Professional cutler practicing his trade in NYC, circa 1890

[Stahlmann]

I think this is a cool historical photo. Professional cutler sharpening a knife or a pair of scissors in NYC, circa 1890. Today he'd be ticketed for pollution, excess noise, missing safety enhancements, and well, operating a business on a sidewalk.

 

[Currawong]

That's a cool photo. I'd love to see that walking around the streets today. And those are some big kids. Or he is a small cutler.

Is he making knives or sharpening them? I have to admit I don't really know what a cutler is.

 

[Stahlmann]

That's a cool photo. I'd love to see that walking around the streets today. And those are some big kids. Or he is a small cutler.

Is he making knives or sharpening them? I have to admit I don't really know what a cutler is.

He's sharpening something -- a knife, straight razor, pair of scissors, etc.

Cutlers make, maintain and repair cutting instruments.

 

[not2sharp]

Funny, there is a long line of people standing across the street, behind the cutler. I wish we knew the story on that. (they might be waiting to get into that theater visible across the street behind the kids)

n2s

 

[JPD1998]

It was still common in NYC, mid-1960's, to see these guys driving trucks slowly down the street ringing a bell for knife sharpening.
My mother's set of Cutco knives was ruined by one of these street sharpeners.

 

[cbach8tw]

I think this is a cool historical photo. Professional cutler sharpening a knife or a pair of scissors in NYC, circa 1890. Today he'd be ticketed for pollution, excess noise, missing safety enhancements, and well, operating a business on a sidewalk.

Not only charged with those, but maybe endangering the lives of kids, although they seem to be fascinated with the job he did on one of their knives, the pic is blurry there but it could be.

 

[The Aflac Duck]

Alice Austen, 1896.

 

[Blues]

It was still common in NYC, mid-1960's, to see these guys driving trucks slowly down the street ringing a bell for knife sharpening.
My mother's set of Cutco knives was ruined by one of these street sharpeners.

Yep. I remember those.

In my grandmother's area of the Bronx, they had one that would come on a horse drawn cart. I was mesmerized by the sharpening, and, of course, the horse.

 

[Silent H]

It was still common in NYC, mid-1960's, to see these guys driving trucks slowly down the street ringing a bell for knife sharpening.
My mother's set of Cutco knives was ruined by one of these street sharpeners.

There were still a few trucks like this on Long Island in the late 90's- early 00's. I remember running outside expecting it to be the ice cream truck driving down the street. I was really disappointed when it turned out to be these guys.

 

[ferider]

That trade still exists in other parts of the world, Italy, Mexico, etc.

 

[metsfan]

There’s a bread truck that drives around Bay Ridge, Brooklyn that advertises a sharpening service. I’ll snap a pic when I next see the dude…

Scissors, knives, lawn tools, etc listed on the side of the rig.

I’d like to know what part of NYC that pic was taken in, so I could head over there and post a current pic of the spot

 

[J.Mattson]

Love photos like this

 

[not2sharp]

There is still one that rolls around South Florida. It sounds like an ice cream truck, stops on neighborhood streets and hails over loud speakers to bring out anything that needs sharpening.

n2s

 

[eisman]

Knife grinders have been a source of art going back to the 15th century; when artists started looking at subjects other than religious, historical, or patron portraits. I love this stuff, and it's rare, and not readily collected by most knife enthusiasts.

Here are some more examples (not mine, but on my list):

Meyerowitz, The Knife Grinder (engraving):

A German tin, mechanical, toy:

An English cartoon (hilarious, and shows politics have not changed in over 250 years):

Bela (Impressionist):

My favorite (from my collection);
Italian Capodimonte porcelain:

 

[Stahlmann]

There are a couple of cutlers that drive around here in minivans stopping at restaurants, barbershops, and farmer's markets to sharpen knives and other instruments. One often sets up in a parking lot of a deli.

One day I was walking by and someone in a big MBZ was picking up some knives he had apparently dropped off earlier. He was HOT! "What the f--k did you do to my <insert fancy Asian culinary knife maker name here> and my <insert fancy French culinary knife maker name here>? Is this some sort of f----n joke? You f-----g RUINED them! F----n little nubs now! What the f--k do you expect me to do with these?"

The cutler was real defensive and said there wouldn't be a charge for the sharpening, but the customer was henceforth banned. That enraged the knife owner even more.

Given that fixed blade knives were close at hand, I kept going rather than watch the fireworks.

 

[Stahlmann]

Knife grinders have been a source of art going back to the 15th century; when artists started looking at subjects other than religious, historical, or patron portraits. I love this stuff, and it's rare, and not readily collected by most knife enthusiasts.

Here are some more examples (not mine, but on my list):

Meyerowitz, The Knife Grinder (engraving):

A German tin, mechanical, toy:

An English cartoon (hilarious, and shows politics have not changed in over 250 years):

Bela (Impressionist):

My favorite (from my collection);
Italian Capodimonte porcelain:

THANK YOU for all of this!

 

[jfk1110]

There is still an old gentleman who drives around the south shore.of Staten Island. The forgotten Boro.of NYC!!!
All the kids get excited for the good humor man and instead they get the jingle jerk!!! That's what I always called him as a kid. Same old blue panel truck n sure looks like the same old dude too..

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Interesting that everyone was wearing hats back in those days.

I'll admit it... Blade Forums is not the only bit of the internet I frequent. Amazing.

However, sometimes strange crossovers do happen. I ran across this on Reddit /history:

Workers pose for a photo inside the pattern shop at Titusville Iron Works in Titusville, Pennsylvania - 1906. Found this photo tucked away in a box at work.​

​

I work at a newspaper in a small town. We have a photo archive with thousands of excellent photos. Here's one of my favorites:​

​

Like in this photo taken around the turn of the century in Titusville Ironworks, all wore hats and looks like they wanted to get that photo done so they can get to lunch
G2

 

[jackknife]

Interesting that everyone was wearing hats back in those days.


Like in this photo taken around the turn of the century in Titusville Ironworks, all wore hats and looks like they wanted to get that photo done so they can get to lunch
G2

I think a hat was just part of what every man wore in those days. I don't recall seeing a man without a hat when I was growng up. Fedora, flat cap, ball cap, watch cap, any kind of hat.

 

[eisman]

Interesting that everyone was wearing hats back in those days

Until the 1960's a hat was expected to be part of a man's daily wardrobe. The long hair and hippies pretty much killed that.