About

Hello and thank you for stopping by Arête Sharpening! I’m Colin, the guy behind the grinding wheel. As an avid woodworker, hunter, and cook, I have developed an appreciation for the importance of sharp knives and tools. I have learned that proper sharpening takes time, skill, and in some instances, a few specialized tools.

My goal with Arête is to offer a high quality, convenient, and local sharpening service for the fellow home cooks, woodworkers, hunters, and anyone else in the community who just needs a sharp blade.

Sharpening is one of those tasks that is simple in theory but can be difficult in practice. At its most basic, it is simply bringing two faces together (usually metal) such that they meet at as fine a point or edge as possible. The tricky part is in the details. To sharpen a blade, you must consider the method(s) used for grinding those faces, the metallurgical properties of the blade itself, and the angles for both what is being sharpened and/or how it will be used.

Without wading into the depths of the many sharpening approaches out there, I will simply say that my objective is always to get your knives and tools sharp while removing the least amount of metal necessary. Even the best knives and tools will need to be sharpened periodically to keep them in top working condition, so removing the least amount of metal as possible will ensure that your knives and tools last a long time.

I know from personal experience that we all have busy schedules and finding time to get knives and tools sharpened is not always easy. This is why I have decided to offer online booking options where you pick the time you want to drop off your knives or tools and then all you have to do is swing by and place them in the drop box right outside my door. I'll get them sharpened up and then send you a message when they are ready (generally in 24 hours or less). You'll receive a text and/or email with a link to pay by credit card (through Square) or you can pay by cash when you pick up. Just let me know when you plan to swing by and I will place your knives in the pick-up box (below the drop-box) so that you can pick them up at your convenience.

Of course, if you have any questions about my services or the drop-off process you can always contact me via the Contact page!

Best,

Colin Leslie