Where Do I Get Knives Sharpened? - MTL

[T.I.M.]

I need to know where to get knives sharpened in the city. I am going up to Jean Talon Market area for some shopping and am told that I can get my knives sharpened while I am up there, but I don't know where specifically to go. Any help?

[pinalafina]

L'Emouleur has moved to:

1081 Laurier Ouest
Outremont
[phone]

[bistrobabe]

chehttp://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Critic+N...

ck out the Gazette, Saturday Oct 31, great article on knives/knife sharpening.

[nuggieg]

I found Guillame at L'Emouleur through this post and took my MAC knives in for sharpening. He did a great job, I woould highly recommend him. Great service as well, I was in town for a couple of days, so he dropped them off (after sharpening) at my hotel to save treking up to his place to pick them up.

[Simon Patrice]

I have to add another praise for Guillaume (L'émouleur). I took my knives there for the first time and they've never been this sharp. Feels like I'm cutting soft butter now when I use them. He was very nice, straightforward, no bullshit. Just the kind of service I like.

[everyonelovessushi]

That little orange truck is hilarious. My wife and I for years would want to sharpen scissors and knives and we'd hear the truck bell (summer of course) and go racing out but the truck would always have zoomed way out of range. We never figured out how that business worked.

[emerilcantcook]

He hee. I once saw a guy running after the truck like a mad man, holding a 14 inch knife. I am glad he didn't catch it. I wish I had my camera.

[T.I.M.]

If it was in NDG on Wilson or Melrose in the summer...that guy would have been me. I have a big 11" chefs knife that was in desperate need of some sharpening. I ended up doing 6 knives later on when he came back. Problem with that truck, it looks like he uses the same wheel to sharpen scissors or lawn mower blades as he does knives. While the knives came back sharp, it looked like he took a lot of metal off. Anyway, glad I could be entertaining. Knives are still sharp.

[JedZ]

Guillaume over at L'Emouleur:
514.813.3135
[e-mail]

He works by HAND on Japanese stones, NO GRINDING!

http://www.aiguisagecouteauxmontreal....

[ehtozed]

*Full disclosure* I work at la Maison d'Emilie on Laurier, and Guillaume at L'Emouleur comes about once a week to pick up knives from customers, then delivers them back to the store (sharpened, obv.) the next week. Customers pay him (not us, so I don't feel too bad putting in this plug for him - we are not getting anything out of it except increased store traffic). He also occasionally does demos in the store on Saturdays and sharpens the knives while you wait.

Guillaume is lovely and has an incredibly devoted customer base. If you live in Outremont or often come in to the store, bring your knives by and he'll pick them up. I can't say enough good things about him.

[TheSnowpea]

Can you give us a rough idea of how much per knife? Ballpark - I realise that different factors may enter into calculations.

[ehtozed]

Usually about $15 per knife.

[TheSnowpea]

Ok, well that sounds pretty darned reasonable.

[Eleniel]

I got two of my knives, both Shuns, sharpened by Guillaume at L'Emouleur today and they have now been restored to their former glory. My Santoku had small chips on it since I bought it two years ago and was worried that it couldn't be fixed. Guillaume assured me it was fixable and he did for a very reasonable price - $50 for both knives. Of course, pricing varies, usually it's $15-25/knife depending on the type of knife you're sending in for sharpening. The harder the steel it will push $20-25, my Shun Steel falls in that category.

I'd recommend anyone who is looking for a knife sharpening service in Montreal to go to Guillaume. Real nice chap, absolutely passionate about what he does and he hand sharpen your knives on whetstones, old-style.

http://www.emouleur.com - he's setting up a store in Laurier sometime later this year, but contact him for an appointment if you want your knives sharpened.

[finefoodie55]

I have used Martin's Swiss Repair on Victoria in Westmount they do a competent job My really expensive knives I send back to the Manufacturer. 514-481-3369

[tohtem]

I can suggest Bertoldi's. They are in Laval near the 15. Check
http://www.couteauxducanada.com/fr/ai...
I know it's far but they are the best (since the old Hungarian guy on Bleury retired). They do most restaurants in Montreal and most stores who advertise a sharpening service are in fact giving them to Bertoldi. They sharpen while you wait. They also do repairs. Costs range from 1$ for an office knife to 4$ for a full length chef knife. Having seen all the specialized equipment they have and knowing they are 5th generations, I would not go anywhere else or would buy a stone from Lee Valley and would learn sharpening.

As for the orange truck, neighbours still think I am crazy from the last time I ran after the damn truck with knifes. It's usually out of sight by the time I collect all my knifes and go outside.

[wilbroni]

I'm not sure about the quality of the service, but Cuisine Gourmet on De Maissoneuve offers free sharpening on certain nights, even if the knife wasn't bought there.

[tarkus007]

what i would suggest would be to flag the truck down first then get your knives they always wait a couple of min. for their customers (whistle ).

[porker]

I used to think knife sharpening was a mysterious art, better left to zen masters and woodsmen. That is, until my aged Italian friend showed me the way.
Granted it can seem daunting at first (especially if you are contemplating sharpening your Tojiro Senkou), but speak to someone (maybe a cook) who knows what they're doing. They'll spend maybe 15 minutes showing you how to use a whetstone and a butcher stick.
After some practice (maybe on your cheapies), you will easily sharpen all your kitchen knives.

[chilipepper]

Speaking of trucks, one just passed through here in Westmount about an hour and half ago (3-ish), around Prince Albert, Chesterfield thereabouts...I think it was orange and it said Tony et fils.,....

[fedelst1]

If you speak with the guy in the truck, you will find out that they are unrelated, but copying one another. All claim to be the original that the others copy.. Go figure.

Be careful with these guys, If you have a good experience with one remember who it was. I gave a pair of Japanese knives to one bozo who attempted to bevel both sides of a single bevel knife. It took me 2 evenings with a whetstone to hone out the damage.

I would only trust an axe, scissors or lawnmower blades to most of these guys, although the guy who roams Westmount is not too bad. I suggest giving them one of your less favorite knives to sharpen before handing them anything of value. If they turn your cleaver into a paring knife, don't give them anything else.

But if you really want it done with care, buy a good whetstone, and do it yourself. In between sharpening, the Henkel diamond steel keeps a keen edge on your knives with minimal effort.

[minisma]

We're new to MTL from Bos and have been scoping out various joints (many thanks to this board). I found a shop in Place Alexis Nihon called Centre du Rasoir for knife sharpening, and scissors also. Didn't check the price, but I was given a coupon book with 50% off a knife. $1.99 for scissors. I'll give it a shot.

Also, off to La Chronique for an Anniversary dinner tonight. Very excited!

[T.I.M.]

Hi, about the sharpening steel, that only hones a knife and helps it keep an edge longer, but eventually all knives that are used regularly need to be sharpened. The Centre du Rasoir is rather expensive, but is a lot closer to me (NDG). I often think I hear the truck though! I have run out onto the street like a crazy man wielding knives the couple of times it came up my road. In any event, I'll head up to Norton to have it done.

[tarkus007]

hi about yer sharpening there is someone that does come around in n d g with a white truck.

[paperfree]

Was I dreaming, or did I hear what sounded like an ice cream truck drive up the street the other day, only to discover they were providing on-the-run knife sharpening rather than ice cream? Is there a knife sharpening truck that travels around Montreal?

[SnackHappy]

Little orange truck? Don't they have that everywhere?

[carswell]

Yes. Drives around ringing a brass bell. Hardly a knife specialist, though, as they also do ice-skates, lawn mower blades, etc.

[paperfree]

So you wouldn't recommend getting quality kitchen knives sharpened there? Has anyone ever done it? Did they do a good job?

[carswell]

"Did they do a good job?"

Dunno. Last time I used them for knives was at least 20 years ago. These days I sharpen my own. If I didn't I'd go to Norten.

[InterFoodie]

That little truck goes up and down the streets in Monkland Village.
He seems to have enough business to come every couple of days.
I will ask around to see if any does thier knives with him.

[spankyhorowitz]

There is more than 1 truck - and they are the same company and they look exactly the same. There are also a few guys that rotate in those trucks,

The quality of the sharpening would depend on who it is.
I just had a younger (40s) guy do about a dozen of mine for about $40.

eoj - I think you are referring to using a sharpening steel - that will not sharpen your knife but is used to keep your knife sharp. I sharpen my knives about once a year but run them on the steel every time I use one.

[tarkus007]

that truck could have been moi lololo

[bomobob]

Tony, based on Chester in NDG. Orange truck. Been around for many, many years. Lawnmower blades, garden shears, maybe. Knives? No way. You simply do not use a grinding wheel to do knives. You need the right stones and the proper technique.
I wouldn't trust anyone to sharpen our knives but me.

[eoj]

I think knives are definitely something you should learn to sharpen yourself. Partly because you'll probably do a better job than most commercial places, but more because knives need to be sharpened regularly, and you will be much more likely to keep them sharp if you can do it in a few seconds in your own kitchen.

[tarkus007]

yes but if you have expensive knives you could end up screwing them up so if you intend to do that make sure you have cheap knives

[eoj]

cheap knives don't take an edge, so that would be a waste of time.

[swissfoodie]

I usually ask the chefs at my favourite restaurants - they know how to do it and generally do it right away

[T.I.M.]

Thanks, I did ask a couple of chefs and was told Norten (which I had forgotten, thanks for the reminder) and just basically "Little Italy." I will try Norten as I want to get them back today and can leave them while I shop.

[tarkus007]

restaurants can't really do a good job as they probably sharpen it on that stick (metal)&just run it up &down. &usually the cut doesn't last long

[lagatta]

You can get knives sharpened at Norten, a restaurant supply shop at the corner of Beaubien and St-Laurent. Also at Quincaillerie Dante, (Dante and St-Dominique) but they might send them out, or in any case can't always do them right away.

[Maximilien]

At Norten, does it take a long time to do the knives ?

I have couple of older knives that I want to restore; if I leave 3 knives, does it take couple of hours ? days ?

Thanks.