Grinder
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Le Rémouleur | The Grinder
Parisian Grinder ("Couteaux et ciseaux à moudre!," 1887 drawing by an unknown artist, appearing in Les Cris de Paris, types et physionomies d'autrefois by Victor Fournel, Wikimedia Commons).
One of the oldest street professions, the rémouleur, or grinder, was a craftsman who knew how to sharpen all cutting instruments. He usually moved from one village to another with his tools, sharpening knives and scissors with a stone he kept in his pocket. The grinder wore a leather apron, or one made of durable material, in order to protect his clothing. He carried a grindstone with him, typically on his back, as he moved from place to place. The grinder also had a reputation for being an entertainer, a storyteller, and even a quasi-magician—anything to get people's attention and attract clients.
The grinder's work was generally found in the city, as most people living in rural areas had their own grindstones and whetstones and knew how to sharpen knives and scissors.
The word "rémouleur" comes from the French "émoudre," itself from the Latin "exmolere," which means to sharpen on a grindstone.
He was also called an émouleur or affileur de couteaux, or knife sharpener.
Known person who had this occupation: Gelindo Bertoldi
Grinder in Morlaix, France ("Le rémouleur à Morlaix," circa 1869 oil painting by Jules Noël, Wikimedia Commons).
Satirical drawing of a grinder ("Habit de rémouleur," 1675 satirical drawing attributed to Nicolas II de Larmessin, Wikimedia Commons).
Sources:
Jeanne Pomerleau, Métiers ambulants d'autrefois (Montréal, Québec: Guérin, 1990), 261-264.
Claude Lemay, "Fonctions et métiers délaissés," l'Ancêtre, number 281, volume 34, winter 2008, and number 280, volume 34, winter 2007; electronic edition, Société généalogique de Québec (www.sgq.qc.ca/images/_SGQ/R_LAncetre_plus_libre/ENT-FONCTIONS-METIERS-DELAISSES.pdf).