A FINER EDGE Questions and Answers

1. Do you guarantee your work?

A. Absolutely! If you are not satisfied with the edge, let me know and I will resharpen it.

2. What do you sharpen?

A. I sharpen (for salons) shears, clippers and nippers. For homes, I sharpen knives, scissors and chisels. I can sharpen most tools, but I will need to inspect them before giving a definite price.

3. Do you have a schedule for sharpening?

A. For now, I do not have a set schedule for sharpening. You can all and make an appointment 7 days a week.

4. If I need something sharpened, do I call or e-mail?

A. If you need something sharpened immediately, call (980) 229-1149. If I cannot answer, leave a message and I will call back as soon as I can. E-mails will be answered that evening.

5. Can I make an appointment for sharpening?

    A. Yes, just call or e-mail, if it is within my service area (see the map below).
For home sharpening:
If you live within 4 miles, there is no trip charge or a minimum fee.
If the sharpening appointment is for one home more than 4 miles from my home, there will be a $25 minimum charge.
If you live more than 7 miles from my home, there is a minimum of $35 for sharpening.
For Salons:
If the sharpening appointment is for one person in a salon, there will be a $5 trip charge. However, if you have one other person the the salon that has sharpening that I can do the same visit, the trip charge will not apply.

6. Do you offer discounts?
A. Yes. For every (3) homes that I do sharpening for and they give you as a referral, I will sharpen one knife for you. For every salon professional that I do sharpening for and they give you as a referral, I will sharpen one pair of your shears.

7. How much experience do you have?
A. I have been sharpening (knives, scissors and tools for friends and family) for the last 20 years (I actually started sharpening when I was 5). Knowing that I needed to know more than how to use sharpening stones and a grinder, I became certified in the techniques and use of several sharpening machines and devices with emphasis on sharpening and care of professional salon scissors.
      I also have received individual sharpening training at Wolff Industries, a leading manufacturer of shears and scissors, and the manufacturer of both the Hira-to and Twice-as-Sharp sharpeners.

8. What does "certified" mean when it comes to sharpening?
A. A certified sharpener is someone who has completed training provided by a master sharpener. The person must be able to successfully demonstrate their sharpening skills on a wide variety of items, including professional shears, scissors, knives, nippers, etc. For salon shears, the goal is to sharpen the shears so that there is no hair slide when using the shears and you can do a slide cut with the shears. Many times I will test the shears by cutting a wet, single piece of facial tissue. The cut should be clean and smooth. This is the standard test cut for the International Shear Sharpeners Guild.

Certified also means that I am an approved and Certified vendor & contractor for the City of Charlotte.

9. Who did you receive your sharpening certification from?
A. I received my one-on-one training and certification for professional shear sharpening from Jason Pintel of The Sungold Group in California. Jason Pintel is a master sharpener who has been training professional sharpeners for 25 years and has been a professional hair stylist for over 40 years. He works directly with sharpening machine manufacturers to help improve their equipment, is the founder and president of the International Shear Sharpeners Guild and can trace his sharpening lineage directly to Konichi Shigeru, Master Shear Maker of Japan.

10. If I am in a hurry and I need something sharpened now, can I bring it to you?
A. Yes. You will need to call to make sure I will be at home and I will give you directions to get to my place. The trip fee will not apply.

11. What area do you service?
A. For now, I am going to try and keep the service area limited to South Charlotte, Ballantyne, Pineville and areas in the shaded part of the map below. Please study this map to determine if you are within the service area before making a request for sharpening. However, this area may change as my sharpening business picks up speed.
If you are outside of the service area, you are more than welcome to bring your items to me for sharpening, or I can come to you (trip charge will apply to cover gas for the van). Please contact me for availability.

12. Can you sharpen left-hand shears?
   A. Yes.

13. Do you have extra salon shears that I can use while you are sharpening mine?
   A. Yes, I carry a complete line of extra shears you can use. If you like the shears, they are available for purchase at a discount price.

14. Can't I use the round steel rod (that came with my knife set) to sharpen my knives?
A. If the rod is steel, it is not a sharpener. It is designed to straighten a dented edge, not sharpen it. If the rod is white, it is probably ceramic. It can be use to sharpen your knives. However, using it incorrectly can actually create a cutting edge that is weak and will not last.

15. Can you sharpen Ginger sewing scissors?
A. Yes. However, be advised that Ginger will void the warranty if I sharpen them. If you have left-handed scissors, I can sharpen them but cannot test cut with them - that will have to be up to you.

16. What kind of edge do you create when you sharpen knives?
   A. I do not use a "V" shaped cutting edge. My edges have multiple sides, as shown in the sketch below. The "V" shaped edge can be very sharp, but it will be a weak edge and dull quickly. The multi-sided edge will stay sharper longer.

17. What are micro-serrations and can you add them to my scissors or shears?
A. Micro-serrations are very small grooves that are added to the cutting edge of the scissor or shear. Their purpose is to help the scissor or shear grab and hold what is being cut. Yes, I can add micro-serrations to shears or scissors.

If you any any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail.