The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-04-16
peRlPATeTlC KNIFE GRINDERS.
Men TO Whom Travelling Is Natural and
Who Wander All Over the Union.

Knife grinders in this town retain the
wandering instinct that has belonged 70
their craft from time immemorial. Being
peripatetic, IL is "a simple and easy thing
TO prolong a days walk 10 the next city,
and SO by degrees all over the Union.
They are seldom native Americans, never
negroes and as often as not Germans.
They are found in large numbers on the
east side and on the west, but are seldom
seen i'm the main business thoroughfares.
Their best customers used TO be the butch
ers, but the travelling tool shop, with all
the appliances for sharpening edged tools,
setting saws and repairing cutlery, has
somewhat cut into the trade OF the wan
dering knife grinder. Scissors grinding
for nonprofessional women Is now an i'm
portant part Of their trade, and In many
country districts they are called scissors
grinders
TIE knife grinders outfit is bought In
Mulberry street the resort OF all SORTS OF
pcripatetic persons. IL costs from SO to
$40 and should include besides the frame,
treadlc and driving wheel small grind
stone for larger articles, a smaller one of
sandstone for fine cutlery, file and "a
whetstone. The last two articles and
few other tri1es are stored In little closet
between the legs Of the frame The wheels
will last from eight TO ten years, and the
frame, with proper repairing, half life
time. The whole thing is light enough
for "a man of moderate strength 90 carry
all day long without overexcrting himself.
Some knife grinders have routes that are
not seriously interfercd with by their fell
lows, but every important thoroughfare Is
visited daily by several. They arc treated
-. =
and are recognized, especially in the Ger
man quarter, as n public convenience.
Some OF the knife grinders insist upon
grinding with dry stone, custom that
many owners Of cutlery object TO on the
ground that IL tends to spoil the temper of
steel. The dry grinders have deft way of
turning the knife SO that it does not be-
come too much heated by being long upon
the stone Dry grinding is economical TO
the grinder since il wears the stone slowly.
The characteristic ting-a-ling ting,
ting, ting-a-ling, ting ting Of the knife
grinder is traditional and unique II is
kept up long time by mechanical
movement of the wrist that gradually
gives t4.J muscles involved great power.
The move. Of the bell Is very slight,
and tho mus, ar effort is so timed that
the motion OF -alking shall aid in pro-
ducing the sOunu 1t IS uniform, and in
timc 10 becomes almost involuntary. A
few grinders have sui ltcd the voice or
the bugle for the bell at the traditional
alarm is the most grceable 20 persons
that find pleasurr IN the conservation OF
trade and picture Leness in it's uniform
ity with the pae4
A little S,- snlfe grinder of no are
In particl'Ir, spcaking German, French
and Lngiish as is the way with many
Swiss, declares that he has gone tinkling
about this city for ten years and has be-
sides seen Boston, Philadelphia, Balti-
more, Pittsburg and places between. He
takes an experts pride in his trade and
declines 10 water his wheel, though knives
are withheld i'm consequence and receipts
fall off. New York Sun.