The knife-grinder: old artesan activity forgotten.

[Marta Elena Díaz García]

Hi, friends:

Upon was a time that we could hear in the streets a particular “music” made by a man riding a bicycle: the knife grinder. He made that characteristic music using a mouth organ (I believe) and as soon as housewives heard it they took all knifes, scissors, umbrellas and even pots to be sharpened or repared.

My husband was trying to find that particular sound of the knife grinder. He found it but I don´t know how to include it here.

The bike of the knife grinder was accordingly modified in order to use one of the wheels as the motor to move the grindstone by pedalling the bike, which was supported on a trestle.

Most of the knife grinders in Asturias came from Galicia, particularly from the provinces of Orense and Lugo.

I still remember the knife grinders going all over the streets and the “aldeas” . Even, when they abandoned the streets, I remember them in the “plaza de Avilés” (Monday, market day) and the ladies giving him the scissors and umbrellas…….I feel ancient!!!! What a pity!!!!!!

Marta

[Art]

Hi, Marta,

If you send me an mp3 file (or something similar), I can put it on the server and provide a link.

I remember the knife sharpener when we were in Madrid in the early 1980s. There was a special sound and melody. It sounded like a tune played on a harmonica, but I'm not sure it was a harmonica.

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Hola, Marta,

Si me envías un archivo mp3 (o algo similar), lo puedo poner en el servidor y pegar un eslabón.

Recuerdo el afilador de cuchillos, cuando estábamos en Madrid al principios de la década de 1980. Hubo un sonido y una melodía especial. Sonaba como una canción tocado con una armónica, pero no estoy seguro de que era una armónica.

[Indalecio Fernandez]

Hola Art, te mando un enlace sobre el instrumento tradicional de los afiladores, el Xiplu: http://www.funjdiaz.net/museo/ficha.cfm?id=103
http://sonidosclandestinos.blogspot.com/2010/05/instrumentos-clandestinos-la-flauta-del.html
www.es-aqui.com/payno/colabora/xipro.htm
http://cantagalos.blogspot.com/2005/11/xipro-de-afiador-ou-castraporcas.html

[Art]

That's the unique sound! Thanks so much, Indalecio. Now I know what the instrument looks like!

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¡Ese es el sonido único! Muchas gracias, Indalecio. ¡Ahora sé cómo parece el instrumento!