It’s hip. It’s a square. It’s nearly three acres of prime real estate in the heart of San Francisco. So it’s the commercial heart, pumping goods and store credit, but it’s still where Bay Area beatniks and brethren gather to spend — and spend big. It’s Union Square and it’s a glutted glitz-fest for the ages.

Initially dedicated to Mayor Geary — the city’s first American mayor — the Square was a poor man’s Washington Square. Hey, San Francisco was Spanish in more than just name for almost a hundred years before the Americans came on the scene. This was in’50. A decade later, it became a rallying place for Union-minded folks during the Civil War. Mind you, the Civil War never reached California, but it was the support that counted.

By the middle of the 20th Century, the square was little more than a squatter’s camp for vagrants and burned-out hippies. It was only ever cleared out for the epic New Year’s Eve celebrations. These celebrations turned out to be more like tidal brawls and fistfights, but the tradition stuck. Today, it’s tantamount to the titillating fete Times Square enjoys, only it’s on the West Coast.

The Square was shut down, repaved, retrofitted, and renovated to make the area a more palatable gathering place for prosaic pedestrians and citizens alike. Now, it’s a gleaming gateway to retail bliss. In fact, the Apple flagship store is located in Union Square, to the hip delight of cool kinder everywhere. It’s flagship central, what with Macy’s, Armani, Hugo Boss, Levi’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus jockeying for consumer attention.

It’s super gloss and polished chrome heaven. It’s track lighting, wood panel interiors, and gourmet goodies galore. You’ve got a svelte selection of Union Square hotels, pubs, restaurants, shops, boutiques, and salons to choose from. It’s spending speedway heaven and it’s just waiting at the Market Street stop.

A bent knife blade is more than just an inconvenience. It can render even bowie knives virtually useless, depending on the severity of the bend, as well as the location of the bend. Common areas for bends to occur are at the tip of the knife, as well as on the edge and even the midsection of the blade, itself. These are usually the result of accidental drops onto hard surfaces, or they might be the result of intentional misuse on the part of you or someone to whom you lent your knife. Regardless, bent blades are usually not covered by the manufacturers or bowie knives.

First, you can try to bend the blade back into shape. However, this is a dangerous prospect. It can even lead to injury or further damage to the knife blade. If you are not careful and put too much pressure on the blade in the attempt to bend it back, the blade can actually snap off, leaving you with a useless handle and possibly a serious wound in the bargain. Therefore, bending back the blade might not be a good option.

If just the tip of the knife is bent, you can try to bend it back as well, using a pair of pliers. Usually, this will result in the tip snapping off the blade, though. If this happens, it’s possible to use a whetstone to reshape and sharpen the damaged portion of the blade. Obviously, this is not a great scenario. While you will have a usable knife, it certainly will not look the same ever again.

Actually, you can repair the blade yourself, though you’ll need a high-powered flame torch, as well as a hammer and an anvil. If those items are not close to hand, or you don’t feel like giving your best imitation of a blacksmith, it is time to call in the professionals. A professional cutler will be able to cure what ails your knife in the majority of instances.

A cutler will ensure that the blade does not lose its heat temper and will also be able to ensure that the blade regains its proper dimensions. Conducting such repairs at home, on your own, can be an excellent way to ruin that knife blade through incorrect repair techniques.