The frequent mobility of the knife grinders, and, more generally, of Resian seasonal or temporary workers, definitely influenced Resian society. These workers were basically the only link between Resia and the outside world. These emigrants, on their frequent trips, were constantly coming in contact with new realities, new discoveries, new tools, and new trends.
They carried, possibly unknowingly, the stream of information between the valley and the rest of the world, and contributed to bringing in “novelty” every time they came back. As Antonio Longhino wrote in his essay on Resia Valley’s knife grinders: “ … the knife grinders had (a role) also in the field of information. They were indeed the carriers of news from the outside world …”. (A: LONGHINO; 1992).
Therefore they weren’t only the carriers of technical and architectural innovations or big scientific discoveries, but especially of new trends and more frivolous fads.
Resian emigrants, for example, were certainly the first to come in contact with the world of photography, which at the time was inaccessible to the majority of the people. The presence of many portraits of Resians abroad seems to confirm this theory, which is supported also by various local informers.
The knife grinders/brüsarji and the merchants/kramarji were the first to get the possibility to learn about the new photographic technique. This, of course, was rendered possible by their continuous travels and their financial resources, which were much greater than those of the Resians who had stayed in the valley.
