My Mother-In-Law lives with us. She's a sweet woman, sometimes a bit naive, but sweet. She led a long, hard life before she came to live with us and it left her a closed up sort until very recently, when she started taking cooking classes at the local civic center/public hall place. Those classes opened her up, and made her into a totally new person...and my wife and I are overjoyed.

So when she mentioned that the kitchen knives they were using in class would barely cut, I thought "Ah! My chance arrives!" I volunteered to sharpen the class knives, and today was the day.

I boxed up a 400/1000 diamond plate, and Aoto and an Ipponmatsu Kiita^? and a towel, and we went by to visit during a public event, where all the students were there making a special rice dish for the local residents.

My Mother-In-Law told me there were only 3 or 4 knives...but she was wrong. When I showed up with my hones, the students (all of them in their 50s or 60s) started bustling around and produced 8 knives, all of them ranging from new to ancient...and dull as butterknives. Many of them had huge chips...I was glad I'd brought the diamond plate!

It took me over an hour to repair the bevels, then get them all polished up to a good edge. I forwent the hair-popping edge I usually aim for, but they all shaved arm-hair smoothly. I was surprised by the general quality of knives--the public funding for the center is pretty low, but they were using Sakai and Kiya sanmai blades. They all honed well and I think they should keep the edge for a while. My arm is sore and my fingerprints are worn away, but hopefully the ladies can keep up the great cooking with their nice, sharp knives!

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