Hi Rafael,
Nice to receive your input.
1. Re Valero Jun: Do you know for certain that that was his family name? It sound plausible.
2. Re Carraca (Ratchet): I tend to agree with you that it was probably a safety feature, for the other commonly made explanation, namely that the ratchet was supposed to frighten the opponent makes little sense. Now if safety was the prime concern, why did so many have up to 15 teeth? I can see the first two or three contributing to safety, but the rest?
However, a well known Spanish antiquarian offered the alternative explanation that it was a legal requirement is some jurisdictions, though he couldn't prove it. A friend consulted with Don Forton who opined that it was primarily aimed at frightening the opponent. So we have three different opinions. I noticed that in his works Forton does not address this subject. We can all make guesses, but it would be nice to know for sure.
3. Re the Virola (Bolster): What you say makes good sense. It distributes the load imposed by the riveted pivot pin on the handle material. But the design of the bolster influences the strenghth of the handle assembly and this is something that needs elaboration in a work such as that of Forton's.
4. Re Size: Once a blade exceeds about 23cm, the handle becomes very weak or else too heavy and thus impractical. Plenty of large `navajas de muestra' (show/exhibition pieces) but I have yet to see one that saw use as indicated by wear and tear. You are right, those with large heavy blades can be flung open very quickly, but despite this remain impractical because of the weakness and weight problems. According to Forton, the average navaja blade was in the 15-23cm range, if I remember correctly, and that is consistent with something that could be put to practical use. With a bridged Virola (bolster) its is possible to make a navaja with a longer blade, say up to around 30cm, but it will be marginal on account of its weight and bulk of the handle.
Also the typical Spanish `Window" lock (Cierro de Ventana) is prone to rapidly develop slack and this free play is greatly accentuated by longer blades.
5. I think that one of the biggest problems we have trying to understand old navajas and their usage is that the surviving specimens were for most part show pieces or souvenirs and those that saw actual use were worn out and destroyed a long time ago. The people who used them were illiterate and thus we have no written records.
Cheers
Chris
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