Sharpening prices vary widely — from very inexpensive options to professional services that cost more.
The real question isn’t what does sharpening cost today?
It’s what does that sharpening cost the knife over its lifetime?
Cheap sharpening is often the most expensive option
Ultra-low-cost sharpening is usually built around assembly-line grinding.
Typical characteristics:
- Speed prioritized over inspection
- Old-style grinding wheels
- High pressure
- No single person responsible for the knife
The knife may feel sharp briefly — but the cost shows up later.
The hidden damage
We regularly see knives that have been:
- Overheated at the edge (burned steel won’t hold sharpness)
- Excessively thinned
- Ground unevenly from heel to tip
- Scratched heavily along the blade face
Once heat treatment or geometry is damaged, it cannot be undone.
We’ve seen:
- Entire sets of high-end Japanese knives permanently compromised
- Premium German knife sets dramatically shortened in lifespan
- Old forged Zwilling and Sabatier knives — tools meant to last generations — ruined in a single visit
A few inexpensive sharpenings can destroy an entire set.
Truck sharpening: stuck in another era
Many truck-based sharpeners are still using equipment and methods from decades ago.
Common issues include:
- Poorly dressed or misshapen stone wheels
- Inconsistent angles
- Excessive heat buildup
- Rushed or shaky passes
We’ve seen valuable Japanese and German knives severely damaged this way.
Even more tragic are vintage European forged knives that can’t be replaced once altered.
When steel is burned or geometry is destroyed, sharpening can’t fix it.
Kitchen stores: ask how they sharpen
Some kitchen stores offer sharpening as a convenience.
Many simply:
- Use pull-through sharpeners out back
- Apply one-size-fits-all angles
- Treat sharpening as an add-on, not a craft
If a store offers sharpening, ask:
- Who sharpens the knife?
- What equipment is used?
- Is one person responsible from start to finish?
- Can the angle be adjusted from one knife to the next, or is it the same for every knife?
Clear answers matter.
What you’re actually paying for
Professional sharpening costs more because it includes:
- Individual evaluation
- Controlled geometry
- Custom Angle
- Thermal management
- Minimal steel removal
- Modern abrasives
It’s not faster because it’s careless.
It’s faster because it’s controlled.
Experience matters
We’ve sharpened tens of thousands of knives for home cooks and professionals across Toronto.
We currently handle sharpening for Cookery, and previously did sharpening work for Tosho Knife Arts — two businesses with very different knives, but very high standards.
More importantly, many of our customers have been returning for years, bringing back the same knives again and again.
That only happens when knives are preserved — not consumed.
The real value equation
A knife that lasts:
- Over a decade with careful sharpening
vs - Only year with aggressive grinding
is cheaper in the long run — even if each sharpening costs more.
Bottom line
There is no single “correct” price for sharpening.
But the most expensive sharpening is the one that quietly destroys your knives.
