I Counted the Sharpeners In Our Store and the Number Shocked Me

I was looking at our homepage recently, as the owner, that is something I do, and noticed it says we have "over 2,000 sharpeners in stock." I can’t remember the exact date we published that number, though it was roughly a year ago. It seemed like time for an update, so I decided to count the products we currently carry. Fortunately, our inventory system makes this easy, so I didn’t have to resort to walking through the warehouse and counting everything by hand.

To my surprise, the number came out to 2,716. Because many products come in multiple grits, that 2,716 represents our total SKUs (stock keeping units), where each grit counts as a separate item. In case you’re curious, that adds up to 59,619 individual items sitting in our warehouse. (Again, I consulted a computer for that number.)

Physically bringing that many products into the building is actually the easiest part, even if the guys in the warehouse might disagree. Behind the scenes, every single product needs a written description, photos (often more than one), and a full list of product specifications. On top of that, we must test and learn each item so we can properly support it. Adding a new grit to an existing line doesn't take much extra effort, but bringing in an entirely new sharpener can mean days of hands-on testing just to make sure we can answer your questions. Keep in mind, building this business wasn't an overnight project; it represents the work of multiple people over more than two decades.

If we already had 2,000 products and now we have 2,716, you might wonder if all those additions were necessary. Surely, we already carried every possible sharpener, right? The answer isn’t quite that simple. Does everyone need a 6” x ½” round abrasive file in a fine grit? Definitely not. But if that’s the exact tool your job calls for, a 4” x ¼” round file in a medium grit just won’t cut it.

Our goal is to carry everything someone could possibly need to sharpen their edges. I know a catalog of over 2,700 items might sound a little intimidating, so we’ve organized our website with logical categories to narrow your search down to a manageable handful of options. And of course, if you ever need advice, our trained sharpening specialists are ready to help. In fact, they’re the very people who tested the products, reviewed the specs, and wrote the descriptions, so if anyone knows how to help you find the right tool, it’s them.