The Bygone Knife Grinders of France: Working on Their Stomachs to Preserve Their Backs, 1900s

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In early 20th-century France, knife grinding was a vital yet grueling trade, requiring long hours and careful precision. In the town of Thiers—famed as the heart of French cutlery production—knife grinders developed a peculiar and practical technique to endure the physical toll of their work: they lay on their stomachs, chests down, as they worked […]