Northwestern Cutlery

When they were downtown I bought my boots and packs of cloth gloves from their the whole time I worked at the butcher shop on Lake St. But the new place is fantastic. A lot more space and the atmosphere is great. Get your knives sharpened while you wait!

When I lived in Michigan, I would drive to their previous location, which was Downtown in the seafood and restaurant warehouse District to get my knives sharpened. After they sold their building and moved up here towards Harlem, I’ve been to their new store a couple times. The layout of the store is much bigger broader very classy. This allows them to display their goods in a much nicer way. They have all their old stones and belts in a large sharpening area for knives. They’ll do knives for five dollars apiece or hand sharpen them on stones for $25 apiece. Traveling from Reno to downtown Chicago for a meeting. I had to bring some of my kitchen knives to get sharpened because I don’t trust anyone else to do a good job. These guys are the best and they’ve continue to satisfy me for years.

I brought 5 dull knives of various sizes and types to get sharpened. I hand them to the guy and he asks if I want to wait. "How long," I ask. He says fifteen minutes. (I thought it was gonna be at least an hour before I came in). So I took a gander around the place and man, SO coming back here when it's gift-buying time! So much cool and unusual kitchen stuff! The knives were ready in 15, and now it's like I got 5 new knives for a grand total of $30! LOVE THIS PLACE!

They carry a full range of high quality knives and will help you decide on the right product for your cooking style and budget from their enormous variety of options. Very friendly staff!

I've been coming to Northwest Cutlery since before they moved! They have always well trained blacksmiths ready to help you sharpen your knives. Either it be by stone or machine! Always a pleasure to stop at this wonderful candy store for cooks and Chefs alike!

Been coming here since culinary school. They've been around for a long time and im honored to bring my knifes here to be sharped.. Great store as well most def candy store for chefs.

A great new location! Clean and super handsome shop! I got my knives perfectly sharpened and bought a new one, with great experienced staff!

If you stop anywhere on your way to the beautiful Alaskan views to one place within the city, this should be it! Friendly, helpful staff, local made products, and shop dogs. Whats not to love?! They also shipped our products back quickly for us since we couldn't take them with on our flight! Awesome, awesome lil gem in the city!

I've been going to Northwestern Cutlery for years. Over generations of ownership, the service has been outstanding. Never anything but the friendliest and most knowledgeable service, especially on the topic of kitchen knives. I dont know if I've ever seen a larger selection of kitchen knives ANYWHERE. We had our knives sharpened again this week, and once again, they were done beautifully at a very fair price. I've always brought in a range of knives, from very good quality to pathetically cheap, and they have always taken good care of them all. No judgment or attitude about bringing in less fancy knives. Now that they are in the larger space, it's even more enjoyable to browse at the vast supply of kitchen gadgets while waiting for knives to be sharpened.

Bro literally ruined the blade on my 300 dollar microtech knife then got an attitude with me when I was trying to decide on wich kitchen knife I wanted to buy." Hurry and and make your mind up so I can go and eat lunch"....spend you're money with people who actually value you're business.

When I lived in Michigan, I would drive to their previous location, which was Downtown in the seafood and restaurant warehouse District to get my knives sharpened. After they sold their building and moved up here towards Harlem, I've been to their new store a couple times. The layout of the store is much bigger, broader & very classy. This allows them to display their goods in a much nicer way. They have all their old stones and belts in a large sharpening area for knives. They'll do knives for five dollars apiece or hand sharpen them on stones for $25 apiece. Traveling from Reno to downtown Chicago for an annual meeting. I had to bring some of my kitchen knives to get sharpened because I don't trust anyone else to do a good job. These guys are the best and they've continue to satisfy me for years.

04/15/24 - 2023 Taxes done and sent in electronically to the IRS & state of Illinois. It's time to get my knives sharpened. I brought in a few of my knives a theirs nothing worse or more dangerous than a dull knife. I brought in 2 French Chef knives, 1 butcher knife, my scissors & 1 of my sweated knives. For these knives Northwestern Cutlery charges $5/knife to sharpened them. I haven't had a chance to test them yet but I'm sure they did a good job as I have brought my knives in before. They provide a nice service I was in and out in about 10 minutes. The staff is friendly & helpful. While I was waiting I to a look around the store. There is a huge assortment of knives, cutlery & items needed for the kitchen. There is an area set aside where the guys w/the grinding wheels are working on items people bring in the have sharpened. FYI there is a parking lot in the back for Northwestern Cutlery & the other businesses fqcing Higgins Ave

Nice and sharp! We sharpened a couple of knives here for $4 apiece. It was a quiet period at 4pm on a Monday, and it only took about 10 minutes as there were no other customers. Our knives were sharpened by machines. I clarified with the friendly owner, Donna Colonna, about their wide price range. Some knives may cost $20 as they have to be done by hand - for example some very thin metal Japanese knives. They have only been at this location for 3 years having moved from the Fulton Market district. Many of their customers lived out this way but worked in the city, so she came out this way. She's the daughter of the guy that started this family business back in 1950. I also chatted a little with the two knife sharpeners on duty, Eddie and Israel. They posed for me and were a hoot. FYI, they have a big parking lot in the rear. About 40% of the customers are professional chefs and such, and the rest are lay people like us. Thank you and continued success in your business! We'll probably be back again sometime.

I was very excited to checkout Northwestern Cutlery as the reviews seem amazing and it is one of the biggest knife shops in the area that also does sharpening. I brought in a Kramer petty knife ,which is a relatively expensive knife, to have them put a new edge on as the tip of the knife was chipped, they ended up giving the knife a totally new shape. Once I noticed this I went back in the store and told them my issue with what they did, they did fix it but now I have a totally different knife than I brought in. I'm very dissatisfied with my overall experience as I wouldn't have brought in my knives knowing I would be walking out with a different looking blade, I also didn't get any compensation for them messing up my knife and only got excuses and apologies, not coming back here anytime soon.

Amazing people amazing staff love the environment Very helpful people Definitely getting my business from now on

I have been here 3 times now. All 3 times at his location on Higgins. I can't say enough about the absolute wonderful job they did not only sharpening my poorly stored and used knives but restoring my mother in laws small cleaver. In addition they have tools and gadgets, chefs whites, butchering tools, salt and pepper mills, bread baking bannetons and of course knives galore!!! Sharpening is very reasonable. So is basic restoration. Plus cool gadgets Than you once again. We will be back.

Would I rather go to the old Lake street location, yes! However, this store itself is a vast improvement over Lake street. First of all, the space is huge compared to where they were at. Secondly, it is a cooks candy store. If you can't find what you need, keep looking, it's there. If not, ask. They have great customer service and are more than willing to talk. Knife sharpening is $5/knife which could be $$$$ for a professional but the quality is 5*. This dates me but I remember when knife sharpening was $1/knife. For those who would say, "just do it yourself", they are professionals at what they do.

Really beautiful store, lots and lots of kitchen toys. Beautiful knifes I had them sharpened well I waited . Also a pair of shears. It's a really huge store with a beautiful ceiling . Fun to browse and dream of those knifes in my hands chopping, mincing, julienne. Any how you get the point. Check it out you won't be disappointed when it comes to knifes . And after find joes pizza and treat yourself to a yummy pizza .

I am not a sharpen my own knife person. For a reasonable price, they sharpen my knives, which really, really need sharpening. And they do it so quickly. I cannot think of anything negative to say other than I wish they had a location down the street, but that's a "me problem" not a Northwestern Cutlery problem.

I am sure this is a great business, but I was disappointed that they close so early on Fridays. I drove an hour round trip only to learn that they close at 3pm. Got there at 3:30pm. Bummer. I wonder how many others make that mistake.

Was a bit disappointed that the whipped cream dispenser I purchased yesterday had been opened, as evidenced by the clear circular box seal that had been sliced open. I didn't notice it at the store and only did when I opened the box. I canceled an online order and paid ~$15 more to purchase it here instead. But I needed it, so I decided to keep it since taking it back would mean more contact with the outside world and I wouldn't have time to get it when I wanted it if I tried ordering online at this point. Unfortunately, I noticed that one of the pieces seems to be rusted or something inside, which I'm not sure I can chalk up to the dishwasher since this item is dishwasher safe and none of the other pieces are discolored. Oh, well.

I already have a pretty extensive cutlery collection so ai can't speak to their sales department. But their service and sharpening is as good as it gets.

The experience here was incredible. They had an impressive selection of knives, and Gerry's customer service is exceptional. You won't be disappointed.

First off they have the best priced professional knife sharpening in the area! Second they have a great selection and let you hold/feel the knives to see how they fit! Third the staff is awesome! Fourth the pricing on new knives can't be beat! Fifth it's a generational family business that's been passed down! If you love cooking and knives (including Benchmade ) you need to check them out!I'll keep coming back!!!!!

Got knives sharpened there. Friendly, fast, affordable. Definitely recommend for knife sharpening.

Awesome new location for serious fun shopping for chefs and home cooks. Sharpen your knives here! Great service and they offer parking in the rear. It is the candy store for chefs and for me the toy store for home cooks.

I had 6 pocket knives sharpened and asked to have serrations added to a portion of each blade. They were amazing when I picked them up yesterday. This is the 2nd time I took pocket knives there so I knew it was going to be good. The guy that did the actual sharpening spent a little time with me helping me decide what would be appropriate serrations for each different type of blade. This turned out great when I picked them up. I sharpen and strop occasionally but they take it to another level.

There was miscommunication about what I wanted, and I left really upset. It's awesome to know that they actually care, and reached out to rectify the issue. Lots of companies could care less about your experience, and it's cool Northwestern Cutlery isn't among them.

This place is awesome. I have some cheap knives that I've owned for a long time and never sharpened. I've bought the cheap handheld sharpener that you use at home and hope they do something, but after getting a chip in a few of the blades, I was like it's time to take them somewhere. I was actually sort of ashamed to take them anywhere to get them sharpened for fear of being judged and pressured into getting nicer knives. But I went here and they were so friendly. I'm down for supporting a small business and everyone here honestly seems to want to be there and was super helpful. When I saw how helpful and friendly they were, I actually asked them about some of the knives they had on display. Now my wife has been bugging me for years to get her a decent knife, and seeing these I was like fine. I asked for a recommendation and they offered me a knife that was mid-range. I suggested I could spend more, but the kind gentleman told me that with a nicer knife you might get something that's a bit fancier looking and hold it's edge better, but the knife he recommended was solid and should be more than enough. I probably wouldn't see much benefit from spending more. So I guess I did end up spending more and getting a new knife, but never was I pressured and the whole experience was great! Also, I noticed that their price was competitive with prices I was seeing online, and was happy to support a small business!

Took a knife in that needed to be ground/fixed. The process took mere minutes and was very reasonably priced. The staff is super friendly and helpful, and the store is stuffed with great items all at reasonable prices. But, their expertise is definitely knives...and wow, what a selection! We will be shopping here again, for certain - a "candy store for cooks," indeed!

These guys are fast and very cost effective. I had 5 kitchen knives sharpened and all of them performed better then when they were purchased. I was out in 10 minutes.

I purchased a knife set for my wife these knives are not what they are cracked up to be. I tried cutting a soft tomato and had a difficult time cutting it. I won't buy this brand again I think I will replace them to spare myself further embarrassment.

Their motto is the "Candy Store for Cooks" and it feels that way. Sorry to see them leave Lake Street but their new store in the burbs is terrific. Still the best and most affordable to get knives sharpened although they have raised their prices to $4 per knife.

Attended their Knife Sharpening class, session was an informative, fun and interactive. Went in a complete novice with no experience, left with an understanding of the since behind knive construction and sharpening, plus with the experience of having sharpened my first knife. All materials were provided and a bulk of the class of personal instruction and hands on application. The store is also awesome, well stocked and extremely competitively priced, in the future will be taking all my kitchen purchases here!

This place is a godsend for professionals and home cooks alike. I'm so glad they've reopened and their new location is awesome. Here's the thing- we would all like to support local businesses but sometimes it's hard when corporate retail has lower prices. BUT AT NORTHWESTERN CUTLERY ITS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. They CONSISTENTLY have a better prices than retail by a decent amount. Like 10-25% cheaper. It's bananas. And the employees are nice and nonjudgmental... like if you hypothetically were to show up last minute with 15 of your partner's knives wrapped up in a bath towel for sharpening. They have a variety of fancy-schmancy (technical term) knives and the knowledge to help you get the right one without pushing you into something needlessly expensive. I was willing to wait months for them to reopen at their new location rather than buy kitchen supplies elsewhere. So were most of my friends in the restaurant industry. Skip target, Sur la Table, William Sonoma, whatever. This is the place to go.

Nice to have your Business in my neck of the woods I have traveled for years (20) to your business in the city best place around for Service and quality and very knowledgeable of their craft best of luck Definitely would recommend !!!

Excellent stock and service! Went in looking for a handful of kitchen knives to start up my new collection. They helped me settle on exactly what I wanted, plus a few accessories I needed. (I wanted a wooden magnetic knife block, but there's not a great place to mount it in my apartment, and the salesperson immediately pulled out a space saving magnetic block that sits handsomely on my counter.) Prices are great--I'll definitely be back! Plus, attached parking lot meant I could browse at my leisure without worrying about my meter running out.

This place is great. They can sharpen your knives as you wait. They are professional and courteous. The place is pretty big considering some other knife shops I've been in. They have plenty of knives to choose from if you want to buy a new set. They also have uniforms and baking supplies as well. But the best part is they sharpen knives and once they are done, you can slice whatever you want easily again. I had some beat up knives and they grinded them down where the dings are gone and all that's left is a sharp edge. Thanks!

$4 to sharpen my Global knife. Very satisfied with how quickly they were able to sharpen my knife. Efficient and inexpensive!

I love this place and I can not believe I've never written a review for it. (Opps...I just saw I reviewed this place in Feb 2010...okay its time for a re-review...you would think with only 650 reviews I could remember this!) Recently I stopped in to get a tortilla press. I hit a few stores in the Little Village but they were over priced and looked like they would break the first time I used them. I went to Northwestern's website and found exactly what I was looking for plus the product seemed like it was strong and wouldn't break at all. It was also $5 cheaper then the stuff I was finding at other stores. While there I met Jerry, who helped me find the tortilla press on the shelf and we had a great conversation about food. We even started exchanging restaurant recommendations. Funny us talking about food in a place that sells the tools to make amazing food. Ironic!!! This place is a one of a kind store and it is located in the heart of the wholesale district near Randolph Street. One of the reasons we come here all of the time is that they will sharpen your knives for you while you wait (for a fee). I have no idea any other place in the city that sharpens knives. As I'm waiting I always see a constant steam of chefs and future chefs bringing in there knives and getting them sharpened. It is also fun to walk around and see all of the gadgets. It is hard not to buy everything in here. One day I'm buying those mini cast iron skillets there only $12.95 and so cute but I'm gonna need 4 to 6 to use them to serve to company. I saw a restaurant use these in Milwaukee. They also have a parking lot next door which makes parking easy. I also was able to get 10% off recently with my check in on Yelp! Yeah Yelp check in offer!!! I love this place and I hope it never goes anywhere because it would be a loss to the Chicago Food Industry including my kitchen needs!!!

Best place to get knives sharpened in the city! They do a great job, have complimentary parking, and fair pricing. They can also sharpen ceramic blade knives, which was a great find for me since I wasn't sure if I would just have to replace one after it became my go to knife for several years and was getting dull. I've been using them for several years and can't see myself ever going anywhere else.

This is a candy store for cooks, knives galore. You name the knife and most likely they will have it and reasonably priced. I've was looking for a 8" chefs knife, they asked me a variety of questions on how I will use the knife and suggested one. I've been using it for awhile and still loving it. The services is impeccable, everyone there is so knowledgeable. If your a culinary student, just show your ID and get a discount on your purchases. There is plenty of parking nearby and some streets have meters and some don't.

It really is a candy store for chefs like their cheesy radio ads claim! I used to come for small things that I keep losing, or pants if I forget mine, and everything is very reasonably priced. One time, I found myself closer to Sur La Table in LP, and I went there instead - and everything I bought cost 2x more than here. Not sure about literally everything in the store, but most things are really affordable. The only thing they didn't have was a giant like 4ft whisk, which is what I first went in to look for :( They also do really speedy knife sharpening if your knives, but not by hand, though if your knives aren't super expensive it's worth the $3 and convenience. If you insist on hand sharpening, you have to leave the knives with them for a few days to a week. Prices vary but I ended up paying $30 for 3 knives so it wasn't bad. Also, there's a parking lot!

Forgive me, god of chefs. I've learned to cook over the past couple of years, and in doing so, I've made many a mistake with my girlfriends knives. Blunted... chipped... even ran through the dishwasher once or twice... FORGIVE ME! I did not know what I was doing! I needed a place that would help turn her Shuns back into something that would not be shunned. Fortunately, Northwestern Cutler was there to help us out. $3.50 a knife, while I waited, and they looked as good as new! And enough restaurant supplies to look at while to wait to make things nice and impulse purchasey. Highly recommended, even if you don't need to smooth things over, either in knife or relationship form.

These people are awesome! I not only brought in some nicer knives to be sharpened but some cheap ones, too. I was hesitate about being judged but they didn't at all! They even smoothed out the handle that my dog chewed. Top notch service, quick, too!

I ordered a Mac knife online from Sacramento,California, it was shipped promptly, I read some of the reviews before i decided to make a purchase, there were so many 5 stars reviews, wish we have something like this here, all we have are these big chains in fancy mall, it's almost impossible to get your knives sharpen unless you leave it for a few days, I definitely will order more knives from them in the future (no sales tax) :) I always try to give my business to locally owned companies, workers there are mostly friendlier and more knowledgeable.

This place rocks! Bought a new gyuto style knife, the dude who helped me was very knowledgeable and showed me stuff in my price range. I walked away with a razor sharp blade I'm very happy with. Will be coming back soon to get another!

If you're a cook - either home gourment or professional - you should know about Norhtwestern Cutlery. Located in the Fulton Market District, Northwestern is a must for those who know the importance of good , sharp knives in cooking. Northwestern offers a wide variety of professional chef's knives in all price ranges and also is one of the last knife sharpening places around. The big grinder is right there behind the counter. In addition, there's a nice selection of pots and pans, utensils, chef's apparel and other "musts" for the cooking crowd. Hours: Monday 9A - 5P Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 7A - 5P Wednesday 7A - 7P Saturday 8A - 4P

To get straight to it, I found them on Yelp. I sent them a message and they replied quickly. Next day headed there, 20 mins out the door with sharppen knives.

Want one of those metal circular things to make perfect eggs or ceviche tower? A great littlle shop to find all your little kitchen doodads for reasonable prices. It looks like the Kendall students get an extra student discount. What impressed me here was the intricate knife sharpening stations. Serious stuff.

I've had my trusty Chef's knife, Chinese cleaver, paring knife, serrated breadknife, and two lefty scissors sharpened here several times over the past 20 years . This is was my first visit to their Higgins Road location. They are professional, quick, and courteous, and my knives are again like new. I cannot recommend NC highly enough.

I'm not gonna say anything others haven't said. Fantastic spot with great service and lovely staff. I took all my knives and scissors here (way overdue), and they did a fantastic job.

A) They have parking. That's no small feat at the corner of Lake and 90/94. B) They're chill, which is nice, because: knives. C) I got some no-nonsense buy-this-not-that advice when I said "so what if I want to sharpen my own stuff?" of the "you COULD spend $200 on sharpening stuff, but why don't you start with this $40 combination stone and a youtube video" variety. More stuff than you'd need, sharpen while you wait, etc. etc. etc.

Yelpers' reviews come through again. Showed up with 14 knives that wouldn't cut butter. In an hour, they'd been transformed into superb cutting and carving instruments! At $3.50 per knife, the only dullness I'll tolerate in the future is my own.

Brought my wife's 30 year old cutlery here and was blown away by the customer service and expert hand sharpening. They have an impressive range of quality knives at different price points but no one tried to upsell me: just answered my questions and educated me before sharpening mine. Excellent range of kitchen-related gadgets and specialty items at reasonable prices. If you're looking for old fashioned service from skilled experts, this is the right place!

I compare this amazing place with a big castle which has a lot of departments where you can even lose yourself sometimes, but I think it's not bad because you can always discover new, qualitative and interesting products for your family and of course for your home. What I also can mention that exclusive tenant mix includes a strong line-up of national brands perfectly complemented by an eclectic collection of unique boutiques and a diverse selection of delectable dining options. Sometimes I spend the weekend with my family at this store and always come back with beautiful memories and why not helpful goods. I invite everyone to visit this superb place!

$3.50, they sharpen your knives. It's amazing. They also have some really inexpensive serving spoons that are my favorites around the kitchen, and lots of things you do and/or don't need. I do like the small space - keeps you from getting overwhelmed. Prices range from amazingly wonderful to overpriced, so just know that going in. Still, the knife sharpening is the best around, I love them. It makes a world of difference; took in my friend's two knives and even his 17 year old son noticed how great they were. And from what I know, teenagers don't usually notice these kinds of things...