Hi folks. I’m a keen cook and have been really surprised how blunt the knives have been at the sits we have been enjoying.
Not sure the best way to go about this
A. Leave them alone
B. Ask and possibly insult the HOc.
C. Don’t ask and possibly upset the HO
Your thoughts?
I believe @MissChef brings her own!
Do not choose C - I might cut my fingers off.
My better half is an ex chef and he will generally approach it by saying something like… I am pretty good with sharpening knifes and notice that a few of yours could do with a touch up, would you like me to do them while i am here? Always been met with a yes please. One HO even asked if he could show her how to do it properly with a steel. She was very grateful as she loved to cook but didn’t have the confidence to do it herself.
OH says there are more fingers cut with blunt knifes than sharp ones. In his humble opinion. 
Sure. But not if it was unexpected!
I think knives are meant to be sharp! Sharpen them, I would love you for it.
I choose B, or at least tell the HOs that the knives have been sharpened. Probably leave a note on the knife drawer/block so the remember before using the knives.
Yes, please sharpen—-mine are very dull, guilty as charged. Seriously, as with anything not approved first, you should ask.
I usually just sharpen one knife and use that and don’t say anything as a blunt knife is way more dangerous than a sharp one.
After years of house sitting in kitchens with dull knives, we bought folding French kitchen knives. They hold an edge beautifully, are easy to pack in our suitcase, and we can keep them sharp. We are always guaranteed a sharp, usable knive.
I have here animals that will snitch anything with (the smell of) a little food on it, when I turn my back for a moment. I would not want them to slice their tongues.
For questions like this, I honestly think it doesn’t matter if any of us on the forum would be upset (or grateful). Always ask before doing.
OTOH, my partner is a professional cook, and she was so frustrated by the lack of decent knives everywhere we stayed when we traveled for a year that she bought her own travel knife and just used that. It saved a lot of grief!
I’d be thrilled if you offered to sharpen my knives, I’m useless at it!
While you are trying to do a nice thing, personally I’d leave them alone. Even if you did ask, they may not realise how sharp sharp actually is and hurt themselves, do you really want that on your conscience? Some people never sharpen their knives so won’t realise how sharp it makes them, so I wouldn’t even offer it.
I’d also never sharpen without asking, some people have them blunter for a reason, because it makes them less-hazardess if their cutting skills aren’t very good or they are older and have less control in the their hands.
I’d leave them alone.
I suggest option D, offer while coordinating the sit: “I have a hobby of sharpening knives and would be happy to do that for you if you’d like.”. The owner surely wouldn’t be insulted by a kind offer and the fact that you haven’t even seen the knives would surely reduce the possibility of insult. Just a thought!
I would be fine with it but definitely let me know.
Great reply. Thanks
I have a couple of very expensive Japanese cooking knives, which I sharpen with a wet stone, I usually put them out of the way in our bedroom if I have new sitters but if for any reason I had forgotten I absolutely would not want anyone else to attempt sharpening them. Whilst you may be the best person in the world at knife sharpening, as a HO who doesn’t know you, I would much rather you did not attempt to sharpen my knives as it is very easy to blunt knives when trying to sharpen them……not that you’d need to at our place anyway! 
I don’t like sharp knives semi blunt ones I can cope with them arthritis in hands.
I would LOVE to come home to sharpened knives! I’m a passionate home cook and sharp knives are a must.