Paid $75 for a "lifetime" knife sharpening pass at a farmers market tent, and the guy vanished by October

Val Williams · 2026-10-11T22:10:03.645128+00:00

Back in April I was walking through the Saturday market in Boise and this guy at a tent had a big sign that said lifetime sharpening for $75, bring in any knife, any time, forever. I had just bought a decent chef knife and figured I would never have to worry about it again, so I handed him the cash and he sharpened my one knife right there and it actually came out great. He told me to come back whenever, no appointment needed, and he had been doing this at markets all over the state for a decade. I went back in June and his spot was taken by a candle lady. Same thing in July and August. Nobody at the market office knew anything about him, no phone number worked, and the paper receipt he gave me had no address on it. So I basically paid $75 for one sharpening, which is about six times what my local hardware store charges. Now I just want to ask, has anyone else gotten burned by one of these lifetime deal booths, and is there any way to spot the ones that are actually legit before you hand over cash?

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Paid $75 for a "lifetime" knife sharpening pass at a farmers market tent, and the guy vanished by October | Ask Anything - Babble Community