Vinny Murgolo, aka “The Knife Guy,” has been a firefighter for 17 years, and he’s turned an oft-forgotten maintenance chore into a side business. From high-end, imported knives to the common kitchen knife, Murgolo has sharpened them all. He also sharpens axes, pruning shears and scissors. Learn more at theknifeguyreno.com.
What is your background? How did you get into sharpening knives?
It was from the fire department. Everyone has their rotation for cooking, and when I got hired, I didn’t know any recipes, so I had to go online and take some cooking classes. Since then, my passion for cooking has grown, and along with cooking a lot more, my knives got extremely dull, so I went down a deep rabbit hole trying to figure out how to sharpen my knives. I made many mistakes when I started, and eventually I became very good at sharpening my knives. So, then my friends and family asked me to sharpen their knives. And I was like, “OK, I think I can actually make a little bit of a side hustle doing this.” I posted online about my sharpening business on Nextdoor, and someone asked me to stop by and sharpen their knives. … It kind of spread out from there.
Who is your clientele?
My clients are a diverse group of people, from private chefs to home cooks and restaurant owners. I’ve sharpened for some celebrities before, and just the mom-and-pop people of Reno, pretty much.
What do you charge?
My base rate for any kitchen knife is $10, regardless of size. Some people want to charge $2 per inch to sharpen. I don’t want to measure every knife, so I just have a flat rate. Usually, people bring me anywhere from 1 to 20 knives, so I feel like that evens it out. The most someone has brought me was from a celebrity, and they brought me 50 knives.
How long does it take you to sharpen a knife?
Less than one minute! Since I got extremely busy, I upgraded from hand sharpening with diamond stones to using a 1-by-30-(inch) belt sander with various grits. … I can customize any angle for any client’s needs. For instance, I sharpen single-bevel knives for chefs at 10 degrees. I’ve done Western knives like Wüsthof or Henckels at 17 degrees. I try to match the bevel so I’m not taking off any more material than necessary.
Have you had any knives that have been particularly challenging to sharpen?
Yeah, I think the hardest knives to sharpen are probably everyday carry knives with a mirror polish. … I have to be very careful not to scratch the knife. A lot more prep goes into protecting the knife from any potential marring or damage to the edge. … Also, for single-bevel Japanese knives, I have to get those very precise. These take a lot more time to get right. People also bring me knives with giant broken tips or chips. Sometimes the tips are completely missing, so I have to refurbish those, and that’s all included in my pricing.
Do some people have an emotional attachment to their knives?
One hundred percent! Usually, those are the people who say, “Oh, my knives aren’t worth anything, but I love this one knife,” and I tell people I can restore any knife that you give me. As long as there’s metal on it, I can put any edge on it.
Knife sharpening seems like it’s something that everyone needs at some point, so how’s the future looking for your business?
I’m very fortunate that I have picked a profession to get into that can stand the test of time. Essentially, every homeowner, every person, has a knife, and everyone cooks, so I found a niche where I can make something razor sharp for someone who loves to cook and hates it when their knives get dull. It can be dangerous if the knife is dull or has a chipped edge, so having a sharp knife in the kitchen is safer and can make cooking so much more enjoyable. I want to help people learn how to sharpen knives, and I’m actually teaching at (Truckee Meadows Community College) for their culinary program. I’m excited that I can give back to the community that has given me so much.