Ever notice how the old carbon steel knives from estate sales take an edge that modern stainless just laughs at? I picked up a beat up Old Hickory at a garage sale for two bucks, blade was black with rust, and after scrubbing it down and working it on a 400 then an 800, it shaved arm hair. That steel is soft enough that it sharpens up in minutes but it holds a working edge longer than you'd expect. The fancy stuff sells you a story about hardness and layers, but half the time it's just too brittle to take a good angle.

Wait, regulars stay even after a raise? How much are we talking, like a dollar more or something small? I always figured a price hike would send half the usual crowd looking for a cheaper spot.

Saw a similar thing at a ren faire demo years back and went home and built my own out of scrap oak and a threaded rod. Still use it more than the big press for anything under like 8 inches. Small setups just work better for small jobs, no shame in it.