Upper West Side: Mike the Knife Sharpener

Last Sunday was a balmy day, and my windows were open. Off in the distance, I heard the clanging of a bell. As it grew louder, I realized who was coming down the block–Mike the Knife Sharpener!

The clang, clang clang of Mike’s bell propels me right back to my childhood. In Rockville Centre, where I grew up, Mike was as familiar as the Good Humor Man. When my mother heard the distinctive sound of his bell, she would bundle her knives in a kitchen towel; then she’d stand on the curb waiting while Mike sharpened them. All the neighbors would do the same. In fact, it was right neighborly.

Mike and his truck haven’t changed one bit. The boxy green truck, dating from 1941, is the same one his father used to drive before Mike took over the business. Inside, are his knife sharpening grinder and tools . His two dogs, Babe and Honey, accompany him on his rounds.

There was a small line of people waiting in line to get their knives–wrapped in paper towels or newspaper or whatever they had handy–honed by Mike’s sharpening tool on that sunny Sunday morning.

“How’s business?” I asked after Mike invited me into the truck for a little reminiscing. Knife sharpening is a part-time gig for Mike, according to The Blog that Ate Manhattan.

“Eh,” he said, looking up briefly as he hunched over his grinding machine, honing my chef’s knife to a fine point.

Look for Mike on occasional Sunday mornings. He also still plies his trade in Rockville Centre as well as nearby Long Island towns, like Garden City.