One of the machines, the lapidary, is almost a century old… Some of the tools, such as the anvil, are even 200 years old… James House in Autun, in Saone-et-Loire, is a real entity. His specialties? A gun, but also a knife. Although his workshop is no longer visible to the public and customers for several decades, we can admire it again when we pass through the upper pedestrian zone. Pauline Zacharie, the only qualified gunsmith in France, decided to return the knife workshop to its original location in the storefront: “This is where it all started. I thought it was good to show my work to passers-by and customers. Let everyone see how we sharpen knives and even scissors for animals! »
From the table knife to the butcher knife
“I sharpen about 1,200 knives a year,” says Pauline Zacharie. They come in all sizes from table knives to butcher knives. The grindstone is electric and more convenient than the water-powered ones which can still be seen at Thiers in the Auvergne. » Also of interest to passers-by is the sticky one used for shearing cattle and sheep. “We work less than we used to, about two decades a week, because the winters are less cold than they were a few decades ago. Farmers have less need to shear their sheep as they spend less time in the sheds. »
Originally from the Isère department, Pauline Zacharie enjoys sharpening knives to perfection, making them as flawless as they are sharp. Its prices: 7.90 euros for scissors, 3-7 euros for knives. Reasonable prices appreciated by fans of fine knives. The famous Galvacher, King of Morvan, is no longer made in Autun, but in Thiers… But it still has fans in Saone-et-Loire.