Knife grinders (and dogs), France, ~1900
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The video in that article is fantastic.
Agreed, I just wish the voiceover wasn’t AI
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This is literally a photo of industrialization.
you lie to me like the santa deniers
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I’m trying to make sense of this.
I’m presuming there’s a crankshaft below them that’s driving a grindwheel at each of their workstations that they use to sharpen the blades they’re working on. The motor that drives all of it is probably somewhere off screen.
I guess it beats using your feet to constantly crank the grindwheel.
From the 1300s to about 1950 the power was provided by the Durolle River.
Here’s an article with more pictures from different angles.
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2025/07/the-knife-makers-of-thiers.html?m=1
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Fun fact: these guys all died early, brutally painful deaths from silicosis.
They mentioned calling it “the dog’s disease” which leads me to think about the fact it wasn’t exactly healthy for the dogs to be breathing rock and metal dust all day either. Although they were a little farther back at least.
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They mentioned calling it “the dog’s disease” which leads me to think about the fact it wasn’t exactly healthy for the dogs to be breathing rock and metal dust all day either. Although they were a little farther back at least.
I’ve read it was called that because of the panting/gasping breathing people who suffered from it did, but definitely not good for the dogs either.
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Their arms must knack
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Shit, it beats forcing cashiers to stand.
I think the dogs were there because it was cold af. Soni don’t know.
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From the 1300s to about 1950 the power was provided by the Durolle River.
Here’s an article with more pictures from different angles.
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2025/07/the-knife-makers-of-thiers.html?m=1
This looks so dangerous. Laying on top of a fast turning stone wheel with that loose piece of clothing hanging right next to it.
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Agreed, I just wish the voiceover wasn’t AI
Oh, I wondered about the weird cadence, but dismissed it as a recording/editing issue. Thank you for pointing that out.
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This looks so dangerous. Laying on top of a fast turning stone wheel with that loose piece of clothing hanging right next to it.
Well yeah. Lots of jobs were like that compared to modern safety standards. Probably something to do with Unions and people just generally being happy keeping all their limbs and digits… and lives.
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