Obsolete Occupations

[Shangas]

Hey Warden,

Reading that article reminded me of "A Scandal in Bohemia", one of the first Sherlock Holmes stories, written and set over 100 years ago. A scissors-grinder is mentioned as one of the minor characters.

 

[John in Covina]

We should all join in the fight to save arsenic as the true drug to fight sexually transmitted diseases, that penicillan is the bunk!:eusa_doh:

The wood bowl making, part of the wood turning craft, tends to be more of a hobby in the US. Commercially it's a third world type of item now.

 

[Gracie Lee]

As a seamstress, I find a good set of shears invaluable, and I'm sure many of the other ladies will back me up. For the kind of $$ I lay down on dressmaker's shears, you're darn right I have them sharpened! I sincerely hope the scissors grinder NEVER dies out! There is nothing nearly so sharp as a set of hand sharpened drop forged shears. I occasionally find myself wondering if I could snip through a rib cage with them...

 

[John in Covina]

The Sharper guy would come thru Copiague about once a year in his truck, like the ups delivery trucks. He had a bell that rang about every 30 seconds and he literally ideled down the streets. People would come out to get their scissors and hedge clippers sharpened as well as knives and such.

To do a really good job sharpening on a grinder you have to have good technique and knowledge. If you don't know what you're doing you can ruin blades quickly. Last time i saw a shapener guy was some years back at one of the gun shows at the Orange County Fairgrounds (those fairgrounds are something else that will be gone soo too!)

 

[Fletch]

I know this is a bit late, but what the blankety blank are you talking about????!!!

Oh yes, I know this man Ranjesh. Smoking his beedies, talking with ten toungues, Ranjesh, yes he is the man ranjesh. The coyote, he is a trickster, Ranjesh he is no coyote, Ranjesh. He can make from air, what isn't from air, but not to know it isn't from air Ranjesh.

Ranjesh, he is like a shadow in the sun Ranjesh.

Don't look for the man Ranjesh,

look for the shadow cast

and you will see the man who isn't Ranjesh.

It is good to smoke, beedies is good yes?

 

[John in Covina]

I think it's a medical marijuana thing.

 

[davestlouis]

Lo and behold, I found a true, old style funeral home night man...a local FH has an elderly guy who lives in an upstairs apartment, and any time the place is closed, he's there to answer the phone...7 evenings/nights a week. Wouldn't be a bad job for an older stay-at-home type.

 

[LizzieMaine]

As a seamstress, I find a good set of shears invaluable, and I'm sure many of the other ladies will back me up. For the kind of $$ I lay down on dressmaker's shears, you're darn right I have them sharpened! I sincerely hope the scissors grinder NEVER dies out! There is nothing nearly so sharp as a set of hand sharpened drop forged shears. I occasionally find myself wondering if I could snip through a rib cage with them...

Around here we take our scissors to the meat counter at the grocery store, where the butcher is happy to grind a fresh edge to them. You have to remember wipe off the grease before using them to cut out fabric though.

 

[Chainsaw]

I know this is a bit late, but what the blankety blank are you talking about????!!!

Just going off on a tangent my friend. Oh, and Beedies are just cigarettes
http://www.azadbidi.com/ Which are aslo at the heart of a great war in the east Indian underworld.

 

[tonyb]

Lo and behold, I found a true, old style funeral home night man...a local FH has an elderly guy who lives in an upstairs apartment, and any time the place is closed, he's there to answer the phone...7 evenings/nights a week. Wouldn't be a bad job for an older stay-at-home type.

Yep, and as an added benefit, the downstairs neighbors don't make much racket.

 

[davestlouis]

Tonyb, the sad thing is this...the firm I work for just bought the firm he works for, and dollars to donuts, he'll be eased out in the not too distant future, in favor of our answering service. You just can't beat the local touch...this man has been the after-hours voice of the firm for a decade or more, it would be a shame to lose him. The price of progress...

You'd be amazed at how many weird noises a 100 year old building makes at night when you're the only live person in the building at 3AM...creaks, moans and groans, etc. Not a great way to get a great night's sleep.

 

[John in Covina]

Hot water heating makes for interesting noises in a quiet house.

 

[Chainsaw]

I pass through a small town to get to our farm (for hunting or whatever). The town funeral home is also the town furniture maker/store. I haven't been in there since my great Uncle died, but the place is slowly closing down.

They don't even stock furniture anymore.

Perhaps we should have a thread for dying traditions.

Oh, Spiritus, 99% pure (not proof) it's medicinal alcohol you were thinking of maybe. You can make cold remedies with it. Sugar or honey and orange zest. Use vodka if you like. Let it sit for a week.

 

[tonyb]

Tonyb, the sad thing is this...the firm I work for just bought the firm he works for, and dollars to donuts, he'll be eased out in the not too distant future, in favor of our answering service. You just can't beat the local touch...this man has been the after-hours voice of the firm for a decade or more, it would be a shame to lose him. The price of progress...

You'd be amazed at how many weird noises a 100 year old building makes at night when you're the only live person in the building at 3AM...creaks, moans and groans, etc. Not a great way to get a great night's sleep.

You sure that's just the building making those "creaks, moans and groans"?

Bwaahahaaa!

Do I recall reading (or hearing) there has been a big trend toward consolidation in the mortuary business?

Does anyone offer volume discounts, by the way? You know, for mafia families and the like?

 

[davestlouis]

There has been some consolidation, but even the biggest of the big fish only has 15-17% of the market in the US...family owned firms drive the business. Consolidation of hearse makers and casket makers has been extreme...Accubuilt makes the 3 biggest brands of hearses in a single factory in Ohio, Eagle Coach in Amelia, east of Cincinnati, makes the 4th largest. Batesville Casket and Aurora Casket are down the road from each other in Indiana, west of Cincy, and they control most of the US market in wood and metal caskets. The days of the local casket-maker are over for the most part. Burial vaults are a more fractured business...they tend to be made locally, but most vault companies are affiliated with Wilbert or Doric vault companies.

 

[davestlouis]

tonyb, we will offer a discount, but only if services are the same day for multiple family members...if happens more than you might imagine. House fire, motor vehicle accident, murder/suicide will all result in multiple family members needing our services simultaneously.

 

[davestlouis]

tonyb, as long as we're on the subject of hauntings, I have never seen/felt anything even remotely creepy in any of the FHs where I've worked. My take on it is this...if someone is going to haunt a place, it would be a place that was important to them in life, not the place where they were "in state" for a day or two.

It is rumored that the long-dead owner of our firm walks the halls of our oldest building, that has been in continuous use as a funeral home since the 1850s. I've never been there at night, but I've heard rumors for over 25 years about it.