The Art of Sharp website (knifesharpeningbyhand dot com) says they will reopen by the end of 2022. Frank passed away in February 2022, and his son is in training to take over the business. Looking forward to continuing to support this small, local business and havung my kitchen knives sharpened here. read more

The Art of Sharp - February 2022 website update - The Art of Sharp website (knifesharpeningbyhand dot com) says they will reopen by the end of 2022. - Knife Sharpening Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came across The Art of Sharp searching online for an affordable mail-in knife sharpening service in the midst of Covid-19. I was pleased to find Frank's service was recommended and located not far from where I live. That way I wouldn't have to wait on or have the expense of mailing. His informative website further confirmed my interest as pricing was straightforward and affordable. In addition, his background and level of training (with connections to Japan) looked quite substantial. He seems to approach knife sharpening as something he finds intrinsically compelling as an art, beyond just a business. When I called regarding his services, he was very friendly and flexible schedule-wise as far as when I could drop off my four knives. It took only a day to get them done and the price was very affordable. I'm assuming it was his wife who met me at their door both times. She was agreeable to work with. In all, I highly recommend this no-nonsense service. As expected, my blades were dramatically and affordably improved and I won't need to invest in a high-end forged blade any time soon. read more

It's December of 2020 and, unfortunately, Frank must now be out of business. I wanted to have him sharpen a dozen Wusthoff knives for me through his manual process. I've left no less than 7 messages for him in the last 4 - 5 weeks, through both his website and by calling his shop. He has yet to answer the shop phone or respond to my messages left through his website. If he's not in business anymore, he should remove his website. I'm very disappointed and will have to look elsewhere. It's a shame. It's January of 2021 and I'm happy to say I finally connected with Frank by calling the last phone number on his webpage. I guess he was having issues with his website and shop phone. Good news is he's still doing the sharpening as a side gig. I arranged to drop off my knives and he did a really good job on them. What a pleasure to have sharp knives again. I would not hesitate to use him again. read more

Before I get into this review, let me say that finding a hand knife sharpening service is difficult enough, but add in finding a good one, and that is tantamount to striking oil in your backyard! I knew an elderly gentleman that I used several times and the results were always top notch. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years ago and ever since I've been searching for a suitable replacement. I've been to a couple of different "work from home" sharpeners but the results were poor. I even tried the local hardware store solution and that was a disaster! Enter Frank Surace. I found Frank's business, The Art of Sharp, on the web. His site was very informative and even features a You Tube video of his methods. I dropped my knives off at Frank's home and he quickly began asking me questions about my cutlery. The type of questioning he employed infused great confidence in the results I was hoping to receive. Frank did not disappoint. A recent "attempt at a sharpening solution" had left my Shun 8" chef's knife a mess and I was concerned if it was savable. Frank immediately recognized the blade and redid the angle to factory specs and more...It is a razor blade with heft now! All in all, Frank sharpened 8 knives for me. The Shun, a 10 inch Hammer Stahl chef's knife plus a HS 12" slicing knife, 3 various Santoku blades, a Japanese vegetable cleaver, a Tojiro Japanese paring knife (that now is a lethal weapon!) and all were honed to perfection. Service was fantastic. I had my knives back in 48 hours and his price point is very fair. Frank offers a mail in option if the north side of the city is out of reach, but I recommend meeting Frank and his family at least once. He instills confidence that the work will be done by an artisan and you will be pleased. Fortunately, Frank is a relatively young man so I am hoping my search for the perfect edge is over for my lifetime. He has real interest in the craft and treats your edge like it is his. The highest recommendation here...really quality work. read more

Well what can I say that hasn't already been said. Well, screw it, I'm going to say it anyway! Frank and his business are great! He's really knowledgeable about knives, all different types of metal, and honing them to be as sharp as it gets. He's truly a master of his craft, and not to mention a really nice guy. His prices are a few bucks more than going to a hardware store or a cutlery store, but ya know what they say, you get what you pay for. I brought a total of four knives to Frank. My Gerber Hinderer CLS (Combat Life Saver) pocket knife, a SOG Sogfari which is a tanto blade, saw back machete, my Gerber multi tool, and a Kershaw 1660 Leek Plain Edge Speedsafe pocket knife. The blade on the Kershaw was chipped at the very tip and had a nicks along the blade, it also has a blade lock that's at the very end of the body and needs the tip of the blade to prevent the knife from opening in your pocket at random (spring assist). Basically Frank did wonders on that knife. He fixed the tip without compromising the lock, got all of the nicks out, made it sharp as all hell, switched around the pocket clip, and bent it back to where it actually clips again. The Gerber multi tool's straight edge blade (only blade I had Frank work on for the multi tool) is sharper than when I first got it, and that thing use to be like a damn scalpel. The Sogfari is also crazy sharp. I can't wait to test it out this summer when I go camping, and have to do some serious sawing and bushwhacking. I'm actually debating ditching my buzzer and shaving with my newly sharpened machete. Saved my favorite blade for last. My Gerber Hinderer's blade was a bit beat up since it's my everyday carry, and I use the thing just about every day. When I first got it, I could effortlessly shave my arm hair with it, and now after some extensive use (not giving a damn what I cut with it, cans, plastic, cardboard, all types of fabrics, wires, wood...etc), then having Frank sharpen the blade, it can once again effortlessly shave off hair. All in all Frank does great work by hand and I highly recommend having him sharpen your blades. SUPPORT YOU LOCAL BUSINESS, PEOPLE!!!!!!! read more

Found Frank through the Park Ridge Farmer's Market. We gave him about 1/2 dozen knives and picked them up a few days later. Super sharp, well worth paying for a professional sharpening. The knives are better than new now. read more

As an amateur knife sharpener, I am always looking for ways to get better. I called Frank to see if he had any classes on knife skills. He said that I really didn't need a class, just more practice. He spent fifteen minutes going over the recommend stones, technique, and youtube videos he suggested I watch to learn how to improve. This was way more than I was expecting from a phone call. He said that he will be at the Park Ridge Farmer's Market the first two weekends of every month once it opens and he invited me to stop by and watch him work. I am very impressed with him and will be stopping by to see him this summer. read more

Used the website to contact the businesses with a couple of simple questions. Never heard back, and yes, I checked my spam filter. Must be a sideline for the guy. read more

I will echo much of what has already been said. Frank is the consummate professional, extremely knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about his craft. I did an in-person drop off of five knives ranging from a four inch paring knife to eight inch chef and santoku knives. Frank was very flexible and accommodating in finding times to meet. Upon pickup, Frank took the time to discuss his process, walk through any issues he identified in the knives prior to sharpening, what he did to correct those issues, and just talk about knives in general. Frank and his wife Paula made me feel very welcome in their home. Now on to the knives...each knife that Frank worked with is unbelievably sharp. Far sharper than they were straight from the factory. I will absolutely continue to have Frank take care of my knives, and would strongly recommend you do the same. If you are in the Chicago area, support your local business. If not, send your knives to Frank where you know they will be in good hands rather than having them butchered by the hardware store down the street. You will not be disappointed. read more

Frank did a great job on my knives -- the blades just melt right into tomatoes, onions, whatever. We had some minor communication problems, but they were incredibly accommodating and nice about it. Plus, where else but a home business could you pick up your beautifully sharpened knives at 9 pm on a Wednesday? I couldn't recommend this business more. read more

Old school craftsmanship is hard to find. I was pleasantly surprised to find some one who still does sharpening and no less close to home. Couldn't be happier with the results! Knives are SUPER SHARP! Frank and his wife where very nice and flexible with scheduling. They even offered a discount on quantity; I had an 18 piece kitchen block set, never cut as good as they do now. I highly recommend Franks' services. read more

When I called there the first time, I made an appointment to drop my knives off. The wife called me back to change the meeting time so that her husband, the sharpener, could be there. I arrived at the agreed upon time only to meet the lady, but no husband. OK No problem. I asked for an estimate for 6 knives. She told me that her husband would have to let me know after he looked at them. We agreed that he would call me with a price. I waited 4 days and no call. I called them and spoke to her again. She said that they weren't ready yet. I said, what about a price? Now suddenly knowledgeable, she quoted me a price that I thought was a little high. I asked if there was any negotiating room. She said no, she had already given me a little discount and that was it. I told her that I would come and retrieve the knives instead. When I went to her house, she invited me inside and told me that me being inside her house made her uncomfortable??? Why did she open the door and invite me inside?? Then she proceeded to tell me off, that she didn't like me when we first talked on the phone, and that I was looking for something for nothing. In fact, I never asked for anything for nothing. Instead of arguing with her in front of her son, I asked for the knives so that I may leave. Not before she continued to tell me off. I told her that I expected some sort of call within the 4 days that they had my utensils, but she said that they were busy. I talked to her 4 times throughout this ordeal and never once talked to her husband. I would rather buy a whole new set of knives than to ever have to deal with that lady again. read more