Estate Sale Knives

Always being on the prowl for vintage knives (and garden tools) at estate sales.

Vintage Antler Handle Knives

Here is a (mis-matched) vintage carving knife set that I bought at an estate sale in San Jose, Cailf. 

Antler Handle Knives

These knives don't match exactly — the ferrels have different styles such — but I liked them and bought them.

They are all carbon steel, I don't know the age but I seem old.

I may keep them or may offer them for sale — let's see.

Sharpened Garden Tools for Sale | Corona Pruners and Other Brands

I keep an eye out for knives and garden tools when I am at garage sales and thrift stores. I look for good quality, sturdy tools that can be refurbished.

Refurbished Pruners, Trowel and Axe For Sale

This photo shows most of my current selection of garden tools that I have refurbished and have for sale. There are a lot of Corona pruners, an ax and assorted other pieces.

Once I select a tool to be refurbished I disassemble, clean, sharpen, oil, reassemble and adjust. All of these tools are ready for many more years for service!

Look me up if you want to buy a refurbished garden tool (for a fraction of new) or if you want me to sharpen and fix up yours! My mobile sharpening service is convenient — bring me kitchen knives, garden tools or scissors and I will sharpen all in minutes!

SOG Automatic Knife

I have just received some nice knives -- including this SOG SOG-TAC Auto pictured here

An automatic knife is a knife that swings open with a push of a button. This SOG opens and closes with the same button, and the knife has a lock -- it can be locked open or locked closed.  

A beautiful knife, black stainless steel blade, black aluminum handle, made in USA. 

Soon to Have White River Knives!

I expect to receive a selection of White River Knives soon. I have some hunting and sport knives, and a filet knife on their way.

White River Knives is a small, USA company that makes quality, beautiful knives.

White River Filet Knife with Cork Handle

Pictured above is a White River filet knife, this is a stainless steel knife with cork handle. The knife comes with a leather sheath, and the sheath and knife have a strap / connector to keep the knife safely in the sheath while it is in your tackle box.

Can't wait — maybe a week or two. I will have them with me on my knife sharpening stops — hunt me down and check them out, my schedule is here.

Knives and Garden Tools Stacked Up in the Out Box!

Last Sunday at Gene's Fine Foods in Pleasanton was a busy knife sharpening day! I try to finish what is brought to me so that the knives or garden tools are sharpened and ready when the customer leaves the supermarket.

This last Sunday I was busy — and when I was all caught up I took a moment to stand up and stretch. Once I stood up and looked around I saw the full tray of finished knives and garden tools awaiting their owners and thought they made a nice photograph!

Sharpened Knives Awaiting Pickup

This picture shows two bundles of knifes. Once I sharpen a knife it is wrapped carefully, for two reasons — for safety, so nobody gets cut; and also to protect the sharpened edge of the knife. Knives are brought to me all manor of ways, these knives were wrapped in towels — and I wrapped them up in the same towels for the ride home.

Sharpened Hedge Clippers, Loppers, Pruners and Pole Pruners

One person brought all of her garden tools to be sharpened. This picture shows two pole pruners, two hedge clippers, one lopper, and there is a hand pruner or two under the pile.

When I sharpen a garden tool such as a pruner it is dissembled, sharpened, cleaned, oiled, reassembled and adjusted.

Also visible in this picture is a pair of scissors. These are owned by a 92 year old lady who inherited them from her mother! They were in great shape, and now freshly sharpened ready for many more years of service!

Sharpened Garden Tools

Here is another picture of the garden tools. Perhaps it does not add anything — but hey, I like the picture so might as use it! And it actually does show the pole pruners. The pole pruner closest is a Fiskars that is chain and belt actuated and I thought it a good design.

Solar Powered Knife Sharpening

And PS: All the above was done solar powered! Here is a view of the knife sharpening booth at Gene's Fine Foods in Pleasanton showing the solar panels and the equipment box.

The solar panels are one set of two hinged 40 watt panels — complete with stand and charge controller. The black box to the left has a deep cycle AGM battery, a inverter and also extra cables and supplies. The panels supply DC current to the battery, the charge controller controls how much current actually goes into the battery, and the inverter converts the DC to 120 AC which is used to power the knife sharpening equipment. The 40 watts from the panels has always been sufficient. The battery stores any energy that I am not using — and since even on a very busy day the equipment is not on constantly — I  have plenty of juice!

New Shipment of Folding Pocket Knives | Spyderco | Cold Steel | Timberline | SOG

Fun day — a box of knives came today! It's always fun to get stuff — and a box of really nice knives is really fun!

Boker Elegance

This first picture is a Boker Elegance. This folding knife has a plain satin finished stainless steel blade, and a handle with titanium.

Boker Epicenter

Boker Epicenter Clip Side View

The next two pictures show the Boker Epicenter. This knife is a big, strong, hefty folder! The handle material is solid titanium. It is a very nice heavy duty knife!

Timberline Ceramic Folder

Timberline Ceramic Folder

The two pictures show the Timberline ceramic bladed folder. This knife has a ceramic blade, and an aluminum handle. 

Spyderco Tenacious

Spyderco Tenacious Clip Side

This Spyderco seems to be my favorite knife of this batch — at least right now. This knife fits the hand, the opening hole makes opening the knife smooth and sweet.

Spyderco Atlantic Salt

This yellow knife is made for use around salt water. Most stainless steel will rust if exposed to harsh conditions such as salt water — this knife with not.

Cold Steel Mini Recon 1

This Cold Steel brand is a nice, well made folding knife.

New Knives Have Arrived!

Who doesn't like to get new stuff? 

I just received a shipment of knives!

Old Hickory, SOG, Condor, Boker Knife Shipment

Here is a picture of the opened box. A SOG rosewood handle Twitch XL folding knife, a set of Old Hickory knives, a Condor Throwing axe, and a Boker ceramic and carbon fiber folding knife are in there!

I will have all these with me as I setup my sharpening service.

This blog is about my knife business — and the primary focus is the mobile knife sharpening service. I setup my sharpening business at various supermarkets. Today is Friday — and Friday afternoons find me at Zanotto's Family Market in the Rose Garden area of San Jose.

Knife Sharpening at Zanotto's Family Markets Rose Garden Location

Here is my booth setup at Zanotto's. This picture shows me setup at the parking lot door — currently I am at the front of the parking lot near the front or patio door. I see that I need a new picture!

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Here is a description of my service at Zanotto's:

Zanotto's has a mobile knife service coming to Zanotto's every Friday, from 2pm to 6pm.

If you want your knives sharpened, you bring them with you when you go shopping, you leave them at the booth, you go into the supermarket and shop, and your knives, scissors and garden tools will be sharpened and ready to take home.

They sharpen knives, including serrated knives; scissors, pruners, loppers, and hedge trimmers:

• Knives are sharpened, chips are taken out, broken points are repaired, and after sharpening the knives are wrapped in newspaper for the ride home. 
• Garden tools are dissembled, cleaned, sharpened, oiled, reassembled and adjusted.
• Scissors are sharpened, cleaned and tested.
• Folding pocket knives are cleaned, sharpened, lubricated

Very reasonable prices. They accept cash, checks and credit cards (using Square on my smartphone).

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I bring all I need with me. I have a canopy, work and display tables, grinders, files and hand tools, knives and scissors for sale, and everything is solar powered.

New and Used Knives for Sale

Here is a picture of some of the knives I bring with me to my knife sharpening booth. I have kitchen cutlery, pocket and folding knives, and often some really cool estate sale finds!

Look me up, bring your knives or garden tools — and come by.

I am part of Sharpen While You Shop — and to visit my webpage on Sharpen While You Shop with all my locations click here.

Cutco Knives

I always have a eye out for knives while shopping at garage sales. Last Saturday I found these Cutco knives.

Vintage Cutco Knives and Cutco Knife Holders

The picture above shows two Cutco knife holders, a Cutco fork, Cutco butcher knife, Cutco paring knive and Cutco slicer knife. These are older knives, they seem to be the same as currently sold knives except for the handle material. Cutco has changed the handle material several times over the years.

Cutco Knife Handles

This picture shows the Cutco knife handles. This handle material resembles wood, it is a soft brown color with black swirls that mimics wood grain.

I think Cutco knife handles are quite comfortable.

Vintage Cutco Knives

This picture shows just the knives. The first is the fork. Next the butcher knife. A butcher knife has the rounded end — I image so the butcher can swing the knife through an arc as he is cutting. Next a paring knife, then a slicer. A slicer is a long thin knife. If you want to have nice looking slices of something you need a long slicer knife so you can pull the knife through just once for each slice.

Cutco Paring Knife

This is a close up of the Cutco paring knife. While the rest of the knives in this set are in excellent shape — this poor paring knife seems to have been sharpened to within a inch of it's life!

Cutco knives seem to have some kind of mystique about them. When I am set up in my knife sharpening booth people always approach me and ask if I sharpen Cutco knives. The answer is yes, I sharpen Cutco knives.

Cutco knives are sold by direct marketing in homes, so I assume that is why people seem to think that Cutco knives are somehow different — the salesperson (who is probably a relative or neighbor) operates off of a script.

A knife is a knife. There are different shapes, different sizes, different material and construction, but all are quite close to the original design that dates back some millions of years — and pretty much any knife is sharpened using the same tools and methods.

I decided to put these Cutco knives up on eBay.