100 years sharpening tools with a grinding wheel

GironaIn a cramped, old shop on Rutlla Street in Girona, just a few meters from the Mercat square, lies the small, timeless workshop where Josep Alba Quintana, the city's last knife sharpener, works. Seated at his trusty old grinding wheel, wearing a mask, facing the disc that spins rapidly with a small motor and pulley beneath the seat, Alba sharpens and repairs all kinds of knives, scissors, and cutting tools that his customers bring him wrapped in newspaper. These are his last weeks of work, as in a month, the veteran Girona knife sharpener will retire at 63, and the business, opened by his grandfather in 1925, will close its doors for good, with no one to take over.

When first her grandfather, and then her father, ran the workshop, the premises stretched all the way to the river, and there was plenty of work: butchers, fishmongers, cooks, and countless individuals from all over the Girona region came to have their tools sharpened. Now, many professionals who work with knives have their own electric sharpening systems, and the clientele has dwindled over time. However, these last few months, since announcing her imminent retirement, Alba has been overwhelmed. The news has spread, and all the neighbors in the area, especially individuals, are taking advantage of the opportunity to bring her tools that no longer cut well before she retires. She normally fulfilled orders with one day's notice, but now she has to deliver them a week in advance, with the workshop overflowing with packages of knives, axes, scissors, pliers, sickles, and saws.

Following in her father's and grandfather's footsteps

"In 1988, my father retired. I hadn't planned to continue his trade, but I suddenly found myself unemployed, and since I used to run around the shop as a child and help him put water on the grinder, I decided to give it a try," recalls Josep Alba. He adds, "I had the advantage of joining a business that was already established. My father had many customers from Girona, from the Mercat square, but also from Platja d'Aro, Riudarenes, and even a chef from Andorra who, at the end of the season, would bring us all his knives." Before his father, the business was started by his grandfather, originally from Ourense, who came to Girona. He initially worked as a mobile knife sharpener, using his van and the classic whistle, and in 1925 he opened the current workshop.

Alba learned the techniques of the trade from her father: "He taught me the grinding wheel speeds, the angle, all the wrenches for removing the burr without damaging the blade and preventing excessive wear. How to grind without touching the tang, how to remove the burr, and how to know the necessary thickness for each tool, depending on its type, for example. In addition to the grinding wheel, to finish the process, Alba also runs the blades over a sharpening stone to complete the sharpening.

Her procedure, however, has nothing to do with the new methods used by modern professionals in the sector, who now sharpen with belts or even lasers. In Girona, Alba is the only traditional sharpener, but in Salt, there is a specialized company with more modern techniques, and even itinerant sharpeners have automated their work. "I've always stuck with the same grinding wheel because it still works for me, and I haven't had any reason to change it," Alba insists.

Sharpen before you throw away

The knife sharpener from Girona has been in the trade for 37 years and, during all this time, has seen firsthand how the quality of tools and users' habits have changed. "Now there's a lot of talk about not generating waste, but, on the other hand, we have the habit of replacing a tool when it's not working properly. We prefer to buy cheaper things and replace them more often, but as long as a knife has a blade, it can be repaired and continued to be used," he states. However, he also receives extremely high-quality tools, such as top-of-the-line Japanese knives that he had never seen before. Sharpening a knife in his workshop costs 2 euros, and the price increases slightly depending on the complexity of the tool.

The lack of a habit of trying to repair things before buying new ones is linked to the lack of generational succession in the workshop: "It's a shame, it's a necessary trade. Perhaps it's asking too much, but I would be thrilled if someone continued my work," he acknowledges. Despite that bitter taste, Alba faces retirement with gratitude and enthusiasm: "I'm not 65 yet, but since I have 45 years of contributions, I've decided to retire, because you spend many hours bent over here, your back gets strained, and I want to take advantage of the fact that I'm still feeling well."