FAQ
What is PostKnife?
PostKnife is a subscription to have professionally sharpened knives, delivered to your door on a routine basis (commonly referred to as a 'knife service'). Two sets of knives are continuously being exchanged. On Knife Day your freshly sharpened knives arrive in the mail. Remove the sharp knives them from the box, then put the used knives into that same box. Adhere the enclosed return shipping label, and put the box out in the next day’s mail.
How can I contact PostKnife?
Call us at 1 (608) 285-2623 -or- email us at support@postknife.com
If questions or concerns arise, please contact us. We’re here to help.
Can I choose a custom set of knives?
Yes. Contact us to get started, and a PostKnife expert will help you choose a custom set.
How does PostKnife shape an edge?
At PostKnife, we sharpen a lot of knives, and need to be able to shape a professional edge efficiently. Our process is water cooled to retain the temper of the steel. If the temper is lost, the integrity is lost, and no matter how well the edge is shaped, it will not be durable. The first and most aggressive step in our sharpening process is called ‘hollow grinding’. Hollow grinding is a thinning process that simultaneously removes steel from both sides of a blade. Hollow grinding requires skill to ensure that material is removed consistently and at an adequate rate along the length of the blade. After a blade has been hollow ground to the proper thickness, it is ready to be edged.
The ‘edging’ process at PostKnife is achieved by free hand flat grinding on a stand up grindstone. This is the traditional method of edging that has been used by my family for four generations. A stand-up grind stone can efficiently shape a precision edge on the vast majority of knives and blades, however, grinding with this equipment is a skill, and the operator must be experienced to use it effectively.
Once the edge has been shaped, we move on to buffing on a 220 grit buffing wheel. Buffing removes some of the deeper grinding marks/scratches, helps de-burr the edge, and contributes to shaping a finer edge overall.
The final step in our process is honing. Some knives are honed by hand on a flat stone while others can be finished in a honing machine. Honing is the least aggressive step in the process with stones at 440 grit. The burr which is created by shaping the edge, is completely removed while honing, and the result is a durable yet fine, razor sharp edge.
Can you sharpen my personal knives?
Yes. In fact, if you're signed up as a customer with PostKnife, we'll sharpen up to 2 personal knives per exchange at no additional charge. If you're not a PostKnife customer, click here to visit our sister company; they can help you out.
What happens if I damage or lose a knife?
We understand that accidents happen. If lost or damaged knives becomes a problem, we’ll contact you.
What should I do if I can’t find all of the used knives to return?
Don’t worry, just return all of the old PostKnife knives you can find. When the others turn up, send them back in a future shipment.
When should I send back the used set of knives?
The knife service works best when you swap out the knives as soon as you receive a fresh set (fresh knives out of the box, used knives into that same box). The next day, put the box with your outgoing mail, and your mail carrier will pickup the box for return.
When do I get charged for the service?
The knife rental service works on a subscription format. You are charged on a recurring basis, once every two weeks. Contact us if you’re interested in receiving service on a different schedule.
What happens if I forget to return the used set?
If you do not return the used set of knives, your subscription will still renew and you will be charged the regular service fee on your scheduled date, but we will not ship out any fresh knives until we receive the used set.
How much does it cost to start the knife service?
The cost of your first shipment is all you have to pay to get started. There are no additional startup costs, and you can cancel at any time.
Is shipping included?
Yes! All shipping is included in the service.
What shipping service does PostKnife use?
PostKnife ships via the US Postal Service (USPS). The shipping address that you provide, must be a physical address or PO Box that USPS delivers to. Please contact us if USPS delivery is not an option for you.
I love my knives. Why would I use PostKnife?
We love knives just like you do; properly maintaining and restoring knives is our passion. The PostKnife subscription provides your kitchen with a full set of sharp knives for everyone to use. That way, you can rest assured that sharp knives are available for your entire crew, and they can focus on the food. Sharpening knives professionally is all that we do; we'd love the opportunity to show you our work.
I’ve never heard of a knife service. Is this for real?
Yes! We have deep family roots to Trento, Italy, a region that is globally recognized as the birthplace of the knife grinding trade. For generations, delivering sharp knives to restaurant kitchens, chefs and meat cutters, has been our family’s livelihood. Thousands of restaurants utilize a knife service to always have sharp knives.
Are these your knives or my knives?
The knives belong to PostKnife. Only knives owned by PostKnife are used in the service.
Do you carry any other types of knives?
Yes. We carry many different styles of knives. Contact us if you would like to choose your own custom set.
What is the phone number for PostKnife customer service?
1 (608) 285-2623
What is the mailing address for PostKnife?
S11251 Fairview Rd., Spring Green, WI 53588
If my business is not a restaurant, can I still get the PostKnife service?
Yes. PostKnife services a wide range of establishments including restaurants, butcher shops, grocery stores, bakeries, caterers, cafés, institutional kitchens, sandwich shops, dining hall kitchens, hotels, taco trucks, pizzerias and more. If you need sharp knives all the time, we’re here to serve you.
How do I cancel service?
Easy. Just log into your account profile and under the service options tab choose to ‘cancel’. When you cancel the knife service we can ship you a box and prepaid return shipping label, so you can easily return the PostKnife knives.
If the knives are not returned, PostKnife does reserve the right to charge you for the knives, and for shipping costs incurred.
What happens if I cancel service, but don’t send the knives back?
All knives are owned by PostKnife, so you are responsible for returning them. If you would like to keep the knives, we’ll be happy to sell them to you.
What kind of knives do you use?
All knives are PostKnife brand, manufactured with high quality stainless steel blades and poly handles.
Can I get knives delivered more or less often than every two weeks?
Absolutely. PostKnife offers weekly, biweekly and triweekly (once every 3 weeks) delivery service as well. Just contact us to customize your delivery schedule.
Is it really cheaper to use PostKnife than to buy knives and sharpen them in house?
Yes. Knife service costs less than continually buying knives, trying to maintain them in house, and unfortunately using dull knives much of the time. The value that PostKnife adds to a kitchen greatly exceeds the cost.
Safety - preventing one accident can pay for a year of subscription service. Take into consideration that an injury with a dull knife is usually much worse than a cut with a sharp knife. Loss in production occurs when an injured staff member has to stop working and sometimes go to the hospital. Often times an additional employee has to take the injured employee to the hospital, so that’s 2 employees down! On top of that the injured employee is often needs a day or more off of work for recovery. At the end of the day a hospital bill or a workers comp claim will also be in order. The costs add up quickly. A dull knife is a dangerous knife.
Efficiency – reduce down time and food waste directly related to dull knives and trying to sharpen them. Doing prep work takes less time with sharp knives. Food orders can go out more efficiently; during a rush that translates into shorter wait times and more customers being served.
Consistency - with PostKnife you know that every knife in the kitchen is sharp all the time; that piece of mind makes staffing easier and enables your crew to focus on the food!
Other Knife Costs – NEVER BUY KNIVES AGAIN; PostKnife eliminates all knife purchase costs, and costs of sharpening stones, machines and gadgets.