Knife Sharpening Class
Learn to Sharpen & Maintain Your Kitchen Knives
Using Traditional Japanese Whetstones
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About this event
Ever wanted to sharpen your own knives but not sure where to start?
We hear this all the time:
“I’ve had a whetstone for years but never learned to use it.”
“I’d love to sharpen my knives, but I’m scared of ruining them.”
“I’m not really sure about the angles.”
All totally valid reasons. Sharpening by hand can feel daunting — but with the right guidance, it’s absolutely doable.
This hands-on workshop breaks the process down step by step, giving you the confidence and skills to sharpen and maintain your own kitchen knives at home.
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When we run classes
We run sharpening classes on either a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening, every week throughout the year — except for December, January, July and August, when we take a break.
If you check the calendar and can’t see any available dates, it just means everything currently scheduled is fully booked. Please try again in the coming weeks, when the next batch of dates will go live.
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How it works
We’ll meet at Community Cutlery (31 Leeds Road, Ilkley) from 6:45 pm.
Bring along your own blunt kitchen knives — ideally a chef’s knife and a small utility or paring knife, but if your collection’s a bit different, bring what you’ve got.
The goal is to learn how to care for the knives you actually use.
We’ll start with a short theory session, followed by a live demonstration, and then give you plenty of time to get hands-on — sharpening your own knives with our guidance throughout.
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What to bring
• 3–4 of your own kitchen knives (at least one large and one small).
• No serrated or single-bevel knives this time, please.
• A bit of patience and enthusiasm for sharper knives.
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What’s included
• Instruction and guidance throughout the session.
• A stropping paddle (RRP £18) to maintain your edges at home.
• A mobile-optimised guide to sharpening theory.
• 10% off in-store on the day of the event.
• Ongoing support — if you get stuck later, just drop in or get in touch.
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Buying as a gift?
This workshop makes a brilliant gift — especially for that person who already has everything they need. It’s hands-on, genuinely useful, and a skill they’ll keep for life.
If you’d like a physical card, simply leave a request in the dialogue box at checkout (including your name and postal address) and we’ll pop one in the post.
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We look forward to welcoming you.
Please note: All classes are exempt from signup discounts.
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Planning to buy this as a gift? [Click here]
We ship Tuesday to Saturday using Royal Mail Tracked 24.
All knives ship via an age verified service in accordance with The Offensive Weapons Act 2019, which will mean the postie will need you to be in to receive the delivery & to check your ID if you look under 25.
The law also requires us to carry out a soft age check of the purchaser after checkout, this is done by an automated system that usually doesn't require your input, although we will need to contact you for proof of age if you fail, which can sometimes happen if you use a work address.
