Columbus business owner Louise Radanovich gets right to the point. And if it’s a dull one, she’ll work quickly to give it an edge. Radanovich owns Sharpening On Site, a sharpening service that travels directly to the client. Her business has all the bells and whistles — and tools — needed to sharpen virtually any commercial or home lawn-and-garden tool, woodworking tool or kitchen utensil, all from within a utility truck.

The truck has its own electrical system powered by a 50-amp generator and plenty of lights and outlets. With the push of a button, the sharpening machinery roars to life. Equipment includes scissor and knife machines, clean-up grinders, belt sanders, a large grinder with jigging tools and, Radanovich says, “all sorts of strange little odds and ends.”

Radanovich says it is often possible to take an old utensil or tool that has been in the family for two or three generations and that has obviously seen better days, and give it a new lease on life. “I love making things shine,” she says. “Lawn and garden tools are my specialty, and I also love the real old-fashioned push lawn mowers.” In reality, she says, all garden tools and home utensils fascinate her.

One of Radanovich’s favorite tasks is to restore old tools or kitchen utensils. “I can take something filthy and rusty, give it a new edge and new hardware, refurbish it and turn it into a usable object, a thing of beauty and even often an heirloom,” she says.

Columbus resident Conn Baker Gibney describes Radanovich’s trade as a long lost art. He said she not only sharpened kitchen and utility knives for him, but restored some antique utensils from the 1890s — a cleaver and knife — that were both in pretty bad shape. Today they are as functional as modern-day kitchen utensils.

And, Gibney says, you can’t beat the convenience. “She was just fabulous and is very professional and reasonable — and she drives right up to the back door and does it all at one time,” he says.

In addition to home tools and kitchen utensils, some less obvious items requiring sharpening include shovels, edgers, sod knives, hand trimmers, loppers, hedge trimmers — hand and power — and other lawn-and- garden tools. According to Radanovich, sharp tools not only provide easier and cleaner cutting, but also better ergonomics for the user. Radanovich also sharpens upholstering scissors, some veterinary surgical tools, and has sharpened surgical tools for a local coroner’s office.

Anne and John Lodder, owners of Lodder Landscaping in Columbus, use Radanovich to sharpen and clean their professional tools and personal kitchen knives and shears. “Even if what you gave her is rusty, caked in dirt and dull as dishwater, she does everything she can to get it back to the utmost usability,” Anne says.

Radanovich imposes a minimum $25 charge per visit. Regular clients often invite neighbors to stop by with their utensils and Radanovich will conduct a group sharpening event at one site. Prices range from $1 to $5 for knives and $2 to $10 for scissors. Prices vary based on the type of utensil. Many woodworking or lawn-and-garden tools are priced by the inch.

Now is the time of year to have yard tools cleaned and sharpened before they are put away, and to prepare kitchen utensils for the upcoming holiday season. Radanovich says at a minimum, kitchen utensils should be sharpened annually and garden tools once or twice a year.

It is often more a matter of cleaning and removing sap and dirt to make the tool functional once again. What is even more important, Anne says, is that Radanovich’s resharpened tools stay sharp for quite a while. “She always does very meticulous work,” Anne says. “The first time we used her, it was amazing the difference between what we took to her and what she gave back to us.”

If you have used Sharpening On Site’s services, please get in touch with us to submit a report.