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APEXX
Knife & Scissor
Sharpening
by Kim
Serving Long Beach - South Bay - Orange County
On-site mobile sharpening and pickup / delivery services. Whether your knives just need a little love and attention or your grandfather's old rusty tools that need restoring, I'll take care of you. Over 10 years of experience with fast, economical personalized service.
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Are all blades sharpened the same way?No two knives are identical. Bevel angles can range from 10 to 30 degrees, Most kitchen knives have an angle between 17 and 22 degrees. Outdoor knives are usually sharpened at an angle between 22 - 30 degrees which produces a sharp edge that will hold up under more aggressive use such as cutting rope, box cutting, meat butchering. Depending on the material of the blade, the sharpening - and if necessary, grinding process - will be performed on different machines using varying belts or wheels with varying grits. Even the final stropping or polishing will be done according to what's best for the type of knife and blade.
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Can you repair the handle on my knife?Unfortunately, we cannot. We specialize in sharpening only. Although if we sharpen a knife for you that has a wooden handle that is dried out we will upon request add some wood rejuvenating oil to it at no extra charge.
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What payments do you accept?Cash, Zelle or Venmo.
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Can you fix a broken knife tip?I can usually reshape a blade that has a broken tip, chips or nicks. I can also usually reshape the bolster on a forged knife so that it doesn’t prevent the knife blade from contacting the cutting board.
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How do I know if my knives need sharpening?One way to determine if your knives need to be sharpened is to pay attention to how they feel when you use them. If your knives are not cutting as easily as they used to and are starting to slip and slide when you're cutting food such as tomatoes, it's likely time to get them sharpened. A sharp knife is a safe knife! Having to apply too much pressure with a dull knife increases the chances of the knife slipping unexpectedly, resulting in a bad cut!
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Do you reshape the bolster on my kitchen knife?In my experience, it is best to reduce the bolster to be in line with the blade of your knife. This ensures that the whole length of the blade will be in contact with whatever you are cutting. I will do this on request if your knife needs it.
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Do you guarantee your work?Absolutely! If for any reason, you should not be happy with the results, I will of course resharpen your knives free of charge!
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How should I care for my newly sharpened knives?Use only wood or plastic cutting boards. Glass and marble may damage a knife. Wash knives by hand , then dry them with a clean cloth to prevent rust. Never put them in the dishwasher. Store them in a wood knife block or wall knife magnet so that they don’t clatter next each other potentially chipping the edges. Prevent rust (especially on carbon knives) by wiping with a very small amount of food-grade mineral oil.
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Are cheap knives worth sharpening?Yes! Budget knives are often made of decent quality steel. Many of these knives have stamped blades that are mass produced, but their edges are machine finished and aren’t given high-quality edges.
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I have a very expensive knife that was previously sharpened by another sharpener but it got dull quickly.One possibility is the angle of your knife was not sharpened to to the proper angle. Another possibility is that too much steel was removed causing the edge to become too thin, which resulted in the edge rolling over when it came in contact with a hard surface.
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How often do I need my knives sharpened?Because different types of steel serve different purposes and some foods wear blades down faster than others, there is no one rule as to how often knives should be sharpened. Exactly how often you need to sharpen your blades depends on the knife, the type of material that it’s made of, and how often it’s used. With normal use, most steel knives should be sharpened approximately every six months.
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How long will it take to sharpen my knives?I normally have your items finished within 2 business days. Severely damaged blades may take a bit longer depending the on the repair needed.
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Can I sharpen my knives with a honing rod?A honing ceramic rod or honing steel works by straightening a micro-rolled blade edge and removing the burs. This process is used for blade maintenance and will keep your knives sharper longer, but once a knife has become dull, a honing steel cannot make it sharp. I can happily demonstrate for you the proper use of a honing rod.
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Does sharpening damage the knife?Whenever you sharpen a knife some metal will be removed, however only a very minimal amount of metal should be removed during sharpening. I use low RPM sharpening equipment which prevents overheating of the blade which can cause damage to the integrity of the metal. If you have a large chip in the edge that needs repairing I will only removed enough metal in order to repair the chip.
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What can you sharpen?I will sharpen: Chef's knives Santokus Pairing knives Most straight edge kitchen cutlery. Serrated bread knives. Meat cleavers Outdoor knives, such as Swiss Army style knives, folding knives, hunting and fishing knives, EDC knives. Garden tools such as pruners and hedge shears. Axes Scissors I do not sharpen: Micro serrated knives Ceramic knives Beauty Shears Electric knives Swords Daggers Kitchen appliance blades. Lawn mower blades.
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