Have you ever noticed difficulty chopping or cutting on your cutting surface? Chances are that the knife’s profile needs correction. Common problems include knicks or chips in the blade edge, broken tips, rounded points, a hollowed-out (bow-shaped) blade, or a metal bolster that needs to be reduced. These problems can prevent parts of or the entire blade from meeting the cutting board.
We correct the profile of a knife blade by using a coarse grit to remove only the amount of metal needed to restore a smooth edge to the blade. Once that is done, sharpening can be accomplished.
You’ll know if the bolster needs reducing if you place the knife with its edge perpendicular to the cutting surface. If the bolster is resting on the cutting surface but the blade does not come into contact with the surface, then it’s likely that the bolster needs to be ground down so that it allows the blade to meet the cutting board.
In the photograph, the blue arrow points to the bolster where it adjoins the blade. This knife has had its bolster reduced so that the blade meets the cutting board.
So, don’t chuck that knife in the trash. Bring it to us for reprofiling instead. Although it is impossible to say what your knife needs without actually seeing it, we can correct most imperfections by reprofiling at no extra charge.