20 degrees in the kitchen – David Kohn is a knife sharpener to culinary stars and swordsmen
by Elka Worner
When a fan asked cooking legend Jacques Pepin to recommend the best knife, he answered, “The best knife is a sharp one.”
Chef Kori Sutton, who clinched Season 19 of “Hell’s Kitchen,” said well-sharpened knives mean smoother cuts. To achieve those cuts, Sutton relies on Manhattan Beach knife sharpener David Kohn.
“This man was born to sharpen knives,” Sutton said. “He truly has a specific touch.”
With other sharpeners, her knives go dull within a month. But with Kohn, the blades not only keep their edges longer, they’re “quicker, faster and nicer,” which means less strain on her hands and wrists, she said.
Kohn sharpens everything from kitchen knives to blender blades.
“It’s a craft that makes cooking fun again,” he said.
Kohn’s clients range from home chefs seeking professional sharpenings, and culinary professionals, to an eccentric billionaire who drives in from Palm Springs to put a fresh edge on his samurai sword.
Last Monday, Kohn worked on the set of the Food Network’s “Bake Champs.”
“Lots of knives, and lots of production assistants to get me anything I ask for,” he wrote on his Facebook page. The post was accompanied by a photo of three kitchen trays, each with a dozen knives to be sharpened.
Kohn launched D.K. Sharp after 30 years in the restaurant business, and a stint as co-owner of a catering company founded with girlfriend Cherryl Ray. The couple catered Redondo Speaker Series receptions for Martha Stewart, President Bill Clinton, basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, swimmer Michael Phelps, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The couple also provided kosher catering for a temple’s Shabbat dinners and bar mitzvahs, until a new rabbi came on board.
“The new rabbi just wanted Costco food,” Kohn said. “So, the temple gig went away.”
He traces his career change to the day he wielded a knife that couldn’t make its way through the chicken he was cooking for his son.
“I remember holding up the knife, and saying to myself, ‘Wow, I’ve done a lot of carpentry work in my life, and I love tools, I wonder if I could become a knife sharpener?’”
He set out to learn the trade from master knife sharpener sensei Terry Beech of Santa Cruz. The one month training at “Sharp Quick University” cost $7,000. Kohn had $39 in his checking account when he decided to take the course.
“My friends just came by and gave me money because they knew this was me,” he said.
The sensei taught him about Japanese, German and American steel, knife shapes, and the proper way to use the Swedish Tormek water-cooled knife sharpening machine. Most American and European knives have 20-degree edges, and both sides of the blade have to be sharpened at those angles.
“You can either be a farmers market guy with a $20 Home Depot machine, and a book. Or you can do what I did,” he said.
While learning his craft, Kohn cut himself so often he did his own stitches. He still keeps boxes of Band-Aids in his work shed where he does his grinding.
The average knife takes three to five minutes to sharpen, the average sword three days, he said. He charges $8 for any size knife, and slightly more for work tools and swords.
His work shed is lined with longboards and skateboards. A giant television screen plays surf films, 24/7, all reminders that he can bust loose anytime, and head to the pier to surf, or skateboard around the block.
Work freedom, perfecting an Old-World craft, and appreciative customers made the career switch worth it, Kohn said.
“When a 60-year-old man entrusts me with his grandfather’s 1912 Boy Scout knife, and sheds tears on my patio, how do I ask him for $8?” he said. “I don’t care about the money. It’s about the craft. It’s about being good at something.”
For more about David Kohn’s knife sharpening business, visit DKSharpKnives.com. ER