| Subject: Knives out! |
Author:
Willie
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Date Posted: 04:02:46 12/11/02 Wed
For those who don't know, we have a minority community here that call themselves Travellers. Generally, they filled the niche of Tinkers (people who mended pots) and general seasonal labourers in times past. The Tonker's caravan is a popular image on postcards of the sentimental type.
These days, Travellers tend to make money from trading scrap metal, selling furniture door-to-door and from selling other household items like bedding, carpets, etc.
A Traveller woman arrived last month,selling me a duvet which I didn't want (having bought more than required in the way of bedding from two male Travellers some months before). It was raining, and she was fed up. When she knew she wasn't getting anywhere with the duvet (and matching pillowcases!) she called for her daughter, who came in clutching a black briefcase.
"Knives?" she asked, hauling the case up to eye-level for me to see the coloured printed label describing the contents (in French and in German). She wanted €50 for the set. No way.
"How much will you give me then, sir? Sure look at the quality of them. Open them up there, sir."
I opened the case and looked. A small cleaver, kitchen shears, kitchen scissors, general chef's knife, carving knife, breadknife, peeling knife, and a few unidentified ones as well as a knife sharpener...
"€20," I said, with the pained expression of someone parting with their last penny. The rain continued to fall on the Travellers' heads.
"Alright." she said, took the money and left.
I was mystified. On the one hand, she hadn't told me all the woes of her family and the poverty I was plunging them into by paying such a low price. On the other hand, I had noticed the printed label had 400,00 on it (the Continental way of printing €400.00)!
A quick search on the Internet and it seemed that I'd bought a set of Soilligen chef knives... Each one valued at an average of €30 - €40 each....!
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