The five knife set, sharpened three times a year, means an outlay of $239.88 a year. Year after year. Over five years you will pay $1199.40, ten years $2398.80, 20 years $4797.60, and only have one set of knives. Ridiculous.
Hi JMF - definitely understand this isn’t for everyone. But I do want to address your point about pricing being “ridiculous.” Any mail order sharpening service using stones (like we do) will cost you at least $10 per knife (many go much higher). So, if you do the math:
Sharpening: $10 x 5 knives x 3 times per year = $150 per year
Shipping: If you include the shipping component, which will likely cost you at least $10 each way (that’s being generous) x 3 times per year, that’s another $60 per year.
That’s $210 per year, and all before you factor in the cost of the knives, which for a similar set can easily set you back hundreds of dollars.
Our price of $240 includes newly sharpened knives showing up to your doorstep before your old ones leave your kitchen. There’s no need to figure out how to package and box your knives or go to UPS, because all that is done for you and it goes in your mailbox at home. Plus, if anything ever goes wrong with your knives (handle deteriorates, knicks, chips), it’s not your problem and you’ll always have knives in like-new condition.
Are there ways to do this for cheaper? Of course. Sharpening at home, or driving to your local sharpener, leaving your knives, and coming back to pick them up will all save you money. I would just make the point that we don’t think the pricing is “idiotic” when compared to other alternatives that are convenience-based.
As for knives all being very different: I couldn’t agree more. For someone who has already found knives they love, this probably isn’t interesting. But, for someone just getting started, most premium knives you have to shell out big bucks before you ever try them in your kitchen. It’s often like getting married before the first date! With a lack of up-front fees to buy our knives, we think it’s a good way to try them out and see what you like.
Anyhow, I appreciate you providing your perspective. Just wanted to add my two cents. We’re not trying to fleece anyone with this pricing. We think that a sharp knife is the most important tool in the kitchen, yet so many kitchens have dull knives. We’re trying to make it easy for people to always have premium knives that are always sharp.