Sharpen Our Communities
From the beginning, Candace and I have tried to leave things better than we found them, wherever possible. We aim to Sharpen Our Communities, meaning we want to make a positive impact on the communities intersecting with the Knifewear Group.
- Kevin Kent, Knifewear Founder and Knifenerd
How it started
Established in 2023 by Knifewear founders Kevin and Candace, the Knifewear Foundation was created to increase our contributions from knife sharpening and to enhance our donation strategies.
Every year, 50% of all sharpening earnings are given to those in need. We began this initiative in 2011 to support tsunami relief in Japan and have continued ever since. Through our Knifewear Group, we have donated over $1.5 million to various organizations over the years.
How it works
Every day, people trust us to sharpen their dull knives, with half of the proceeds funding Knifewear Foundation activities. This simple initiative helps us generate donations year-round.
What we're doing
To date we have donated $1,703,106 to causes in our communities such as Centre for Autism Services Alberta, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Skipping Stone Foundation, Operation Come Home, Growing Chefs, the Red Cross, Soul Food Street Farms and many more.
In addition to cash donations, Knifewear has done clothing drives, lent our social media and voice to causes we support, does training with our staff with organizations like Skipping Stone, and having our carbon footprint measured so we can work towards reducing it company-wide via policy changes and staff initiatives.
Whats Next
We have a fantastic team taking on this challenge. Folks with a wide variety of backgrounds & life experiences, each providing their unique perspective & skills to this endeavour.
When we take in your knives for sharpening, know that we give half of the proceeds to charities focused on sharpening community wellbeing. Knifewear also works hard to make our shops and communities more inclusive, positive, and environmentally responsible.
Recent Initiatives & Contributions
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Sharpening for Kumamoto | August 10 - 24
Read more about the Red Cross:On July 28th 2026, Kumamoto prefecture in Southern Japan was hit by a devastating magnitude 7.1 earthquake. Thousands of folks were affected, including our friends at Moritaka Hamono, Fukushima Hamono (mono-oak handle maker), and Yukihiro Sakai. Through this fundraiser, we were able to raise $35,800 towards Red Cross aid and relief efforts.
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Sharpening for Venezuela | July 6-19
Read more about Humanitarian Coalition:On June 24 2026, two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela less than a minute apart, west of the capital, Caracas. 100% of knife sharpening proceeds from Knifewear Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, & Vancouver were donated to the Humanitarian Coalition for earthquake relief in Venezuela, which were then doubled by the Knifewear foundation, raising a total of $60,246 towards relief efforts.
