Professional Knife Sharpening for Culinary Knives in New Zealand
We offer a BESS Certified Knife Sharpening Service to Restore a Razor-Sharp Edge to Quality Culinary Knives for Chefs, Cooks and Passionate Home Cooks.
How it works
Service
What we sharpen & what to expect:
We sharpen all culinary knives.
We do not sharpen single-edge, micro-bevel, serrated, bread, diving or folding knives.
Knives are returned with cardboard safety sheaths.
Before-and-after BESS results provided.
Sending
How to send us your knives:
Complete our booking form below.
We will contact you to confirm your booking.
Carefully package your knives in the original box, or wrap your knife in paper and pack into a box.
Courier to the address provided in our confirmation email.
Pricing
Sharpening
Knives up to 240mm: $12.00 per knife
Knives over 240mm: $15.00 per knife
Additional Services
Chipped blade repair: from $15.00
Broken tip repair: from $15.00
Bolster reduction: $10.00
Blade concavity removal: from $15.00
Returning
How we get your knives back to you:
Sent via Signature-Required Courier
Up to 1-10 knives with packaging
North Island: $15.00
South Island: $25.00
Rural/offshore: POA
Tauranga: Drop off/collect by arrangement
FAQs
What knives do you sharpen?
We sharpen all culinary knives, except single-edge, micro-bevel, serrated, bread, diving or folding knives.
How much does sharpening cost?
$12 for knives up to 240mm, $15 for longer knives. We have additional services for damaged culinary knife blades needing repair. See our pricing section for more details.
Do you offer repairs?
Yes, we repair chipped blades, broken tips, and more. See our pricing or contact us through our Book a Sharpen form.
How do I book a sharpening?
Use the Book a Sharpen form below to arrange your service.
How do I send you my knives?
After booking, package your knives securely and courier them to our address provided in our confirmation email.
Can I drop off my knives in Tauranga?
Yes, if you’re local to Tauranga, you can arrange drop-off and collection by appointment. Otherwise, our courier service covers all of New Zealand.
How long does sharpening take?
Local drop-offs in Tauranga are usually ready in 24 hours, depending on backlog orders. Courier orders are processed promptly upon arrival.
How will my knives be returned?
We return knives via Signature-Required Courier only. Cardboard safety sheaths and BESS Testing Results are included.
What is BESS testing
BESS (Brubacher Edge Sharpness Scale) measures sharpness and an international standard of quantifying sharpness. We provide before and after BESS results with every sharpening.
How often should I sharpen my knives?
It depends on use. Professionals may sharpen weekly, while home cooks may need it once or twice a year.
BESS Certification
BESS (Brubacher Edge Sharpness Scale) is the international standard for measuring sharpness. Lower BESS scores mean sharper knives.
Our sharpened culinary knives consistently score 50–75 BESS. That's razor sharp for effortless, safe cutting and a joy to use, whether you are a home cook or a culinary profession
Razor-Sharp Edge
A laser protractor is used to set the blade angle with an accuracy of 0.1 degrees, and computer software is used to set and maintain the angle during the sharpening process.
This creates a whole new standard of sharpness, leagues beyond the old arm-hair-shaving or paper-cutting tests.
How we care for your culinary knife while sharpening
CBN Wheels Protect Blade
Low-speed grinders with CBN wheels prevent overheating and protect blade integrity, ensuring steel hardness and edge retention.
Minimal Metal Removed
Minimal metal is removed during the sharpening process to help extend the lifespan of your knife whilst still achieving razor-sharp performance.
Trusted Process
Our techniques and software were developed by Dr Vadim Kraichuk of Knife Grinders Australia, a leading authority on knife sharpening and the science of achieving a lasting razor edge.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
"We are total converts to both Japanese knives and Al’s ability to keep them sharp – for both our professional kitchen and our home one. For years, (decades, actually) Rick has used European knives in the restaurant kitchen and kept them sharp himself with both a stone and a steel. And we thought they were sharp. Which they were, but nothing like the degree that Al is able to take a blade.
When you are as keen about cooking as we are, you spend a lot of time at a kitchen bench chopping things up, and that process is made infinitely easier and therefore more enjoyable when you have a really sharp knife at your disposal.
We talk about what a seismic change using these knives has been for us in our Cookschools, and every attendee who has gone on to contact Al, and get either their existing knives properly sharpened, or bought one of his Japanese knives, tell us that it’s been revolutionary for them too.
Some people react viscerally when you talk about how sharp the knives are, and how good that sharpness is. They seem to think that would make them especially dangerous, when in fact the opposite applies. Because they are sharp, little pressure needs to be applied to cutting through things, minimising the risk of slippage and cuts. We cannot recommend Al highly enough."
Anne & Rick
Somerset Cottage, Tauranga
