The Woodshop’s Knife Medics began in November 2021 with just 3 volunteers. Leigh Bayreuther was the principal organizer. A total of 10 volunteers ultimately joined to participate in our first Sharpening Day. It has grown exponentially since its first year, and the entire operation is now run by 60 or so volunteers all of whom are Woodshop members. This community service has been very well received. It was started with two purposes in mind: 1.) provide a valuable and needed addition to the quality of life in the Timber Pines Community: and 2.) to help with the funding of the Woodshop itself.

We sharpen two Mondays each Month from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM and to handle our current sharpening volume we have formed 4 Teams of volunteer Sharpeners and Coordinators, consisting of a separate morning and afternoon team for each of our two Mondays.  Between 6 and 7 sharpeners plus 2 or 3 Coordinators are now "performing their magic" during those two sessions from 8:30 AM to 11:45 AM and then following on from 11:45 AM to 3:00 PM.  Most Knife Medics volunteer for one shift per month.

The Knife Medics ask for donations when we sharpen knives and other items.  All of those donations go toward replacing consumable items that the Woodshop keeps on hand such as saw blades, sandpaper and sanding belts, various glues, cleaners, and fasteners of all sorts.  Originally the Knife Medics used the funds to purchase additional sharpening tools to support the growing volume.  As the variety of things we could sharpen increased, the need for more "sharpening stations" increased.  We now have 6 complete Knife and Scissor Sharpening Stations consisting of 4 Hi-Tech, Diamond Impregnated, Nickel Coated, Machined Steel 11 ½” x 2 ½” stones each.  In addition, we have several shared specialty stations for Garden Tools; cleaning and "de-rusting" items; a disassembly and reassembly bench; several small Diamond Coated, Hand Held, Specialty flat and conically shaped files; conventional metal files. Most recently we acquired a large bench mounted Buffer and a sophisticated 2 inch Knife Grinding Belt Sander.  All were purchased with funds donated from our sharpening operations.

Our 2025 year-end update: from 1-1 to 12-31-2025 we sharpened during Morning and Afternoon Sessions on 23 Mondays.  We saw 3,481 items consisting of: 2,034 Straight & 455 Serrated Knives, 466 Scissors, 268 Hand Pruners, 210 Hedge Trimmers or Loppers, 24 Powered Trimmers, and 15 Hand or Rotary Saws owned by 696 of our TP Neighbors. Included in these totals are Sprinkler System Donut Cutters, Fabric Seam Rippers, Axes and Hatchets, Thread Snippers (scissors), Shovels, Edgers, Pocket Knives, Rotary Mower Blades, Swords, Machetes, Powered Hair Clippers, Extension Pole Trimmers, Chain Saws, Cuticle Trimmers, and one Rotary Meat Slicer Blade.  We really CAN Sharpen anything.