Knife Aid Continues To Generate Viral Buzz Since ‘Shark Tank’ Appearance

Knife Aid made quite the impression on the investors on Shark Tank, and the mail-in blade-sharpening business has continued to generate some viral buzz in the months that followed the memorable appearance.

The company was featured on a Season 11 episode of the ABC reality show, airing in October 2019. As Inc. reported at the time, the show’s investors followed the Knife Aid founders out of the set and into the hallway of the television studio, all seeking a piece of the action.

It was something viewers had never seen before, and it took the outfit’s leaders by surprise as well.

“Having four Sharks running after us into the hallway is something I would have never dreamed of,” Mikael Soderlindh, the company’s co-founder, said at the time.

The business was already growing quickly at the time of the show’s taping, with the Inc. report noting that Knife Aid had $120,000 in total sales, including close to $37,000 in the month before it was featured on the program.

The unique situation — and the unusual level of aggression from the Sharks in trying to close the deal, which included shouting over one another to make the best offer — led to some major attention. Many of the show’s recaps focused on the big offers Knife Aid had gotten, and there was a boom of interest in the outfit on social media.

That level of attention has followed in the months after the program aired. With ABC revisiting the original episode now in July 2020, viewers get a chance to see the hallway rush again but will miss out on the growth that followed. Earlier this year, Knife Aid got a review from Blade Mag full of glowing praise, especially for the way the company was able to sharpen the blades on a pair of scissors.

“The scissors cut better than new. No joke,” the review noted.

“I use those scissors a dozen times a day around the house, especially the kitchen. Any resistance to the cut collapsed. I can’t quantify how much sharper they became, but I can say the fun factor went to 11…”

It’s not clear how much help Knife Aid may have gotten from the unusual circumstances of the episode given the already strong and in-demand product, but the viral attention certainly seems to have led to a burst in business. Knife Aid’s online advertising has increased greatly since it was first featured on Shark Tank, as have the inquiries on social media.