Schleifservice für Santoku, Gyuto, Kiritsuke, Petty
Sign to attract customers

Last year when lived in Kyoto for a while I received a wonderful knife from a Tofumaker. When I went home to Mitsu, the small village where my grandmother lives in, I immediately started to sharpen the knife I received. I wanted to learn how to sharpen the knife as it is such a pleasure to cut vegetables with a freshly sharpened knife. Like, if you cut through tomato and you actually cut instead of pressing it down until the tomato is squeezed completely – this is wonderful. So, this year I thought I should sharpen the knives of the villagers. I made a poster and hang it out on the street. But my grandmother did not like it at all because she was afraid that everybody would come and I would be buried under old and rusty knives. She even suggested that I should write “two knives per person only”. Anyway in the first few days only one customer appeared and it was my grandmothers younger brother. He brought some knives, all very rusty and cheap. Besides his knives I sharpened my grandmothers knives as well. As I did not want any money for my service, grandfather (my grandmothers brother, actually everybody is called grandfather and grandmother in the village), brought me one kilo of good tango rice in return. A few days later I went to knock on our neighbors door and asked the very nice grandmother if I should sharpen her knives as well. Of course, she saw the sign but was too shy to come by. I sharpened her knives and she brought me three very nice fishes in return. Ever since my sister and I think, if we would live in that village, we would just provide some simple service and get paid with food and do not need any money at all!

Very cheap knife from a customer - actually it is from the brother of my grandmother.
Obachan is the Nr. 1 customer - curious if it is done right.
Japanischer Messerschleife
Improvised working station - it is behind Obachans house.
Look at this orignaly sharpen-stones. But actually they are not good anymore...
Maybe Obachans slipper is too small?
Pretty rusty... means lot of work.
My grandfathers Deba - very heavy
My favorite. It is a Sashimi knife and over one hundred years old.
It is a great feeling after they are all sharp.
I did not charge anything. So customers brought me food in return. This is a bag of finest Kyotango rice.
It can get hot when sharpening. The plants are perfect for holding the pullover.

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