The Knife and Tool Sharpening Podcast

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In this episode, I’m joined by Steve Harris of Breckenridge Knife & Tool Sharpening, recorded live from his shop in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Steve shares how his retail store, Off the Slopes, naturally led him into professional knife and tool sharpening after customers kept asking a simple question: “Can you sharpen my knife?” What started as a value-add quickly turned into a thriving sharpening business serving homeowners, professional chefs, flower shops, groomers, and more — all in a small resort town.

We talk about Steve’s origin story, how joining the Guild of Professional Sharpeners jump-started his skills and confidence, and why he approaches sharpening with a service-first mindset — focusing on quality, value, and sharpening to the customer’s real use case. We also dive into sharpening as a powerful retirement or second-career path, how to shape the business around your life, and what it takes to support customers through both knife sales and long-term sharpening care.

If you’re a working sharpener, thinking about starting a sharpening business, or curious how a real knife shop operates behind the scenes, this conversation is packed with practical insight.

🔗 LINKS
• Off the Slopes (Steve’s retail shop):
https://www.offtheslopes.com/

• Breckenridge Knife & Tool Sharpening:
 https://breckenridge-knife-and-tool-sharpening-46724128.hubspotpagebuilder.com/en-us/

• Guild of Professional Sharpeners:
 https://guildofsharpeners.org

🎧 The Knife and Tool Sharpening Podcast is made possible by the Guild of Professional Sharpeners — a community of knife and tool sharpening business owners who help each other achieve success as each individual defines it. Learn more at https://guildofsharpeners.org

🧭 TOPICS COVERED

• Steve’s origin story: from retail knives to sharpening
• Service-first business philosophy
• Sharpening as a retirement or second career
• Quality vs. value in sharpening work
• Serving high-end chefs and everyday customers
• Using the Guild map to refer customers nationwide (and worldwide)
• Lessons from running a knife-focused retail shop

👍 If this episode helped you, like, subscribe, and leave a comment:
 What question do you have about starting or growing a sharpening business?

#knifesharpening #sharpeningbusiness #knives #guildofprofessionalsharpeners #breckenridge

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In this episode of the Knife and Tool Sharpening Podcast, I sit down with Phil Van Lanen, owner of Van Lanen Sharpening, for a thoughtful, honest conversation about craft, service, and building a sharpening business the right way.

Phil shares how his approach to sharpening has always been grounded in serving people first — focusing on doing good work, treating customers well, and letting the business grow naturally instead of chasing quick wins. We talk about his early days getting started, lessons learned along the way, and the mindset shifts that helped him build something sustainable and fulfilling.

This conversation isn’t about hype, shortcuts, or gimmicks. It’s about:

• Starting a sharpening business with integrity
• Learning through mistakes and staying humble
• Communicating clearly with customers
• Balancing craftsmanship with real-world business needs
• Why service, consistency, and care still matter in a trade business

Whether you’re just getting started in sharpening, years into the craft, or simply interested in building a small trade-based business that aligns with your values, this episode offers grounded perspective and practical wisdom from someone who’s living it.

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In this session I focus the conversation on reasons to consider sharpening in retirement. 

I also look back on what we covered in the Guild in January and forecast some things to expect in February. 

Hopefully you found some points worthy of consideration. 

Learn more at: www.GuildOfSharpeners.org 

or reach me at [email protected]

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Welcome to the first Knife and Tool Sharpening Podcast episode!

As a launch to this project I'm including some background on the evolution of The American Edge and The Guild of Professional Sharpeners. 

Following that is an attempt to set expectations for what to expect in 2025 from this podcast and for members or those interested in becoming members to the Guild.

I hope this helps you in some way and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me.

https://members.guildofsharpeners.org/share/5V7kvPRJA1YDwUFw?utm_source=manual

[email protected]