<table width="889" style="height:1453px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><span>The <strong><span style="color:#e6361b;">Vallée des Rouets</span> </strong>(Spinning wheels Valley) presentation can not start without the <span style="color:#e6361b;"><strong>Durolle</strong> </span>in introduction.</span><br /><br /></td>
</tr><tr><td colspan="2">
<p><span>This small river has its source near Noirétable, a small city 25km from Thiers.<br /></span>Engorged by many tributaries, and engouraged by a more and more vertical drop, it acquires the vigor necessary for the smooth running of spinning wheels near Celles sur Durolle small town.<br />From there, and up to Thiers, the Durolle has dug a strait valley.</p>
<p>The energy of this river channeled by men is at <strong>the origin of the cutlery history of Thiers</strong>. It is the durolle which fed the machines necessary for the knives production.</p>
<p><span>The <strong><span style="color:#e6361b;">Vallée des Rouets</span></strong> takes its name from the many <strong>grinding wheels mills</strong> that were built on its banks (the grinding is the manufacturing step where the knife edge is made).</span></p>
</td>
<td><img src="https://goyon-chazeau.com/img/cms/La%20Durolle,%20la%20rivi%C3%A8re%20de%20la%20Vall%C3%A9e%20des%20rouets,%20Thiers%20coutelier.jpg" alt="La Durolle, la rivière de la Vallée des rouets, Thiers coutelier" width="377" height="282" /></td>
</tr><tr><td colspan="3">
<p><span>So, over than 20km, our ancestors shaped the gorge and the banks : pathways created into steep slopes, valve channels built in the river bed, and mills built everywhere it was possible.<br /> In total, more than <strong>50 channels</strong> were dug to tame the Durolle and supply more than <strong>80 water mills.</strong> </span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span>First built near Thiers, the rouets have, with the cutlery industry development, gradually colonized the river banks until Celles sur Durolle. </span></p>
<p></p>
</td>
</tr><tr><td colspan="2">
<p><span>Inside these <strong>small stone buildings</strong>, lightened by <strong>large picture windows</strong>, several cutler generations have succeed the ones to the others to grind the knives which have earned <span style="color:#e6361b;"><strong>Thiers to become the capital of cutlery</strong></span>.<br /><!-- [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--></span></p>
<p><span>On the ground floor of the mill, the <strong>knive grinders</strong> (<em>émouleurs</em> in french) worked side by side, lying down on sloping wooden planks overhanding a wheel driven by the stream. <br />This position gave them more pushing strength<strong> to grind the blades</strong>, that is to say, <strong>give them sharpness</strong>.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span>Upstairs, women were doing the same gesture on <strong>polishing wheels</strong> (wooden discs trimmed with leather straps) in order to give to the blade their final brilliant finish. <br />Children who were old enough to use the machines were learning near their mother.<br /></span>Then, young boys would joined their father when they were strong enough.</p>
<p></p>
<p><span>Outside, a small garden, some arrangements, few ornaments which occupied the knife grinders when the Durolle was too capricious to turn the wheels.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
</td>
<td><img src="https://goyon-chazeau.com/img/cms/D%C3%A9monstration%20%C3%A9mouleur.jpg" alt="Emouleur : démonstration au Musée de la Coutellerie de Thiers" width="266" height="355" style="float:right;" /></td>
</tr><tr><td colspan="3">
<p><span>At the beginning of the 20th century, about <strong>600 people </strong>were still working in a rouet. </span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span>The electricity coming and, with it, the production mecanisation, have led to the decline of the profession from 1930.</span></p>
<p></p>
</td>
</tr><tr><td colspan="2">
<p><span>The last Knife grinder, <strong>Georges (Jojo) Lyonnet</strong>, was our great-uncle !</span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><span>He has closed his rouet in 1976 and bequeathed it, and all inside, to the city of Thiers in order to leave a material testimony of how were life and work in the <span style="color:#e6361b;"><strong>Vallée des Rouets</strong></span>.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span>Today, it is possible to visit The Valley and the Rouet du Lyonnet with or without guide.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><span>Abandoned to nature, channels and rouets have softly became ruines, heavy of history. </span></p>
<p><span>The Valley atmosphere is near from magic and charged by a past life that is still palpable and fascinating. </span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e6361b;">To visit without any hesitation !</span></strong></p>
<p><span>To learn more about the Vallée des Rouets : </span><span style="color:#e6361b;"><a href="http://www.ville-thiers.fr/Vallee-des-Rouets"><span style="color:#e6361b;">http://www.ville-thiers.fr/Vallee-des-Rouets</span></a></span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><img src="https://goyon-chazeau.com/img/cms/Rouet%20du%20Lyonnet%20_%20Le%20dernier%20rouet%20de%20la%20vall%C3%A9e%20des%20rouets%20_%20Thiers%20coutelier.jpg" alt="Rouet du Lyonnet _ Le dernier rouet de la vallée des rouets _ Thiers coutelier" width="379" height="253" /><img src="https://goyon-chazeau.com/img/cms/Dernier%20rouet%20de%20la%20Vall%C3%A9e.jpg" alt="Le dernier rouet de la vallée" width="380" height="276" /></p>
<p></p>
</td>
</tr></tbody></table>