About Art Downing
Sharpener
EdgeWorks is a homegrown sharpening service operated by Art Downing.
Since my grandfather showed me how to whet my pen knife about 50 years ago, I have compulsively sharpened knives and tools whenever confronted by a dull edge. Dinner hosts have left me to make a salad and returned to find me ransacking their kitchen searching for something to use as a hone. I have used the back of a plate or bowl to help a tired knife cope with a tough tomato. The intolerance for dullness, imparted by ‘gramps’ has produced a lifelong (if casual) study of honing tools and technique.
Encouraged by appreciative edge users (chefs, gardeners, etc.) I continue to develop techniques and acquire tools. Modesty precludes any claim to mastery of the honing arts, but I will guarantee an astonishingly sharp and durable cutting edge to any implement taken into my care.
The Sharpening Process
Art sharpens cutlery in three stages. The first stage creates or restores an appropriate bevel, the second and third hone and polish this beveled surface with a progression of ever finer abrasives. The result is a razor sharp edge with a mirror finish, that will endure a lot of heavy use. Custom bevels and alternative finishes are also available. For scissors and other shears, Art uses professional equipment to produce edges that are 2-3 times sharper than new from the factory.