New knife sharpening place

[Indirect Heat]

Found a new place to sharpen your knives in San Diego. True Sharp. 3351 India Street
San Diego, CA 92103. Fast, they did a great job on my knives, and they sharpened 4 chef's knives, a paring knife a carving knife and my kitchen shears for $20. Only complaint? Their hours are pretty silly, making it a little tricky for consumers to get to their business. Perhaps most of their business is for restaurants? Dunno.

Anyway, a hearty endorsement to this independent business:

http://www.truesharp.com/

[SDGourmand]

Finally went to True Sharp today.. Ryan did an amazing job.. My knives are better than new.. Highly recommend True Sharp.

[wanker]

Another happy customer of True Sharp.

Quick, inexpensive and Ryan did a great job. Just drop off your knives, grab a bite at Saffron, and then pick them up when you're done with your lunch. Easy peasy.

[b91911]

Stopped by True Sharp today, Ryan did a great job! Will definitely use again.

[Gypsy Jan]

I wish that these quality sharpening experts were close to me (sad face, dull knives).

Is there a good home knife sharpening machine available? The Williams Sonoma catalogue promotes an exclusive version, but I do not know enough about the process to evaluate the plus/minus of using a machine.

[True Sharp]

Thank you all for the kind words! I wanted to note that True Sharp's new store hours at 3351 India Street are Monday-Wednesday from 11am-7pm. Hopefully these hours are more convenient for everybody. :)

Again, thank you all for taking the time to review True Sharp's service.

- Ryan
True Sharp

[Fake Name]

I use Dan at Razor Sharp Mobile Sharpening every 6 months or so. [phone] The place mentioned in the OP might be great- I have no experience with them.

[SaltyRaisins]

Just back from True Sharp. Just south of Aero Club on India. Nice guy named Ryan runs the business, and did a great job on my knives. Much better than having a butcher grind your knives hastily- I don't think there is more bang for the buck possible for the home cook than this service. At $5 for a 9-inch and a 5-inch plus a small tip, it's a good deal.

He does:

Up to five inch- $2
5-9 inch- $3
9 inch and over- $4
+$1 for serrated
Cleavers $4-5
Food Processor blades- $5

Also will do your scissors, garden tools, chainsaws, axes, shovels and mower blades. And even something called a McLeod. Had to google that one.

Cheers!

[shouzen]

How do they sharpen the knives? For the price, I'm assuming belt, but did you notice if they offered sharpening with water stones?

[SaltyRaisins]

I asked if I could watch the process, but was politely denied entry to the workshop for insurance reasons. I did hear high-rpm machines at work, but don't know what his exact methods are. Here are his hours and phone number:

Mon & Tues: 10-2
Wed & Thurs: 2-6

[phone]

[Guavaman]

Have taken knives to them several times in Escondido and Fallbrook. They are set up outside in front of the Major Market in both locations, and they do the sharpening on a belt. The guy at the Fallbrook location (father) is there almost every day whereas the one in Escondido (son) is there only on Saturdays. Seem to do a good job. Thanks for the tip, was looking for someone who sharpens knives for a while. Chris

[cubano]

I've always sharpened my knives at home with a Chef's Choice 120 Diamond Hone 3-Stage sharpener. What are the advantages to using a belt or water stones? Does the edge last longer?

[shouzen]

IMO the Chef's Choice is actually a pretty decent option for home use. Water stones get you a super sharp edge and allow you to adjust the bevel angle (but can be a large investment and are best used by experienced sharpeners since you have to control the angle of the blade yourself). Belts are nice and fast and easy for commercial use, but will really mess up your knife if the person using it is an amateur... (think scary sparks and all)

[Indirect Heat]

The belt sander can achieve a convex edge on your knife that is sharper, and thus can degrade quite a bit before it is as dull as a home-sharpened knife. So it will appear to last longer. For the few dollars it costs to have it done, it's well worth it to have a pro do it.

[cstr]

I believe Bristol Farms offers this as a free service.

[Indirect Heat]

I've been a bit nervous to take my knives there. I've heard mixed reviews (and saw a photo of a ground down knife) so didn't really want an amateur sharpening my knives.

[cstr]

certainly agree on the amateur point.