#Esmoladors
What it is and technique
The grinder (or esmolet) sharpens knives, scissors, razors and tools on a mola: a stone disc that rotates quickly. The traveling grinder traveled through towns and neighborhoods with his wheel and announced himself with a whistle or flute (general practice; in Mallorca, please verify).
Process step by step
1. Mount the mola (sharpening wheel) on its frame or adapted bicycle.
2. Mulch the stone so that it does not burn the steel.
3. Grind the edge at the right angle, first coarse and then fine.
4. Repassar (seat the edge).
5. Get paid and continue on your way.
Forms and objects
- Mola d'esmolar: see roda d'esmolar .
- Clients: trinxet , ganiveteria , podall i tallant , tailor's scissors.
Vocabulary
- esmolador: who sharpens; In Mallorca also a wooden instrument, like a vice, to hold saws when sharpening them.
- esmolet: traveling sharpener.
- esmolar: sharpen.
- mola: sharpening stone disc.
- «Aquesta ganiveta ja no és esmoladora!»: no longer supports sharpening.
- «N'hi ha un esmolet vell»: girls' ring game (Bagà).
Geography
- Walking throughout the island; today fixed sharpening workshops (Manacor, Palma) and cutlery shops.
Short story
- No Mallorcan date documented in the sources consulted.
- 20th century: the pedal wheel is mounted on a bicycle and then on a motorcycle (peninsular practice; check in Mallorca).
- Today: sharpening is concentrated in shops and workshops.
State
Minority. Register of artisans (consultation 10/13/2026): 2 grinder registrations in Mallorca. It survives as a workshop service.
Why is it design
- Portable workshop: a complete machine on wheels, the trade that goes to the house.
- Maintenance before replacement: extends the life of each edge.
- Sound design: the melody of the sharpener as an auditory mark of the trade.
For the project
- Itinerant grinder service in markets (circular edge economy).
- Record sounds of traveling trades for the project's sound archive.
Frequently asked questions
What is Esmoladors (knife grinders)?
The grinder (or esmolet) sharpens knives, scissors, razors and tools on a mola: a stone disc that rotates quickly. The traveling grinder traveled through…
Who practises Esmoladors (knife grinders) in Mallorca today?
The Balearic Islands Crafts Register lists 2 artisans linked to this craft, in Inca.
What are the traditional words for Esmoladors (knife grinders)?
Some words: esmolador, esmolar, esmolet, mola, «Aquesta ganiveta ja no és esmoladora!», «N'hi ha un esmolet vell».
Sources
- dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=esmolador
- dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=esmolet
- dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=mola
- caib.es/siciefront/artesania/index.jsp?idioma=ct
Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.