We were invited to visit Le Cordon Bleu at the National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism (NKUT) to sharpen and restore the school’s kitchen knives. While culinary students often begin their journey with basic equipment, we were pleasantly surprised to find that Le Cordon Bleu provides Wüsthof knives for student use—a testament to their commitment to quality culinary education.
The collection included a variety of paring knives, boning knives, chef’s knives, fillet knives, as well as a few personal knives belonging to students and instructors. Every knife had seen extensive use and had become noticeably dull over time. Fortunately, they had also been well cared for and maintained throughout their service life.
Aside from the typical scratches, scuffs, and signs of regular use, the primary issue we encountered was age-related wear around the bolster area. In many cases, repeated sharpening had left the bolster protruding below the edge, preventing the knife from making full contact with the cutting board. This video focuses on addressing that specific problem.
The solution is straightforward: the bolster is carefully ground down beyond the edge bevel, then refined and blended into the blade profile. Once the excess material is removed, the exposed transition area is thinned appropriately, restoring proper geometry before the knife is sharpened. The result is a knife that performs as intended, with improved cutting efficiency and a fully functional edge from heel to tip.
The Jende Industries Sharpening Service for this job utilized a 120 grit belt grinder, the Naniwa 1K Chocolate Bar sharpening wet stone, and a buff with some compound to leave a razor sharp edge that is well shaped enough to withstand another semester of well meaning abuse and steeling.
Jende Industries is an international company that specializes in sharpening and sharpening gear. We are the makers of Jende Reed knives, Jende Nanocloth Strops, Jende Diamond Emulsions and Jende Leather Knife Rolls. We are also suppliers of custom cut stones for guided sharpening systems such as the Jende JIGS for Knives, Hapstone, Edge Pro, TSProf, KME sharpener, and Wicked Edge. So if you are a musician, chef, outdoorsman, or sharpener of any level, Jende has something for you! Check out our official Jende Industries youtube channel for more descriptions and performances of all our sharpening products and services.