[Chris Evans]

Originally Posted by RobT

a 13.25” blade seems a bit hefty for a souvenir.

Hi RobT,

Not really, I have some very hefty navajas in my collection that were obviously display pieces and not intended for use, as evidenced by paint and etch decorated blades without any signs of ever having been sharpened or used. This includes a very disfunctional specimen akin to yours that still has the original paint on the blade.

I would go as far as to say that probably the majority of old navajas being traded today were originally bought as souvenirs/display pieces, because of the above stated decoration and the lack of wear and tear on the blades, which would ensue with use. This tradition lived on into the 20th century with huge numbers of navajas with etched & enamelled blades bearing taurine themes and the ubiquitous `Recuerdo de......' (souvenir) caption.

Could this knife have actually been made in Morocco? I have never seen a navaja back spring that looks like this.

Well, `navajas' were made in other parts of the world, including India, but yours is typical of those attributed to have been made in Santa Cruz de Mudela in the early 1800's. In Forton's magisterial `Navajas Antiguas' there is a section dedicated to them.

I have never seen a navaja back spring that looks like this. The 20th century style back springs (like those on Okapi knives) are very flat

When sheet steel became available in Spain, towards 1900, their cutlers changed tack and came up with with `muelle de teja’ backsprings that sat on the top of the handle and saved much labour. I am not sure where these back springs were first used as I have seen a few very old hefty ones that were on knives manufactured in other countries and made from forgings.

If you are keen to collect or study navajas, I suggest that you consider getting a copy of Forton’s book which is richly illustrated and is an essential guide. Its full title is `Navajas Antiguas Las Mejores Piezas De coleccion' by Rafael Martinez Del Peral Y Forton

Cheers
Chris