We need sharp tools!
Chefs, gardeners, and beauticians need sharp tools. Carpenters, upholstery workers, and barbers need them, too. The list certainly does not end there. Even the most basic little pocket knife is important. We definitely need sharp tools.
Factories use machines specifically designed to cut thru everything from steel to fabric to candy wrappers. We cut grass, hair, wood, and plastic. When you really break it down, we are happiest when we are cutting almost everything. Since when did we get so crazy about cutting stuff?
Did fire come first?
We have needed sharp tools for a long time. Homo Sapiens have been sharpening objects for many millennia. Did a fire happen because we could sharpen the tool to help create it?
I would like to think the fire came first. Didn’t we create a tool to cut a little bite off what was over the fire to taste the seasoning!
Or did sharp tools come first?
Archeologists have established that early humans were creating sharp objects with stones approximately 1.76 million years ago. Fire, on the other hand, was a little late to the party by about .76 million years.
Interestingly, a University of Colorado study established significant advancements in sharpening techniques done 75,000 years ago. Wow! It sounds like “We’ve come a long way” might qualify as an understatement!
Techno Sapiens
Sharpening is definitely not rocket science. Nor does sharpening require a medical license to perform brain surgery. Although, you could probably use an ancient arrowhead to perform some minor incision as a last resort in the wild.
Books have been written on the subject. Classes have been offered. Machines have been created. How-to videos have been posted. Sharpening is obviously an important part of life.
Today, sharp tools are needed in so many walks of life. My hope is that my blog will help you understand a little more about what a professional sharpener does. Most importantly, I hope to give you additional skills so that you may have more comfort and enjoyment in the cutting you need to do.
