Edina Knife Shop Launches Mail-Order Sharpening
Joseph Rueter was a tech entrepreneur before he opened a knife shop, so it’s no surprise that he’s thinking about business extensions beyond his 50th & France storefront, Vivront. The shop sells specialty cooking knives (including many handcrafted models that top $500) and offers same-day knife sharpening services. But for every diligent customer who brings in their knives for maintenance (about twice a year is recommended for the average home chef), Rueter knows many consumers just don’t bother.
That prompted this summer’s launch of Sharpow, a mail-order professional knife sharpening service sold through grocery stores. It seems simple enough, but Rueter, co-founder of customer service software company Kipsu, says the logistics, packaging, and quick turnaround demands have stopped others from doing it.
Rueter built his own logistics system for the quick turnaround. The Sharpow kit, including postage, costs $9.99. Consumers can fill it with knives and kitchen scissors, send it off, and expect it returned to their doorstep within one to three days. The more you send, the less you pay: for example, 10 knives are $9.70 each.
“When you cut with a sharp knife, you have this ‘Oh wow’ experience,” Rueter says. “But bringing knife-sharpening to the top of the to-do list is tough. Our hope is to put professional knife-sharpening in the flow of your everyday.”
Sharpow launched in June at Kowalski’s stores. Rueter hopes to take it national.
