After years of dilly dallying on sending our Shun knives to be sharpened, we finally realized that the more convenient option was (almost literally) in front of our noses. There's a reason Exact Blade has such consistently good reviews. We dropped off five knives to be sharpened, including one of our Shun knives. They were ready the next day, and I used one of the lower quality knives when making dinner. It was like having a brand new knife. Customer service is excellent, and pricing can't be beat. We've decided to do the subscription, at least until we get caught up on sharpening everything that desperately needs it. Soon the dullest thing in this house will be me! read more

If you need any blade sharpened look no further. This is the place to go. The guys there are great, they have excellent expertise, the prices are reasonable and the turnaround time is quick. They also have a great selection of numerous knives for any need. I just used them to sharpen both kitchen knives and garden tools and they brought them all back to life. Five stars!!! read more

This is a great shop for sharpening your knives regularly as well as adding to your knife drawer. They have quick turnaround, are very knowledgeable and are far more reasonably priced that the service that visits my grocery store. I visit several times a year and highly recommended this business. read more

100% recommend Exact Blade! Sure, you can DIY sharpen with home tools but there is nothing like a professionally sharpened blade for ease of use. Exact Blade did excellent work on my kitchen knives and garden tools and the cost was very reasonable for their work. read more

Dan is fantastic! Knives are always great Great customer service. Fast service reasonably priced.

My Shun Chef's knife had a few small chips in the blade and had gotten very dull. I've still been using it because I like it, but at the cost of great and unnecessary effort. I called them in the morning and spoke with Dan who answered my questions very efficiently. I dropped off the knife around 1:30pm, ran some errands, and it was ready by the time I returned at 3pm (not sure how long it took them exactly since my errands took longer than expected). Wish I took a before picture, but they did an amazing job of carefully removing the chips from the blade, sharpening it, and even giving it a nice polish at the end. Dan even included a paper-cutting demonstration with the knife and it worked better than it ever has before. Super excited to use it more now! There's a really friendly and welcoming atmosphere at this place and they talked with me like I was an old friend. They also had a dog there which was a big plus for me! I asked Dan about magnetic knife holders and he said they just got some delivered but they were still in the boxes. I expected that he would leave it at that but he dug through the boxes and found some for me to look at, and he gave me some pricing and info for my consideration (unfortunately my wife wasn't a fan of the idea when I brought it up later, haha). But the customer service is fantastic, the price was extremely fair, and I can't recommend this place enough! read more

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Somehow my favorite chef's knife chipped. I took it in, it was examined and I was told they could have it back in shape in 2 hours. I didn't test the hour representation, returning by day's end. The knife was back to new in my view. Affable and highly skilled. The best! read more

I have appreciated his services for a long time, but his help today was above and beyond. I asked if he could repair a broken knife. He said that he could, but he also pointed me to the company that made the knife because they will replace it for free. It's like Miracle on 34th Street's Santa but more like Kindness on Waukegan Road's Dan. Thanks so much! read more

I stopped in with 4 of my knives for sharpening and was lucky there was no wait. In and out within 30 minutes. It's now my go to! Friendly, reasonable and knives with a new life! I'm extremely satisfied. read more

Great customer service. Easy drop off and pick up. Knowledgable staff with good personalities.

Dan sharpened my 2 chef knives, my paring knife & my husband's Swiss Army knife while we waited, which I didn't expect, but was certainly very pleased. HE IS TERRIFIC! Professional, efficient; beautiful little store stocked wtih a great selection of knives, scissors, etc. And a great dog to greet you: a fluffy white-with-black-spotted-ears named Yeti (did I get that right? Apologies if I didn't!), so quiet, gentle and beautifully trained. This place is the BEST. Without one doubt worth going out of your way to patronize. read more

Exact Blade did a great job restoring my 50 y.o. scissors. They have sentimental value for me as they were given by my mother when I was starting Home Ec. All the black gunk is gone from the blades, they are cleaned up, sharpened and ready to go! Super great and professional service too! read more

My dad has been telling me for months to take my knives to Exact Blade to get them sharpened- I finally went this week. I was greeted by sweet Yeti, the doggie. I dropped off all my knives and knife block. When I returned back 30 minutes later - all was ready and they even cleaned my knife block! My knives are awesome and super sharp! I love chopping with them now! Highly recommend and I will be back in 6 months! read more

Here's what you need to know: Absolutely top notch blade expert in Dan. I took in 5 knives of varying lengths and serration (from Shun and Kramer) for sharpening and Dan was able to sharpen them all and realign the blade in half an hour. He was absolutely meticulous and a true expert in the field. He has curated an amazing selection of knives in store and some gems that are impossible to find. From $5 to $1000 knives, you can get anything here. Hunting to cooking. Great stuff and a passion play of a business by the owner. Top notch!!! read more

These guys are GREAT! It was our first time here, but won't be the last. We came in on a Saturday right before they were about to close and they were able to complete all of our knife and shear sharpening. While we waited, they knew their products so well we also left with another 7" knife and a set of poultry shears. Thanks guys, we really appreciate the great service, the straight talk, and friendly atmosphere. read more

Brought all our knives here to be sharpened for my husband's birthday with the block and they waxed and polished the block too! Same day service! Super friendly great service great work and I highly recommend! read more

I came in with two kitchen knives that needed to be sharpened and they were able to get that done in a few minutes while I waited. I even walked out with a new bread knife that I dearly needed. The sharpening service and the new knife were very fairly priced. And I learned a few things about knives while I waited! read more

Very happy to have such a place nearby. There is skill in sharpening knives and if done wrong u can end up damaging them. Not a risk I want to take with my better knives so came here. Couldn't be happier with the results! Pleasant owner and fair prices. They also a nice selection of good to very high end knives and scissors for sale read more

I host a lot of family parties of 20+ people so having sharp knives is a must. I'm so fortunate to have Exact Blade nearby. Not only does Dan have great recommendations on knives for different purposes, but the knives I've brought in are sharp and "on point." Sorry, about the pun. He also loves dogs and my dog, Seamus, is absolutely smitten with him. read more

I made the point of driving 20 minutes each way because of the reviews to have Dan sharpen my kitchen and pocket knives...and I'm so glad I did. He is professional, talented, friendly, and takes incredible pride in his work. I have some good kitchen knives that he, of course, have working like champs, but he even has a pretty crummy steel sharp as a razor after getting to it. He's a Shun dealer, so we talked about great knives he has in stock (and a beautiful slicer I want my wife to get me for Christmas) as well pocket knives (he got my EDC horse Spyderco Tenacious sharp as a razor.) Highly recommend making the trip to see Dan! read more

Great experience and great guys that run this store. My knives are not dull and tomatoes no longer laugh at me! Exact Blade will be my go to for everything sharp and cutting! read more

Whether your knives need major restoration or simply a sharpening, this is the place to take them. Spent 30 years as a professional chef and Dan is an absolute artist with a grinding wheel. You can literally shave with a knife after you bring it here. Plus it's done in a timely fashion and at a reasonable cost. Compare this to a well known knife company that promises "free" sharpening. Takes 4 weeks and they charge you a $9.00 return shipping fee. Support your local craftsmen. read more

First of all let's talk about how amazing it is to have old knives sharpened like new. Awesome! Dan runs a great business, professional, courteous,and the the service is prompt Prices are really reasonable. He's got a nice selection of knives in house, we even found a cool insulated coffee cup set too! read more

Gary and his team did a fantastic job on my Calphalon knife set. They were desperately in need of sharpening, and it's so much more enjoyable to cook with the proper tools (e.g., sharp knives!). I walked in on a Saturday around 11 and he said I could come back between 1:30 and 3. Arrived at 1:30 and they had sharpened everything I'd asked for and also sanitized and polished the block--an unexpected but very nice service! Prices are definitely reasonable, and we plan to go back in six months or so for a tuneup! read more

Got a few pocket knives and kitchen knives sharpened here today - Dan did a great job, and got the pocket knives to their new condition - or better. What was most impressive, though, was how ridiculously sharp the kitchen knives got. There was a Wusthoff and three Globals. They're impressively sharp. Actually, maybe a little bit scary. Really good work! Furthermore, the store has a fantastic selection for knives at pretty much whatever price point that you're comfortable with. Dan was very welcoming and friendly and even if you don't live nearby, it's worth driving up here for any sharpening needs. The price is super-reasonable and he finished up like ten knives in about an hour & a half. I just went and had lunch and came back to some ridiculously, stupidly sharp knives. Thanks for being awesome, Dan! read more

Dan does a great job. We brought in about 10 knives and left them a few hours and they came back good as new. One of our nicer knives had a bent tip and he tried to pound it out straight. They are so sharp we put up a warning so my wife and kids didn't cut themselves. read more

Excellent work, good prices and very knowledgeable. Dan took care of me and sharpened my meat slicer blade. Very sharp now!!! Good Karma, thanks Dan!! read more

So glad I found this place through the help of fellow reviewers! Came in with our knife block, which had not gotten sharpened in six years. Our knives came back as good as new and block came back nice and clean clean - all within the hour! Appreciate the great and efficient service! We definitely have a "go-to" for the future. read more

Took in a bunch of knives and garden tools. Garden tools came back beautiful (and more importantly sharp). Knives came back sharp. Pleasantly conversational in helping me understand what they excel at and what is best to bring in. Plan on returning soon to get more knives sharpened, and resharpened (after 8 months). read more

Dan does an amazing job.....enough so that I take knives to him that I can get sharpened for free, but why deal with the hassle when he does a better job for a great price! read more

Great experience. Owner went above and beyond on the home made knife I brought in for sharpening. He was kind and informative when I brought the knife back with a question about getting it sharper. He identified that the knife itself was too thick to cut like the carving knife I was shooting for. For no extra charge he took the knife back, and corrected my amateur edge geometry so the knife would be as sharp as possible, and cut the way I was looking for. Great guy, great store. Will definitely go back with other knives. read more

Exact Blade - Hand forged, self made carving knife. - Knife Sharpening Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

I was pleasantly surprised when I found these guys so close to home who could processionally sharpen my Shun knives. Shun offers free sharpening for life but between the process of sending them in and time it takes to turn around, I thought it would be better to find someone local. I'm glad I did! They did an excellent job with my knives which cut like new. Plus they're an authorized Shun dealer so they know the blades well. I'll definitely be coming back again. Great price, quick turnaround and helpful staff. read more

Walked in at 9:00 am on a Tuesday morning with 3 knives that were as dull as could be. All were sharp like razors when bought 25 yrs ago. After talking to Dan he sharpened and restored them to their former glory.... all while I waited... Dan is knowledgeable and reasonably priced. He sells new knives as well and is so reasonably priced I bought the Chefs knife of my dreams... great experience read more

Very polite, professional, while you wait, excellent job. My go to knife sharpener. Easy to find location.

Great store, great service, great owner! Dan took an incredible amount of time to explain the differences between Japanese steel and German steel. Walked me through the construction of not only the knives, but the cutting boards that would work best. This is a top-notch owner at a top shelf business. I highly recommend exact blade! read more

Dan was incredibly helpful, friendly and professional. My knives are sharper than the day I bought them (don't trust factory edges, folks). Quick note: You may want to call ahead. I went to the storefront in Northbrook on a Saturday morning and there was a note on the door saying that he was at the Northfield Farmer's Market. Made the trip over and it was worth it. read more

Nice job on sharpening several knives. Very reasonable and fast, and well worth the travel. The only sharpen-practically-everything shop around. Plenty of parking and good hours. You can also buy knives here. read more

I walked in on a Saturday morning in hopes of reviving 3 well-used knives (2 chef and 1 paring). Happily, I only had to wait 15 minutes and pay $20 for my knives to become as good as new! While I waited, I browsed the selection of knives available, and I liked that there was a cutting board set up so you could test the weight and feel of a knife before purchase. Dan, the owner, was very knowledgeable and provided excellent service. In addition to knives, Exact Blade can also sharpen other blades, such as scissors, garden tools, axes, saws, and drill bits. The (very reasonable) prices for all services are listed on their website. read more

Very professional dedicated sharpening service in Northbrook: Mr. Dan (owner, technician) is very skilled and courteous. Brought in three Dovo-Solingen beard/mustache scissors overtly in need of edge-maintenance, and very promptly received (within one hour; I left the shop to eat lunch at nearby restaurant) three finely-restored instruments. Also bought from Mr. Dan a used but well-maintained bread knife, at very discounted price. Strongly recommended. read more

It's rare in this day and age to meet anyone as passionate and knowledgeable of their craft as Dan is about cutlery. Took the time to teach me how to hone my knives to ensure longevity. Quick turn on my entire kitchen set. Great work! read more