Hi Fernando,
The currently popular view that the primary function of the `carraca' ratchet was to intimidate the opponent, at least to me, makes very little sense. Only a very faint hearted person would ber frightened by it and a capable fighter would take good advantage of the warning sounds to take pre-emptive action.
All the antique Spanish made navajas that I have see had sloppy locks, even on unused exhibition pieces. This suggests that under stress, these could fail and the incorporation of two or three ratchet teeth makes sense as a safety precaution. This makes even more sense if we remember that the favoured fight with the navaja was with a cape or jacket used as a parrying implement, and as such a substantial blow on the spine of a blade was always something to be reckoned with, especially if the fabric caught the point.
If however we consider that the legislators were continuously trying to contain the violent use of navajas, as demonstrated by the numerous laws and edicts, then it also makes sense if they tried to make the opening of navajas as slow and noisy as possible. This view also fits in with the large number of ratchet teeth found on so many navajas, far more than what the above fail-safe considerations would require.
In the absence of hard proof, I am inclined to think that the ratchet teeth probably were first incorporated as a fail-safe innovation and then was seized upon by the authorities as a legal requisite to frustrate as much as possible their violent usage. It was probably due to legal requirements that the number of ratchet teeth increased from two or three to as many as 15 on some navajas.
Cheers
Chris
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