A chance purchase during a lunch break fifteen years ago would eventually lead Tony Evans down an unexpected entrepreneurial path. What started as a simple knife sharpening kit has grown into Hometown Hone, a business that has become an essential service for Holt’s home cooks, gardeners, and professional establishments alike.
Evans’ journey into knife sharpening started with a chance discovery at Mega Mall during his lunch break. “I bought a knife sharpening kit and just started learning,” he recalls. “My family started giving me their knives, my friends started bringing me their knives, and I just kind of became the knife guy.” What made the hobby particularly appealing was its meditative quality—Evans would sit on his couch after work, finding relaxation in the precise movements of sharpening.
The transition from hobby to business came during an unexpected time. When COVID-19 shutdowns left his second-grade son doing virtual school at home, Evans found himself looking for productive ways to spend his time while he was stuck inside. After trying his hand at painting with limited success, he decided to test whether people would pay for his sharpening expertise.
“I put it out there on Facebook for people to bring me knives, and people just started bringing me knives,” Evans explains. “They said I did such a great job, then restaurants started bringing me knives.” The positive response led him to contact the Holt Farmers Market, a decision that transformed his side project into a legitimate business venture.
Now in his fourth summer as a vendor at the Holt Farmers Market, Evans has established Hometown Hone as a destination for anyone needing sharp tools. His process combines traditional techniques with modern equipment—using a spinning stone wheel in a water trough, much like blacksmiths of old, followed by polishing on leather to achieve what he calls “the finishing step.”
The business serves a diverse clientele that extends far beyond kitchen knives. Home cooks and gardeners make up his primary customer base, but Evans also sharpens tools for restaurants, veterinary offices, dog groomers, and anyone who works with cutting implements. “I’ve just kind of built the business on what people are asking for,” he notes. “Whatever people are asking for the most, that’s what I try to accomplish next.”
One of Evans’ most rewarding experiences comes from customer reactions to his work. “I get a lot of people that will bring me one knife, and I’ll sharpen it for them,” he shares. “Then the next week they’ll come back and they’ve brought everything from their kitchen. They say, ‘Oh my God, I realized I had never used a sharp knife.'”
The success at the farmers market often surprises even Evans himself. “The first time I did the farmers market, I was fully prepared to stand there all day thinking nobody was gonna show up,” he remembers. “When the market opened, people just lined up. I worked from 9:00 in the morning till 2:00 in the afternoon without stopping.”
Evans and his family moved to Holt ten years ago, drawn by the community’s combination of good schools, quiet neighborhoods, and small-town atmosphere while remaining close to the city. Their son, now in junior high, has progressed through the local school system, and the family has embraced everything Holt has to offer, particularly the trail system and parks.
“I walk every day at JC Park over by Kroger, get on the Holt Trail, and go the mile and a half out to the intersection of Cedar and Holt Road,” Evans describes his daily routine. “That section through the neighborhood that they built a few years ago is just great.”
Looking toward the future, Evans plans to continue growing his business methodically, with particular focus on expanding his commercial clientele. He wants to sharpen for more restaurants and veterinary offices, growing what he calls “the professional side of things” while maintaining his strong presence at farmers markets.
The support system that has enabled his success includes family members like his parents and partner, who have been consistently encouraging. Evans also credits Chuck, the Holt Farmers Market manager, with having his back and helping get his name out in the community. “He’s like everybody’s uncle,” Evans says with appreciation.
For Evans, Hometown Hone represents more than just a business—it’s the intersection of personal passion and community service. The fact that people are willing to pay him for something he genuinely enjoys doing continues to amaze him, creating a business model built on both skill and authentic enthusiasm.
Hometown Hone can be found at the Holt Farmers Market, where Evans continues to help community members discover the difference that truly sharp tools can make in their daily lives. Whether it’s a home cook’s kitchen knife or a professional chef’s complete set, Evans approaches each job with the same attention to detail that first made him “the knife guy” among family and friends.
To learn more about Hometown Hone, check out their website and Facebook page, or find out when you can see him at the Holt Farmer’s Market.