Knife Sharpening Business Pays Off

Knife Sharpening Business Pays Off 27-5-6 There's money to be made sharpening knives, either part or full-time, according to Wayne Dorsett. The Kirkland, Washington man has been supplementing his meat-cutting career with this part time knife sharpening for 15 years and says there are loads of opportunities for would-be sharpeners. "This is the best part-time job I've ever had. There should be someone doing this in every community. It's easy to get accounts," he says. "I sharpen knives for grocery stores, cafes and restaurants and they generally want me to come back every month and sharpen them again. I work fulltime as a meat cutter, but have 20 knife sharpening accounts that I take care of in my spare time." Dorsett touts himself as "the world's best knife sharpener." He uses the professional "Edge Pro Knife Sharpener" and approaches business owners or supermarket department managers, asking them if they'd like to have their knives sharpened. If they turn him down, he offers to sharpen one knife for free to show them what he can do. Dorsett tests a knife's sharpness by seeing how easily it cuts a thin sheet of paper from a writing tablet he brings with him. His charges are: $3.75 for a butcher knife, $3.25 for a fillet knife and $2.00 for a produce knife. Dorsett says some knives are easy and some take a little longer, but what matters most is that he does a quality job of sharpening. "On average, I would say it takes about five minutes to sharpen a knife," he says. "The Edge Pro Knife Sharpener puts a perfect bevel on the knife. You can't go wrong." Dorsett is also a dealer for the Edge Pro Knife Sharpener and sells the smaller, fold-up model that comes in a carrying case for $130. The larger and faster model, which is what he uses for his business, sells for $340. "I've found that most of the people I deal with don't want to buy the sharpener. They just want a sharpening service. Even most meat cutters aren't interested in the machine. Just because a guy is a meat cutter doesn't mean he can sharpen knives, or wants to. I drive a car but can't fix one," he notes. After initial contact with a client, he stops in to see them again in a month, checking to see if their knives need re-sharpening. Depending on their state, he can then decide how often they will require his services, whether it be monthly, or only every six weeks. "I'd be glad to do anything I can to help anyone who thinks they'd be interested in starting this kind of business for themselves. All they have to do is call me with their questions," he says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Wayne Dorsett, 13505 -121 Ave. N.E., Kirkland, Wash. 98034 (ph 425 823-5421) or Edge Pro Sharpening Systems, Box 95, Hood River, Ore. 97031 (ph 541 387-2222; email: edgepro@gorge.net; website: www. edgeproinc.com).

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