Community Knife Grinding is among the longest-standing vendors at The Windmill, selling an assortment of cutlery and cooks’ tools here since 1989. In addition to carrying an array of culinary tools and products, Community Knife Grinding provides a service that has been perfected over an intergenerational history that goes back over 100 years.

Charlene is the third generation of the Polli family line offering custom blade sharpening services.

A Century Old Family Business

To trace the storied history of Community Knife Grinding, we must go back to the early 1900s.

It was then that Charlene’s grandparents, Louis and Lena Polli, immigrated from Northern Italy to New York, passing through historic Ellis Island.

This journey was made by over 4 million of their fellow countrymen between 1880-1921, many of whom were drawn by the promise of opportunity.

Louis Polli was a master knife grinder who offered sharpening services out of the back of his truck, which he used to navigate New York City, his new home.

Louis and Lena had a son named Robert D. Polli born in Brooklyn in 1918.

At the age of 5, he was already helping out on the family truck.

By age 12, Bob Polli was working full-time alongside his father. Together they traveled to restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and anywhere else food was being prepared.

Bob continued his training until the day arrived when Louis told him he was prepared to start his own sharpening business. By this time, Bob was already lucky enough to have met Josephine, the love of his life.

Louis advised his son there were no knife grinders in Rochester or California.

Faced with these options, Bob and Josephine moved to Rochester together.

In 1939, the pair became husband and wife.

Josephine proved to have an excellent mind for business and managed various bookkeeping and administrative responsibilities. Combined with Bob’s classical training, they made an unstoppable team.

Charlene fondly recalled the momentous day when her parents’ new stainless steel truck was delivered. Once outfitted with a custom paint job, lettering, and a grindstone, this faithful truck would serve its family for the duration of Bob’s career.

In addition to carrying on his father’s trade, Bob came up with innovative ways to change the knife grinding business model.

Bob developed a cutlery rental system where he lent out sets of knives for a one-week period.

Then, he would return to trade out the set for one that was razor sharp.

“Everybody knew Bob Polli”

In 1974, Bob was invited by the manager of the Rochester Public Market to offer his services. Even on the first day, he had outstanding success.

Lines of customers formed with knives, blades, and gardening tools, and Bob was a craftsman who never disappointed. From then on, he spent weekdays on the road and Saturdays at the market. 

Bob and Josephine would have five daughters over the years, but only Charlene chose to pursue her family’s trade. When Bob officially signed the business over to Charlene in the early 90s, she described it as an emotional experience.

Bob wouldn’t fully retire from his trade until he was 91 years old.

“This is my happy place”

While Charlene’s husband, also named Bob, continues to hold down their station at the Rochester Public Market, Charlene found a beautiful new home to continue the family business in 1989. The Windmill was a fledgling cooperative at this time, but word had already spread of its quality local goods. Charlene was granted temporary permission to appear as a vendor and see if her business would be a good fit.

Charlene vividly recalled her first day at The Windmill, which at the time was completely open-air. She did not have the fortune of starting out during the market’s Spring months or accompanying sunny weather. Instead, it was a frigid, snowy day in November which few visitors decided to brave. Yet against all odds, Charlene had a busy and successful day.

Bob and Josephine visited The Windmill and agreed it was a wonderful community.

Although Charlene was officially approved in the Spring of 1990, she will always consider her first month the cold November of ‘89.

“A Full-Blown Culinary Store”

Like her father before her, Charlene decided to innovate the family business.

She currently estimates her product selection at around 900 culinary items. So many, in fact, that she has had to expand through four booths of space to accommodate her selection.

This merchandise is not a wanton collection, but hand-picked items that Charlene has appraised as quality, long-lasting, and often made in the USA.

Many of them are not available in brick-and-mortar stores. All of them were chosen for their usefulness and durability.

Charlene has procured multiple high-end cutlery selections, including Swedish Victorinox knives and German Wustof-Trident cutlery.

Charlene added that she always asks herself, “How can I change it for next year?”

Her goal is for even her most loyal customers to continue finding new additions for their kitchens.

Charlene is not alone in preserving the family business. Her cousin, Petey, and his three sons all work the grindstone to this day, continuing the Polli tradition of custom sharpening services. Charlene is also showing her daughters the trade, so Community Knife Grinding’s story hasn’t ended yet.

Charlene can still be found at The Windmill, and even has walls and a roof now!

Visit Community Knife Grinding in building 3A to see what your kitchen is missing.