their arms--all the while holding the blade at bizarre angles.
Or they scrape their fingernails. My favorite is the 'skin test.' They take a thumb or index finger and brush perpendicular to the edge. I can see a faint layer of skin roll up on the edge, angstroms away from a deeper cut which will not be felt.
Today, a guy brought me two knives. One was an Osbourne with a bad chip near the tip, and the other a rubber-handled Gator knock-off the owner claimed was 'junk.' I fixed the Osbourne, but the 'Gator' had a very steep bevel which shined easily and was definitely sharper than the blunter yet more expensive knife. I informed the client of this.
Without a comment, the client slid his finger down the 'Gator,' and I watched several onion-skin thin layers of skin get shaved painlessly from the test. The owner had no idea thin skin was indeed being sliced.
"I can't tell," shrugged the owner, "I just use them until they don't cut very well. Then I give them to my uncle, or you--yours are prettier."
Prettier? Sure, I try to maintain the cosmetic quality of the knife, but my goal is to provide a level of service the client has never been able to purchase.
They don't know what they're buying, they don't know what they're testing for, and I have to watch that 'skin thingie.'
Oh, well. There's no heavy lifting and the tips are good.