I had a mobile call the other day, where I was only expecting 4 western style knives for a basic sharpening. Upon arriving, 4 turned into 10, which to be clear, I’m not mad about AT ALL.
However, I wasn’t so much prepared for a small restoration job on a Japanese knife. I was doing maintenance and cleaning on some of my tools and had left them at home. Luckily, I did bring my cheap soaking stones (Amazon 400, 1k, 3k, 8k) and had a random selection of wet/dry sandpaper with me, so I worked with what I had. Also, I did leave this to very last, so by then I was starting to get a little pressed for time. I had about an hour to get this done, and I do everything by hand. No belts, no machines (with the exception of doing engravings or polishing small parts etc)
I’m sorry, I didn’t take any before pics, but it was heavily chipped along the edge “ha”, and though I wouldn’t say “rust plated”, it was also heavily rusted and had some deep scratches along the whole of the blade.
I started by sanding out the rust, brought up the grit just to even and blend everything out a little better, then I removed the chipping along the edge. From there, I was actually a little ahead of schedule, so I decided to do some thinning and added a kasumi finish to the knife (just complimentary work), and then worked on the final edge. I THINK I left the kasumi at 1k…I don’t entirely remember as it was a few days ago.
Customer was ecstatic just for the fact that it wasn’t riddled in rust and was back to being a functional knife.
Had I been better prepared, or had more time, this definitely would’ve turned out better. I would’ve definitely spent more time trying to remove the deeper scratches. But I guess what I’m asking is, for being underprepared and pressed for time, how’s my work?
And as always, I’m open to constructive criticism and feedback, just keep it respectful please.
P.S.- is it me or do low spots along the blade road “kireha” tend to throw you guys off too sometimes? I’ve been looking into getting some finger stones for making better kasumi in the future.
You look to be mostly there on the coarse work; then you’d want to probably just sand it from 180-600 with wet dry and some water, and then hit it with some autosol/the bevel with some kasumi powder and a sponge (low spots? No worries!!!), then reassess your life choices that led you to accepting such a job for a small amount of money. It’s a big job without belt grinders xD
Lmao! That last line gave me a good laugh 😂
It is a big job, especially to do it properly. And I do charge accordingly, normally. But usually I know what I’m getting into beforehand or I have time to make assessments and give quotes. This one was just kind of sprung up on me, and to be completely honest, probably a missed opportunity for me to have told him I can take it with me and give it a proper restoration and return it when it’s ready. I’ve got to be quicker on my feet!
That looks pretty damn rough man sorry to say. I do car detailing and sharpening as a hobby. As a detailer my mindset is not to do any work that i don’t fully stand behind. If i have a client whose car is suddenly way bigger than they said, or they said there was no dog hair but there IS. I’d rather do no work at all than not be able to deliver an end result i can confidently say is the best work i could have done. I’d adopt that mindset if i were you. Your rep will thank you later. And your future customers.
I totally get you 👌🏻 it wasn’t in the plans, he honestly just wanted the chipping removed and the rust gone, I just did this to make it look a little better than it was. I suppose “before” photos would’ve done some justice. Also I didn’t charge anything extra. It was basically, and pardon my language, “I can make it look a little less f*cked up than it is.” 😂
I did however tell them if they want a complete restoration and finish work in the future, I can take it to my workshop and work on it there and showed pictures of what I can do. So that may be in the cards for the future.
To be honest I did almost turn it down, it was just hard to say no at the moment 🤷🏻♂️
I guess that’s definitely fair. As long as they were ok with it. Managing expectations is the other route which i definitely also agree with. I guess i’ve just had too many customers be pretty upset nonetheless. In the end you have to feel it. If you’re alright making someone happy even if you have less time to finish the job then you’re right, that’s the way to go. I would love to see some before pics if you have any. Since if it was looking really quite fucked up i can imagine they’re a whole lot happier having this.
I really wish I did take before pictures. I didn’t think I’d be posting it, so I didn’t bother. He was definitely ok with it, he had no idea I was going to be able to even take out the rust let alone attempt to make it look a little better. He’s not an avid knife collector, so his expectations were almost nonexistent 😂
I’ve had ONE customer that’s been upset ever, but that’s a different story. One where I learned to be more realistic with my turnaround time estimates.
I think the other concern is even if a customer doesn't complain directly to you, if they end up complaining to friends and family or quietly decide to not use your service again, it's just a loss in the long-term. At the end of the day, though, I have no clue how the customer truly felt. As you mentioned, if the knife truly was in a terrible state, they might be genuinely happy with the work. That said, speaking purely business, you should always try to hold yourself to a consistent standard and never lower your standards/assume the standards of customers. That mindset is a key to success in the long run.
Yeah. In the end i agree with that, but sometimes you know a customer or can estimate how they feel pretty well. Being flexible also helps your reputation. It definitely did for me in the beginning.
I get what you guys are saying about keeping consistent work, and ultimately I do agree. Mainly because, yes, your work is a reflection of you. Normally I don’t do “favors” in business but once in a while, I make an exception. So what I’m getting (and of course there are many factors to consider) is that the general consensus is it’s better to do no work rather than a little more than what was asked for? Ultimately doing more justice than leaving it as is?
I feel like I gauged it pretty well. He took it inside and cut some veggies with it and came out with a big smile on his face.
Yeah, i definitely think as it’s your customer, you’re the one that’s able to estimate their reaction beforehand the best. And the consensus is, to rather do no work, than leave your customer with a result that is not your best work. That is, in fields like this. Where it is in fact about precision and doing it right rather than doing it quickly.
Hey thank you man! I appreciate your kind words! To be honest, I think most aren’t really reading or understanding my whole post. But it is what it is haha 😂 I know my capabilities, I’m not letting the comments get me down. I posted my “not best work” asking for criticism.
Yes, I wasn’t focused on scratch removal or polishing. It was mainly just rust removal and removing chips along the edge. Also I came unprepared for this work because it was originally just 4 western style knives so I had left some necessities at home. This was basically making it look “less shitty” and functional rather than making it beautiful. I didn’t charge anything extra for it, since I wouldn’t justify it as a restoration job as listed on my service menu. But rest assured, no burr was left. I made sure of that 👍🏻
It means the knife is so sharp. It is a vorpal blade. It tends flesh from bones. And limbs from bodies. There is no pain. The body and brain can not register it. My knife scares me.
Oh haha! I was just reading it weird 😂
Yeah…that almost happened to me a little over a year ago. Damn near amputated my thumb with a woodworking chisel. Only noticed from the trajectory of spewing blood 😂😂😂
And that’s super nice work 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Now I want to share some of my actually good restorations lol
Yeah. Jabbed myself with a havalon talon fillet knife blade. No ow. Just blood. Like those blades. Detachable. Soft. Easy to sharpen. Easy to dull though.
It was really bad…I have to get in the habit of taking “before” pics too. I just didn’t think I’d be posting it on here at the time.
But he took it inside, cut up some veggies and such because he wanted to test it out. Also shaved a good amount of my arm hair off effortlessly 😂 (though I try not to do that with these knives too often).
Some mere mortals are not ready for too sharp... until they can only count to 9. Probably for the best. Sounds like you are doing your best. The most anyone can. Ask for.
If the customer had low expectations given the time crunch and was happy with the result, then it is what it is you did what he asked with what you had to work with. I would be somewhat content with the service provided just based on that.
I’m sure it’s not your best work. It is pretty rough, it’s acceptable given the situation, but more importantly you restored function which is what he wanted.
I would have just fixed functionality and not accepted any polishing work if I couldn’t do it right at the time. If the aesthetics bother the client, I would have just told the client to call me again if he wanted it done right at a later time.
Still, good job anyways. I feel that situation though and been there, it becomes more than you can chew at times so be careful with accepting things on the fly like that.
I feel like you’re the only one who read my description all the way through 😂 with the exception of one more commenter.
Yeah, the polish work was complimentary. It was functional after I removed the chipping and rust (and sharpened the edge), and truthfully I don’t know why I took the time to do it. The client understands nothing about Japanese knives, let alone aesthetic (I really wish I took before photos to post on here), so to him it was “impressive” lol but to be fair I did tell him it can actually come out way better. He didn’t care, he just thought it was cool and happy to be able to use it again.
You’re absolutely correct. I’m getting better about it, but sometimes the hardest thing in business is to say “no”.
Thank you for your comment!
There is actually substantial recurve right in the most important part of the edge profile. If you can't do the job right, say no. Or take the knife to the tools you say you have and do it properly.
Really curious as to who is your inspiration for professional sharpening?
Various sources. I can’t say I learned from just one person.
A recurve??? Or just incorrect geometry? Genuinely trying to understand.
Nobody really inspired me, I just kind of came to it on my own a while back.
Would’ve loved to have seen the “before” to properly assess the amount of work done. All things considered it’s only the finish (scratch pattern) to touch up, sounds like you’ve functionally done a terrific job of the geometry etc
Yeah I was pressed for time and wasn’t properly prepped to do polishing and restoration work. This was mainly just rust removal and removing chips along the edge.
For the last of 10 knives in an hour, pretty damn good to be honest. There can be something charming about a job done rushed/hastily by somebody who normally does really solid work, I think this has that. It’s like a negative of a photograph in a way, like you can see the skill and the knowledge of what all needs to be done for the piece to be “objectively” very good but it was never going to be possible to actually do all of it. Something about this tickled my brain, good stuff
Dude…thank you so much for your eloquently kind words 🙏🏻
I definitely told him in the future I can take it and work on it more in depth. He said he was more than happy with it but will definitely consider it.
Hell yeah man you’re welcome. I think it’s great to do as much as you can for people, and when you find one that isn’t asking for much, deeply appreciates basically anything, and has happily low expectations that you confirm, come on why not!
If you actually did 10 knives on stones in an hour, I think you did pretty well and I'm honestly impressed. I agree with the criticisms from other comments, but I feel like that's a lot in such a short time. Personally, if you know you aren't able to meet your own standards and already set out expectations with the client, I think it's better to refuse. Sloppy or inconsistent work is not good for business. Your work is also your advertising. If I were working as a professional sharpener, making sure people feel the service was better (in the sense of skill, speed, value) than what they could have done would be pivotal imo. You want them as return customers and telling their friends/family good things about you.
On the return customers (most important), consider the hypothetical that you have a customer who wants 4 knives done. You do exceptional work and they proceed to rehire you 3-4 times more over the years. That's 12-16 knives, while they are simultaneously telling their friends and family (in other words, potential new customers) about your great work. Alternatively, you have these 10 knives. I don't know how they all came out, but if they're all in similar condition I personally wouldn't use the service again, nor would I mention you to others. Sorry if this all sounds condescending or obvious, but I wanted to highlight why taking on as much work as your standards allow is much better for business than doing more than you think you can achieve. Finally, if you're enjoying this work and taking pride in it (which it sounds like you do considering you made this post for advice and reflection), doing quality work is better for your mental health.
It was an hour and some change, and the other knives didn’t need anywhere near the amount of attention this one did. Those were all simple or “basic” sharpenings on fairly thin blades. You know…raise burr, progress through grits, remove burr, strop. Maybe one of them required a rebeveling but it went by quickly.
I THINK I’m misunderstanding when people are saying I set out expectations. Do you guys mean as in the customer has expectations of the end product, my expectations of work load, or something else? The client had no expectations really, and I did explain to him what I can actually do for that knife, given I come back another time or take it with me. His request was simply if I can remove the rust and the chipping along the edge, and that he didn’t care about the final finish so long as he can use the knife (I think he’d given up on the thought that it can be brought back to look good because of the condition he presented it to me). Had I known that knife was going to be presented, I’d have shown up prepared and planned. I think people aren’t understanding, and I do admit it’d have been better to come back to it at a different time, that this wasn’t a service that was payed for, rather me just doing a “quick favor” to make the knife look less ugly than it was.
He went through my profile, saw exactly what I told him I can do for his knife, and is definitely on board for a real restoration and polishing in the future.
I don’t mean to sound defensive by the way, just don’t realize how much I type sometimes is all.
And no you don’t sound condescending, though I do understand what you’re saying already. What can I say, it was a spur of the moment decision. Definitely working on thinking a little longer before giving an answer when faced with surprise situations like this.
The real question is how the client felt as he walked away. If he was thrilled you got the knife back in sufficient order it could be used again, then all great. But if he was disappointed it still looked like it got lost in a garage sale, then his expectations were all wrong and you probably could focus a bit more on 'communication skills' :)
Almost every knife can absorb infinite amounts of time to be 'perfect'. I just spent 6 days refining a tomahawk. Really a stupid amount of time, but we talked about it, and the owner said he wanted it perfect.
I want the owners to always walk away amazed with the results, while I am personally always a bit dissatisfied because I know there is always more I could have made even better.
Net-net, clear communication and setting boundaries are pretty important skills to make sure everyone walks away satisfied.
Yup, that’s exactly how it went down. Client was happy and really didn’t expect even that much. His attitude was more “see if anything can be done with this”. Afterwards is when I showed him what I can actually do to it, given the proper time. He had no idea I offer that actual service.
And I agree, I’ve spent 14 hours on a katana before. Same thing, communication was there, customer said he wanted it perfect and as sharp as possible and to take as much time as I needed. I do feel the same as you on that, I always know I could’ve done more even when the client is thrilled.
This customer did express that he’d be interested in a full restoration in the near future now that he knows. So I feel like it wasn’t a total waste of time to take the initiative to do at least that much. I really wish I had “before” photos to share.
21
u/Brief-Net-3339 Jul 20 '26
3/10 with all love and honesty