Staying Sharp

Staying sharp is essential to many things. Maintaining relationships, keeping the house clean, blogging, cooking, working, the list goes on. When the little guy arrived, sleep became a luxury and I found myself becoming less sharp. So as I adjusted to the new routine and new responsibilities I looked for new ways to keep myself sharp. I took out my NY Times crossword puzzle books, did the daily Sudoku, and tried to take on blogging challenges. I won’t say that my brain was totally sharp upon my return to work, but I’m getting better! Just don’t judge me when I ask, “What day is it again?”

Like keeping your mind sharp to be more effective, keeping your kitchen knives sharp can boost your efficiency in the kitchen. I love to chop vegetables. Give me a huge pile and a sharp knife and I will happy chop, dice, and mince my way through. After a few years of enthusiastic chopping, however, my knives were starting to lose their edge (literally). Knife sharpening is one of those things you know you should do, but never get around to doing.

Enter Patti Small and On the Edge Knife Sharpening. With Patti around there is no excuse for having dull knives in your kitchen. Since 2008 she has been sharpening kitchen knives (along with other equipment as well). From her home base in Bolton, Massachusetts, Patti travels to farmers markets, specialty stores, and other locations to sharpen on the spot. Her specialty is hand sharpening kitchen knives. Prices are very reasonable - a little maintenance goes a long way in extending the lives of your cutlery. Her sharpening skills are in high demand – make sure you get to the market early in the day to drop off your knives!

Credit: ontheedgeknifesharpening.com

Patti was at Russell’s Garden Center in Wayland, MA for the Winter Farmers Market this season. One Saturday I packed up my knives and the little guy and headed out to the market. Don’t worry, the hubby carried the knives and I carried the baby. Those things don’t mix! We arrived at the market and headed straight to see Patti and drop off our knives. After a quick assessment, Patti added our knives to the queue and gave us an estimate of 45 minutes. She put her headphones back in and got to work. We ventured off to make the usual rounds and treated ourselves to an early lunch from our favorite vendors. When we returned laden with bags of bagels, brisket, Doves & Figs jam, and eggs our knives were packed in individual sleeves and ready to go.

When we got home, I took out all the vegetables I could find and started chopping. Wow! What a difference! The knives were like new – perfectly sharpened making chopping, mincing, and dicing a breeze. Just make sure to pay attention! What might have been just a little scratch with your old knives can be a three band-aid cut with your sharpened knives.

So the next time you end up with sore arms from tackling a chopped vegetable dish, check the On the Edge Knife Sharpening website, wrap up your knives, and go find Patti. You’ll be so thankfull that you did!

Disclaimer: I paid a discounted rate for my knife sharpening in exchange for posting about my experience. As usual, all opinions are my own. Patti also gave me permission to use photos and information from her website, ontheedgeknifesharpening.com. Photos not marked were taken by me.


And if you find any typos, please excuse me. The brain sharpening is still a work in progress.