An Edge Beyond

04/09/2020

Since I’m avoiding social contacts I will not be at Farmers Markets. Also, Lenoci’s isn’t open and taking in items to be sharpened.

The good news is that I have all my tools at home and will do touchless pick up and delivery. A small charge will be added for gas, depreciation and getting lost. I prefer Rutland County.

Whatever the means, the same level of excellence is assured.

Oh yes. All items less than $600 each. Yeah, reasonable rates as usual.

And I disinfect before and after.

03/06/2020

Again, I make an appearance at the Rutland Farmers Market tomorrow. My new Tormek sharpening system is ready for knife, scissors, garden and shop tools. Also, I’ve got my Dremel for polishing and cleaning up rusty or tarnished items - up to 14,000 grit shine.

Stay Sharp!

02/27/2020

Yesterday, I spent an enjoyable afternoon at the Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon, VT. They are rejuvenating their wood working shop program and had asked me if I could help by sharpening some of their wood lathe tools.

I packed up the Tormek and went to the school where I was invited into their roomy shop. After a tour, I confronted their rack of turning tools. It is fair to say they were completely dull and looked like it had been years since they had been used, much less usable.

I started with the easy tools. First were a number of skew chisels and scrapers. These are easy and can be sharpened easily free-hand using the tool bar and tool rest. Tormek has a gouge jig that any any gouge and even-sided blade size and shape. It takes a matter of seconds to sharpen a tool and a bit longer to repair misshapen item.

I enjoyed the new Tormek system and ended up sharpening over 15 turning tools, scrapers, parting tools, angle chisels and roughing and carving chisels. I asked some students if they had any knives that needed help. I sharpened 2 Morakniv Scandi-grind knives.

I then spent a few minutes sharpening, honing and polishing some plane irons that needed reshaping and Knick removal.

I enjoyed meeting the staff and find working with schools and other groups rewarding.

02/25/2020

Our dinner out (partly) inspired a post.😉

Have you ever ordered a steak in a fine restaurant and the server brings you your own special steak knife? Oh, boy, this is going to taste great and be sooo tender. Somehow, your taste buds are pleased, but you have to struggle cutting the meat!

Check the back of that heavy “saw”, that serrated tool your server brought you. Run your finger over the back of the knife. Do you feel the roughness? If the answer is, “YES”, the knife is dull, yes DULL. Your high-value meal will somehow disappoint. 😖

Before you start to eat, turn a cup or bread plate over. Gently run the BACK of your dull weapon across the unglazed (rough) part of item. Repeat this several times - gently, with no pressure. When the roughness on the back of the knife no longer catches your finger it is sharp and your steak will be much easier to manage.

I just bought a new knife, a Japanese ‘gentleman’s steak knife’ that I used for the first time on Friday. I was elated.

Yes, I know, I am a bit of a cutlery Wonk, but I really enjoyed my costly New York Strip Steak. The knife is made by Shun, has a fine, sharp blade and folds neatly into a leather pouch that unobtrusively goes into my pocket before I leave.

02/24/2020

Have you ever ordered a steak in a fine restaurant and the server brings you your own special steak knife? Oh, boy, this is going to taste great and be sooo tender. Somehow, your taste buds are pleased, but you have to struggle cutting the meat!

Check the back of that heavy “saw”, that serrated tool your server brought you. Run your finger over the back of the knife. Do you feel the roughness? If the answer is, “YES”, the knife is dull, yes DULL. Your high-value meal will somehow disappoint. 😖

Before you start to eat, turn a cup or bread plate over. Gently run the BACK of your dull weapon across the unglazed (rough) part of item. Repeat this several times - gently, with no pressure. When the roughness on the back of the knife no longer catches your finger it is sharp and your steak will be much easier to manage.

I just bought a new knife, a Japanese ‘gentleman’s steak knife’ that I used for the first time on Friday. I was elated.

Yes, I know, I am a bit of a cutlery Wonk, but I really enjoyed my costly New York Strip Steak. The knife is made by Shun, has a fine, sharp blade and folds neatly into a leather pouch that unobtrusively goes into my pocket before I leave.

02/23/2020

I’m going to a local High School (Otter Valley Union HS) on Wednesday to help restart their wood working program. My Tormek system is great at handling dull wood turning tools and their gouges need a lot of love. It will give me a lot of practice with the complete gamut of jigs.

02/15/2020

I have started to work with Lenoci’s/Balance Works as their sharpener.

I have all my old tools and have added the complete Tormek T8 machine and tool kits.

The means professional level sharpening for Knives, Scissors and Shears, Woodworking tools,Chisels, Planes, Planeter, Drills, and all the yard and saw implements.

Lenoci’s/Balance Works is on Allen Street just before RRMC. They do Drop/Off, Pick Up.

02/15/2020

As you can see from the attached table, each of these knives arrived out of the box as sharp as a utility razor blade. And that is before stroping or polishing.

02/15/2020

The last, the Shun Higo-No Kami Personal Steak Knife/Gentleman’s Model 5900 tested at 150 grams.

02/15/2020

The next, Böker Urban Tracker checked in at 170 grams.

02/15/2020

I have three new Gentleman’s knives and tested the sharpness of each out of the box.

The first, a Benchmade Valet tested at 165 grams.

02/15/2020

New Knives and Tools

I just bought an Edge On Up 50B sharpness tester. It measures the pressure in Grams required to cut a standard certified filament. The lower the pressure, the sharper the blade.

10/10/2019

After breaking my shoulder (proximal Humerus fracture) on Labor Day I have been nursing my painful left side, wearing a sling and eschewing driving. I have slept sitting up and have learned to navigate the Rutland bus system - surprisingly effective.

Vermont Orthopaedic Clinic tells me I am healing and can contemplate driving. The X-rays are fascinating. I can see the fracture creating bridging matter and closing the gaps.

What an inconvenience! It will take a full year for the bone to completely knit, but I am able to resume activities. With two hands and one arm I have twice sharpened at Farmers Market with set up/tear down help. Every day I feel better. Physical Therapy starts next week.

Drivers beware 😎

07/09/2019

New product. When I saw it I wanted to feature it in my practice.

It’s a Multi-tool Pruner

06/14/2019

Tomorrow is the second time for me at the outdoor Rutland County Farmers Market this season. The last time, two of my children and five grandchildren joined me at the Market, and then Nanci entertained them back at the condo. They played on the drum set and recorded themselves in Nanci’s studio.

06/14/2019

I have been working on my shop. Added 2 new benches, shifted gear around, reinvigorated my Dremel station, added an Oregon Chainsaw Sharpener, got a portable bench for the circular saw machine and installed about 100 ft/sq of rubber flooring.

I am sharpening power trimmers and chainsaws for a local landscaper.

06/14/2019

Lots going on with the Ole Sharpener.

There’s a great market in Pittsford VT, just up the road from me. The owner, Brian Kamuda, suggested that I would be welcome to sharpen in front of Kamuda’s Market.

This Wednesday I set up and sharpened knives and scissors. It was a success. I will be there every other Wednesday at least until the snow flies.