Knife Sharpening Classes Exclusively for Women, Trans and Non-Binary Folks
This past February 13th (Galentine’s Day), the Ottawa shop held its first women-, trans-, and nonbinary-only sharpening class. We had seen it done in other Knifewear cities and were eager to get the ball rolling on an inclusive class here as well. As two staff members who fall into these categories, we know how much diverse representation matters. Learning a new skill can be nerve-wracking, so creating a relaxed and safe environment for students and teachers alike goes a long way to achieving the best results. While our regular
We conducted the class a little differently than we usually do by holding it when we were closed to the public to create a peaceful and safe space for attendees. We were also lucky enough to have Matron Fine Beer, a local female-owned & operated brewery, donate some beer for us to enjoy while we sharpened. All of this created a space where we could learn and have fun!
We noticed everyone felt comfortable asking any questions they had, and when someone hit a snag, the group was incredibly encouraging. The five new folks who attended are now well on their way to becoming talented knife sharpeners. We loved the opportunity to create this environment for a group of folks who might not have made a point of learning how to sharpen their knives otherwise.
The group was enthusiastic about the idea of this class being held just for them and were eager to tell friends, family, and partners about our future classes. We had a lot of fun with our new pals, and hope to continue to spread the knowledge!
These classes were originally inspired by a workshop done in our Vancouver store in collaboration with The Bad Academy. The Bad Academy organizes and hosts classes where badass womxn can learn now skills as a group, from mechanics, to skateboarding, to stick-and-poke tattooing. While many womxn attend our regular classes, we also want to provide a safe space for folks who would prefer one.
The Vancouver class was such a hit that the class has now spread to our Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa shops. While we have standing dates for these classes in some cities, please shoot us an email at hello@knifewear.com if you would like to book a class for a date that you don’t see listed. These classes are a blast, and we want to share the love!
Authors
Kylie
Originally hailing from Edmonton, Kylie is a former professional cook and food lover. She will travel for a good bite and has spent the past few years jet-setting around the world trying new things. She is an ultimate nerd when it comes to all things kitchen. She has enough cookbooks to last her lifetime twice over and maybe too many Japanese knives? But that probably won’t stop her from adding to her collections.
Meghan
Bainer is about two things, cooking and eating; she likes a hole-in-the-wall as much as she does 3 Stars and always has the best recommendations. When she isn't talking knives with us, she's hustling & bustling over at Citizen or cooking up a storm at home. Her cookbook library rivals Cordon Bleu's and she's actually cooked out of all of them! Need a good recipe for bibimbap? She's got your back.
