We are thrilled to have Bernal Cutlery at the Mission Community Market on the last Thursday of every month!  If you bring your knives by early in the market, Bernal Cutlery will have them ready for you the same day.

Owner Josh Donald first became interested in knives by way of woodcarving, and his shop opened for business in 2005.  Bernal Cutlery specializes in Japanese Whetstone grinding techniques, which produce a sharper, longer-lasting knife, with less wear and tear during the sharpening process.  Other “fast but aggressive dry grinders and belt sanders… remove unnecessary amounts of metal and are prone to producing enough heat to ruin a blade, often producing ugly scratches and marks in the process.” To learn more about whetstone grinding versus other techniques, check out their website.  In addition to sharpening, Bernal Cutlery offers Japanese, French, and vintage knives for sale, as well as classes on knife skills. They recently moved from Bernal Heights to a new shop at 18th and Guerrero in the Mission, but they’re still keeping it real with their original name to pay homage to the neighborhood they first called home. When asked for some knife tips for our blog readers, Josh mentioned two common mistakes that people tend to make with their knives:

1) Putting their knives in the dishwasher – knives should always be washed by hand
2) Using bamboo cutting boards –they are harsh on knives and bruise their edges

Don’t forget to bring your slicin’ and dicin’ tools down to MCM this week for the best sharpening around and more knife tips from the pros!