Alexandria Knife Sharpening & Laser Engraving

Paul Seymour, a retired Navy veteran from Desert Storm and Desert Shield, moved to Alexandria and started this knife sharpening service after developing a serious appreciation for quality blade edges. He saw a gap: people own expensive knives but don't have the time, equipment, or expertise to maintain them properly. So he built a one-person operation around doing it right.

Most knife sharpening services won't tell you what they use because they're running high-speed belt sanders—which can overheat and damage your blade's tempering. Not here.

Paul uses two Swiss-made Tormek T8 water-cooled sharpeners. These are manual, fully adjustable systems designed to never overheat your metal. He inspects each knife individually to determine the optimal angle, avoiding the unnecessary grinding that destroys expensive blades.

Additional precision tools: - Ookami Gold Professional Scissors Sharpening System (handles salon, barber, industrial, fabric, and sewing shears) - Laser Knife Edge Reader (measures edge angle and confirms sharpness) - BESS Certified Sharp Tester (ensures consistency)

Significant repairs (large broken tips) add $5-15. Minor repairs, chip fixes, bolster reductions, and light cleanup are included in the base price.

Factory angles work best for most people. But Paul can re-profile knives to anywhere from 10-35 degrees: - Lower angles = sharper edge - Higher angles = longer edge retention - USA kitchen knives typically 17-20° - Japanese knives typically 10-15°

He also does mirror edges and micro bevels for reasonable additional cost.

• •Minimum charge: $30 per item
• •Lettering: ~$1.00 per letter

Get your initials engraved on 3 knives for $20. Final pricing depends on design complexity, quantity, and item type.

Equipment: - CO₂ Laser (wood, leather, acrylic, glass, rubber, paper, coated metals) - UV Laser (heat-sensitive materials—plastics, glass, ceramics) - 60-Watt Fiber Laser (permanent marking on stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, titanium)

Discounts available for: - Multiple identical items - U.S. military members - First responders - Law enforcement

Paul prefers to meet in person for laser work to handle details correctly.

Ceramic knives, chainsaw blades, electric hedgers, electric clipper blades, straight razors, planer machine blades, carbide tools, or any carbide-toothed saws. Homemade, Etsy, and foreign knives require in-person inspection and lead testing ($1.00 each).

Restoration work (now by local appointment only, not mail order) is $85/hour starting 2026. Jobs typically take 1-6 months depending on workload.

Location: 7710 Maid Marian Court, Alexandria, VA 22306 Contact: 856-372-7846 (text for faster response)

Cash, checks, Zelle (856-372-7846), or Venmo (@ALXSHARPEN). $2.00 transaction fee for Venmo and credit card payments.

Accepts kitchen and EDC knives by mail. You pay shipping both directions; return cost is included in the final bill. Use USPS Priority Mail.

"My cooking experience is so much more efficient and pleasurable with these sharpened knives. What a game changer! Plus Paul was a pleasure to work with and made the process so easy, affordable, with a fast turn-around." — Mary Ann

"Can't recommend Alexandria Knife Sharpening enough. Fairly priced, fast communication, and quick turn-around. Our knives had not been professionally sharpened in more than two years, and now they are wicked sharp." — Danielle

"Every knife in my house is now razor sharp. Handles restored too. Glad I found him." — Frank

Customers report knives cutting through thick-skinned tomatoes under their own weight, effortless deboning, and results sharper than even new knives. Several restaurants and professional chefs trust their high-end knives to Paul.

Standard turnaround is 2-5 business days. Paul is a one-person operation and asks customers not to follow up before that window closes—he'll contact you when ready. (Remember: closed Wednesdays and Sundays.)

10% discount on $50 or more.