The Afiador

Things had been getting pretty dull around here, and something needed to be done about it. I'd been waiting for the man to come along and put the edge back into things, but I seem to keep missing him. Today, however, I was just sitting down to lunch when I heard the distinctive whistle from the street below. I quickly jumped up and grabbed all the knives I could find. Hurrah! The 'afiador' was in the neighbourhood!

I love a good knife. I've got knives in all shapes and sizes. But, as any chef will tell you, a blunt knife is not only useless, it's also dangerous. And not to put too fine a point on it, but my knives were in serious need of sharpening.

Adevade Augusto dos Santos bought his bike in 1969. He's been honing blades, reviving nail clippers and shaping scissors for 52 years. Sprightly and talkative, he's cheerful and chatty above the whine of the steel against the stone. And how's this for a 'green' energy source—he uses pedal power to turn the grinder and file, and all he has to do is hold the blade against them.

It cost R$ 4,00 per item—a bargain, I say, compared to the value of a decent knife. Adevade moves around; he also goes to the local restaurants and shops, summoning his regulars with his Pied Piper call and getting exercise as he works.

It may not be cutting-edge technology, but it's great to see an old-time tradition still deeply carved into modern life.