The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-04
KNIFE GRINDERS.
Men Who Travel All over the Union
sharpening steel.
From the New York Sun.


From the New York Sun.
Knife grinders In this town retain the
wandering instinct that mas belonged to
their craft from time immemorlal Being
peripatetic, IT is a simple and easy thing
TO prolong a days walk to the next city.
and so by degrees all over the union They
are seldom native Americans never me-
groes. and as often are not Germans.
They are found IN large numbers on the
east side and on the west, but are seldom
seen In 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 non-professional women is now an i'm
portant part of their trade, and In many
country districts they are called scissors
The knife grinders outft is bought in
Mulberry street. the resort of all sorts OF
peripatetic persons. 1t costs from IS TO
So and should include, beside the frame.
treadle and driving Wheel small grind
stone for larger articles, a smaller one or
sandstone for fine cutlery a file and a
milestone. The last two articles and a
few other trifes are stored In a little closet
between the legs of the frame. The
wheels will last from eight to ten years,
and the frame with proper repairing half
a lifetime. The whole thing Is light
enough for a man OF moderate strength
to carry all day long without overexertfng
himself. Some knife grinders have routes
that are not seriously interfered with by
their fellows, but every important thor
oughfare Is visited daily By several. They
are treated with more consideration than
peddlers, and are recognized, especially in
the German quarter, as public convent
ence
Some Of the knife grinders insist upon
grinding with a dry stone, custom that
many owners of cutlery object to on th1
ground that 1t tends o spoil the temper of
the steel The dry grinders have a deft
way OF turning the knife so that IL does not
become too much heated by being long
upon the stone. Dry grinding is econonni-
cal to the grinder, since II wears the stone
slowly.
The characteristic ting-a-ling. ting, ting,
ting-a-ling, ting, ting, of the knife grinder
Is traditional and unique. 1t is kept up a
long time by a mechanical movement of
the wrist that gradually gives the MUS
ment of the bell Is very slight, and the
muscular effort is so timed that the motion
Of walking shall aid in producing the
sound. II Is uniform, and in time 1t be-
comes almost involuntary. A few grind
erS have substituted the voice or the
bugle for the bell, but the traditional alarm
is the most agreeable to persons that find
pleasure in the conservation of trade and
picturesquesness in its uniformity with
the past.
A little Swiss knife grinder of no age
In particular. speaking German French
and English, is the way with many
Swiss. declares that he has gone tinkling
about this city for ten years, and has be-
side seen Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Pittsburg and places between. He takes
an experts pride in his trade, and declines
to water his wheel, though knives are
withheld IN consequence and receipts fall