#working knife

Why Sharp On Sight Started Carrying USA-Made Anza Knives

For a long time, Sharp On Sight has focused on one thing: edges. Not trends. Not hype. Just making tools cut the way they’re supposed to cut. That focus hasn’t changed. What has changed is that customers kept asking the same question over and over again:

“Do you sell knives too?”

Until now, the honest answer was usually some version of not really. I sharpened what people already owned. I fixed chipped edges, corrected factory mistakes, and brought worn‑out knives back into service. But after years of sharpening everything from kitchen knives to hunting blades, one thing became clear — some knives are simply built better than others, and some manufacturers stand behind their work in a way that actually matters.

That’s where Anza Knives came into the picture.

This post is about why Sharp On Sight decided to start offering Anza Knives, what makes them different, and where you can see them in person.

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Why Become a Knife Dealer at All?

Sharpening gives you a front‑row seat to reality.

You see which knives respond well to proper sharpening and which ones fight you every step of the way. You see heat damage, over‑ground factory edges, poor steel choices, and designs that look good online but fail in real use. Over time, patterns emerge.

A lot of people assume that a dull knife means a bad knife. That’s rarely true. More often, it’s a decent knife that’s been sharpened incorrectly, overheated, or simply neglected. But there are knives that consistently hold up better under use and sharpening — and just as important, there are companies that don’t disappear when something goes wrong.

If Sharp On Sight was going to offer knives at all, they had to meet a few non‑negotiables:

Made entirely in the USA

Designed for real use, not display cases

Steel that sharpens well and performs honestly

A warranty that actually means something

That list is shorter than you might think.

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Why Anza Knives?

I carry an Anza knife daily. Not as a show piece, not as a backup - it's the knife that's actually on me. After sharpening and working on thousands of blades, I'm picky about what earns that spot. Having firsthand experience with Anza knives, from edge performance to long-term durability, make them easy to trust. They sharpen cleanly, hold an honest edge, and they've proven reliable enough that I don't have to think twice about carrying one. 

Anza Knives checks every one of those boxes.

Anza has been making knives in the United States for decades, using high‑carbon steel reclaimed from industrial files. Each knife is individually ground, heat treated, and finished by hand. No two are exactly alike, and that’s not marketing language — it’s reality.

From a sharpener’s perspective, Anza knives stand out for a few key reasons:

High‑Carbon Steel That Makes Sense

High‑carbon steel isn’t exotic. It doesn’t chase edge retention charts or lab numbers. What it does offer is predictable sharpening behavior, excellent bite, and easy maintenance. When an Anza knife gets dull, it comes back quickly. When it takes damage, it can be repaired without fighting brittle steel or mystery heat treatments.

That matters for people who actually use their knives.

Built for Work, Not Trends

Anza knives aren’t trying to be everything to everyone. They’re fixed blades meant to be carried, used, and sharpened over and over again. No coatings to hide grind marks. No fragile geometry meant only for photos. What you see is what you get.

From hunting and camp tasks to general outdoor use, these knives are tools first.

Lifetime Warranty That’s Straightforward

Anza offers a lifetime warranty. If the knife breaks under normal use, they repair or replace it. No fine print games. No disposable mindset.

That aligns perfectly with how Sharp On Sight already operates. The goal isn’t constant replacement — it’s long‑term use.

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Why This Makes Sense for Sharp On Sight

Selling knives isn’t a pivot away from sharpening. It’s an extension of it.

Every Anza knife sold through Sharp On Sight is backed by the same sharpening knowledge that’s applied to customer knives every week. That means:

Edges are set correctly from the start

Geometry is explained, not ignored

Maintenance is part of the conversation

When you buy a knife online, you get a box and a factory edge of unknown quality. When you buy a knife in person from someone who sharpens for a living, you get context.

You get to ask questions. You get to understand what the steel will do. And you get a knife that’s meant to stay in service, not end up in a drawer.

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Not Every Knife Is Right for Everyone

This part matters.

Anza knives aren’t stainless. They will patina. They require basic care. If someone wants a knife they can throw wet into a backpack for a year and forget about, this probably isn’t the right choice.

But for people who appreciate tools, who understand that maintenance is part of ownership, Anza knives make a lot of sense.

They sharpen cleanly. They cut aggressively. And they reward good habits.

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Seeing Anza Knives in Person

One of the biggest advantages of offering knives locally is that you don’t have to guess.

You can handle them. You can feel the balance. You can see the grind lines and handle variations. No stock photos. No exaggerated descriptions.

Sun Prairie Farmers Market

You can find Sharp On Sight every Saturday at the Sun Prairie Farmers Market, where Anza knives are available to see in person alongside live sharpening services. It’s a chance to talk through use cases, maintenance, and edge preferences face‑to‑face.

Outdoor and Gun Shows

In addition to the market, Sharp On Sight appears at select outdoor shows and gun shows throughout the year. These events are a natural fit for Anza knives — people who hunt, camp, fish, or spend time outdoors tend to understand the value of a well‑made fixed blade.

Availability may vary by event, but the focus stays the same: USA‑made knives, honest steel, and real tools.

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Sharpening Still Comes First

It’s worth saying clearly — Sharp On Sight is still a sharpening business.

Becoming a knife dealer doesn’t change that foundation. If anything, it reinforces it. Every knife sold is a knife that can be maintained properly for years. Every conversation starts with use, not sales pressure.

Whether someone brings in a 20‑year‑old hunting knife or picks up a new Anza blade, the approach is the same: set the edge correctly, explain how to keep it that way, and avoid gimmicks.

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A More Sustainable Way to Think About Knives

There’s a lot of noise in the knife world — constant new models, steel hype, limited runs, and disposable thinking. Anza knives sit outside of that cycle.

They’re not meant to be replaced next year. They’re meant to be used, sharpened, and carried.

That philosophy matches Sharp On Sight’s core belief: a good edge, properly maintained, matters more than chasing the next thing.

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Looking Ahead

Adding Anza Knives is just the beginning of this chapter. The goal isn’t to become a massive knife retailer. The goal is to offer a small, intentional selection of knives that make sense for real users — knives I’d carry myself and sharpen without hesitation.

If you’re curious about Anza knives, want to handle one in person, or just want to talk through whether a fixed blade even makes sense for you, stop by the Sun Prairie Farmers Market on a Saturday or catch Sharp On Sight at an outdoor or gun show.

And if you already have a knife you like, that’s fine too. Just don’t neglect it. A good edge still goes a long way — and it only stays that way with proper maintenance. Bring it by for sharpening, have the edge corrected, and keep using the knife you already trust.