"Ladies, the knife grinder is back": Daniele Novelli sharpens blades at your door

The story of Daniele Novelli, 33, a knife grinder from Camucia, told by the Corriere di Arezzo, made me smile and think at the same time. He practises a trade that is disappearing: for ten years he has sharpened knives in his workshop and at customers' homes, after starting at 23, by chance.

As well as knives he sharpens old billhooks, band-saw blades and slicer discs, because, he says, at home nothing that can be recovered gets thrown away. He bought a fitted-out van and uses modern machines that let him grind any kind of blade, with an edge profile he designed himself. He taught himself, working alongside his father, who repairs industrial machinery, learning by making mistakes and by "stealing with his eyes".

His customers range from young people to elderly people, some over ninety, who bring him a billhook because they can no longer cut the grass. His advice is simple: four or five really good knives are better than ten poor ones, and it almost always makes more sense to re-sharpen than to buy new.

These days, hearing the knife grinder coming is news, because there are almost none left. Daniele enjoys the contact with people and bringing back into use things someone else would have thrown away. It is a nice reminder that a well-sharpened blade can last a lifetime.

Source: Corriere di Arezzo