I hear the whistle:run for your knives.

Once a week I will hear in Miraflores, Lima, Peru, a familiar whistle. This is a distinctive whistle: one that is known to all as the whistle of the knife sharpener. The knife sharpener is a one person business. Production, sales, marketing, and customer service are all provided by the same individual: walking through the streets with a device designed to spin a stone for knife sharpening.

 

The device consists of a metal frame with one large wheel that is attached to a pedal. It is engineered so the sharpener may walk with the frame in his hands as the large wheel rolls it through the streets. There is a sharpening stone that is in the shape of a circle. When put into use, a leather belt is used to transfer the power of the large wheel to the smaller round sharpening stone. Using his foot, the knife sharpener pedals the large wheel, with which the belt spins the sharpening stone: at the same time he sharpens the customer’s knife.

Weekly the knife sharpener will walk through the streets. Each day of the week consists of the same route for that day: Monday one route every Monday and Tuesday another route every Tuesday, etc. As the knife sharpener walks through the street the familiar whistle is blown over and over again. Residents on the route are made aware that the knife sharpener is available by hearing the whistle. The consistency of the route and the sound of the whistle are the marketing and sales for the business. I can personally attest to this as I had my knives sharpened because one week I heard the whistle. It was so distinctive that I went outside to see what it was. After learning that it was the sharpener, the next week when I heard the whistle, I ran outside with three knives (sharp points down) to be sharpened. The cost for the service was three Soles[1] per knife.

The knives are sharpened quickly, expertly, to the point of shaving the hairs off your arm: something that I have never been able to do on my own. What appears to be a simple skill with simple equipment is really a wonderful example of personal service, convenience, craft, and art form. Imagine standing one foot with a knife in your hand, peddling the other foot like a bicycle, with two spinning wheels going round and round, and you are sharpening the knife to a fine edge. That is an art form. 

I hear the whistle. I’m off to the kitchen drawers to check the knives. Come back soon. Next time I will tell you about the breakfast street merchant and the sandwich I invented. Chau.

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[1] Sol or Soles is the currency of Peru. As of September 13, 2010  the exchange rate is S/. 2.79 per $1.00.