Folding Knife

[Iliad]

Hi guys, in accordance with Jim's wish that I post pics of the items in my collection, here is a Folding Knife about which I know very little. It looks Arabic to me, but what do I know! The pics may at least go in the files and be useful for research in the future.
It does not have a mechanism for locking the blade in place, so surely wouldn't be of much use as a weapon. Too big for cleaning one's fingernails? Table cutlery? Too clumsy to use to spread jam on the bread and butter?
Regards to all my new friends,
Brian

[ingelred]

Hi,

You have a 19th century Spanish Navaja, probably made in Albacete.
Nice piece.

Greetings, Helge

[Gavin Nugent]

A very nice and fine piece Brian. It is a Navaja and a good quality one at that, unfortunately it is missing the back spring that acts as a lock.
Search the forum for Navaja and you will find a lot of information from some knowledgable people.
I recently sold one that opened to 1.63metres. You will find these knives interesting and well presented within these pages.

Gav

[ingelred]

Hello freebooter,

A very nice and fine piece Brian. It is a Navaja and a good quality one at that, unfortunately it is missing the back spring that acts as a lock.

I don't think, that the knife misses its back spring.
As far as I can see from the pictures it seems as if the knife has a slip joint rather than the ratchet lock.
More pictures will show.

Best regards, Helge

[Lew]

I am not an expert in these knives but if it is 19th century it strikes me as early 19th or even late 18th century? The engraving and inlay are of excellent quality.

[ingelred]

Hello,

I just took a look into NAVAJAS ANTIGUAS - ANTIQUE CLASP KNIVES by Rafael Martinez del Peral y Forton.
In picture 018 on page 19 You can see a Navaja very similar to the Navaja shown in style as well in the detail of being a slip joint (it's the one on the right).
The book says 19th century Albacete.

Greetings, Helge

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by ingelred

Hello,

I just took a look into NAVAJAS ANTIGUAS - ANTIQUE CLASP KNIVES by Rafael Martinez del Peral y Forton.
In picture 018 on page 19 You can see a Navaja very similar to the Navaja shown in style as well in the detail of being a slip joint (it's the one on the right).
The book says 19th century Albacete.

Greetings, Helge

G'day Helge,

Please do show the image you refer to, I am interested as I have never bought the book, only the knives.

I too cannot see any ratchet teeth but ratchet lock or slip joint, a back spring is a spring that sits on the back of a knife and both ratchet or slip joints mechanisms do have a back spring that is clearly missing on this piece.

Look to the out of place circle to the middle, it is a pin to hold the back spring and the empty hole towards the rear of the handle, is where a pin would sit to hold the rear as seen in both slip joint and ratchet mechanism back springs.

As a footnote I know I have one Alvero Garcia exhibition Navaja here that has proved Forton wrong on one count on manufacture.

Well noted about the slip joint though.

Gav

[Chris Evans]

Originally Posted by Iliad

Hi guys, in accordance with Jim's wish that I post pics of the items in my collection, here is a Folding Knife about which I know very little. It looks Arabic to me, but what do I know! The pics may at least go in the files and be useful for research in the future.
It does not have a mechanism for locking the blade in place, so surely wouldn't be of much use as a weapon. Too big for cleaning one's fingernails? Table cutlery? Too clumsy to use to spread jam on the bread and butter?
Regards to all my new friends,
Brian

Hi Iliad,

That looks like a mid to late 19th century Spanish navaja, perhaps from Sta Cruz De Mudela, a rival of Albacete, and judging by the decorated blade and good state of preservation of its edge and point, most likely intended as a souvenir or display item. The slipjoint, or perhaps demi-lock, reflects the ban, in most jurisdictions, on more effective locks, for it lowered the knife's potential as a weapon. Its overall style is a precursor to what nowadays in Spain is called an Arab style navaja, best exemplified by the wares of the cutler JJ Martinez. For a modern piece see: http://www.filofiel.com/tienda/produ...oducts_id=3530
For a similar period piece, I refer you to Forton's `La Navaja Española Antigua' pg243 Fig 112

It is a nice piece and worthy of any collection.

Cheers
Chris