Sharpening Certifications?

[Fred Hermann]

I was chatting with my Wife’s stylist last weekend, asking about who does their scissors, and during the conversation, she mentioned the guy that got their business has ‘certifications’ for sharpening.
So…has anyone heard of this?
I think it may be bogus….

Thoughts?

[Eamon Mc Gowan]

I was chatting with my Wife’s stylist last weekend, asking about who does their scissors, and during the conversation, she mentioned the guy that got their business has ‘certifications’ for sharpening.
So…has anyone heard of this?
I think it may be bogus….

Thoughts?

As I was shopping for a scissor sharping system I came across a couple companies that had their own schools. They had “sharping college” that you could attend and become certified. I don’t remember the fees now but they were not cheap as I recall?
I bought the Twice as Sharp system. They have classes and it is not cheap, but even just buying their grinder you get everything you would need to start a scissor sharping business. I am more then pleased with them! What WEPS is to knives they are to scissors.

[cbwx34]

There are certifications… as Eamon indicated most are from equipment manufacturers. There used to be a group that did an independent testing and certification process for sharpening hair shears… can’t think of the name right now.

So it is possible. 🙂

[Mark76]

Google helps 🙂

https://sites.google.com/site/sharpenersguild/home/membership-levels

http://sharpeners-report.com/2013/11/12/certifications-by-international-beauty-sharpeners-assoc/

And apparently Murray Carter also issues certificates:

http://knifesharpeningbyhand.com/knife-sharpening-chicago/professional-knife-sharpener/

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[Ziggy]

Never liked the idea of it.
History is replete with stories of infighting, manipulation, defection when it comes to certifications.
Scissor industry is notorious for it …. certain manufacturers having judges that miraculously choose winners that use “their” system, $ for certifications etc.
After enough of fighting, you see several different certifications sponsored by different groups.
Always turns into a mess.

Waste of time and $ IMHO.

Reminds me of Martial Arts.
You meet Black Belts that can’t fight their way out of a paper bag 🙂
My 2 cents.

[Leo Barr]

I agree with you zb I think though that guy in mark’s link probable is a very good sharpener.
The problem with certificates is that in reality they represent a minimal level of ability and the more they are required the lower the standard is since people get the certificate with little experience because they are required to rather than wanting to .This has happened in yachting for instance in England the RYA had a certificate scheme culminating in Yactmaster Ocean these in the older days were earned by many years of sailing by ametures maybe 10 – 15 where as the commercial luxury yachts have taken this on the way to higher levels . People are fast tracking these with only months of experience the level of ability has dropped drastically.
I think in sharpening there is a danger by the sounds of it the scissor ones are the worst since they are aimed at such narrow fields that the certificate is worthless on anything else.
Much of the time certificates indicate enough knowledge to begin to learn and not a lot else .
The best is a good client base and an ability to take on most things and that is hard to certify .

[Ziggy]

Leo,
I worry that one day I’ll have to adhere to a dress code and have patches on my shirt like a boy scout 😛

In my 20s, I used to teach SCUBA. There were a few instructor groups, one of them was SSI, where you had to work under an accredited SSI Shop to sponsor you to go take your training and Instructor’s License.
I remember to a Recreational Diver, we gave one license … Diver.
Than 2, Beginner and Advanced. Money layout for a Diver was minimal.

Than PADI got popular in the Resorts, PADI required no mandatory Shop over-site and anyone could pay to get their instructor’s license. You could teach out of your car.

Next thing you saw was a rollout of “Certificates” Divers could get after paying to take classes.
Wreck Diver, Night Diver, Photographer Diver, Advanced Diver, Safety Diver and on and on.

Your right when you say scissor sharpening is so narrow. It turns competitive as there are only so many salons in an area.
I love the sharpening systems where they give you a “territory”, not allowing you to overlap someone that has the same machine!
How that benefits the customers ensuring them a great sharpener I’ll never know 🙂

With knives, I don’t think we’ll see the same thing.
Too diverse, and there are PLENTY of bad sharpeners out there that grind out and ruin knives.
Be good at what you do and give the customer something they never experienced before … a properly sharpened knife and you’ll make a name for yourself in the circle that you choose.

[Leo Barr]

Your right about PADI in England when I trained I did it with BSAC British sub aqua club there was an enrolment fee the training was very cheap and long winded even the pool training for each level was spread over 12 weeks . There was a fitness test (Atest) which required a reasonable level of ability and lack of fear. The theory modules were split into something like 2 hour sessions over mant weeks .to get to compleleting the first open water dive took a winter to do; PADI do it in under a day.

I see that most of these sharpening certificates are similar 1 -3 days and yet if you go to japan you study under a master I believe for years.

To become good at something requires more than knowledge it requires experience which leads to wisdom .

[Author]

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