A profession nearly buried: Sannan El-Sakakin (knives sharpener)

Do you know who is Sannan El-Sakakin (knives sharpener)? I’m going to tell you, he is a man who sharpens knives so that people can use it in whatever they want and most probably to cut meat and more other things.

In the past it was a common scene in the Egyptian streets to see a man carrying a wooden machine on his back. It does not seem weird as it is a popular profession called Sannan El-Sakakin (knives sharpener). If you want to know more about this profession read the article.

What is the profession of knives sharpener?

This profession is all about a man carrying a wooden machine. He puts it on the ground and rubs a stone disc with the knife producing sparks of fire. When he sharpens the knife, it becomes sharp and is able to be used again.

Does it still exist?

Many people think that this profession does not exist anymore, but it actually does exist in some places. A few people go to these places where the knives sharpener with their dull knives especially during Eid El-Adha -the season of animal sacrifices- . So yes, it does still exist.

How old is this profession?

According to the researcher Ahmed Omran, Sannan El-Sakakin is a very old profession started in the pharaonic era, then flourished in the 19th century. It is a very dangerous profession as it was done by sharpening the edges of the knives on a stone disc. For its importance, soldiers and warriors resorted to it in wars to sharpen the edges of their swords and daggers. From here it developed and with time, it became required in the streets.

A famous person in this field

One of the famous people who worked in this profession is: El-Arayshi. He was a man in his sixties living in Sinai. “The profession has fallen back and the livelihood has decreased because of Chinese work” he said. This man spent 28 years of his life working in this profession which he inherited from his father. He considered the holidays a season in which his financial conditions flourish despite the retreat in the work. El-Arayshi continued to say that sharpening knives is not an easy profession as some people might think. A very tiny and simple mistake can cut his fingers or result in losing any of his hands. Also, randomness in sharpening knives can make it fragile.

Visit Egypt

If you are interested in this profession and want to see it in real life you can visit Egypt. You will see a lot of people walking in the streets of Egypt holding their machines to sharpen your knife.