Corsican Vendetta Daggers

Chris Evans · 30th July 2010, 05:27 AM

Atlantia,

I don't know all that much about these folders, except that most were made in France.

What I consider significant about them, as with many French "navajas", is that despite the fierce wording of the inscribed legends and often large size, they lacked a mechanical lock that would render them safe (for the wielder) for thrusting. As such, I strongly suspect that they were not intended for violent use, rather souvenirs, or at most, common cutting implements designed to fit in with restrictve laws.

That so many ornate Spanish and French folders survive to this day, without the usual signs or repeated sharpening and other wear and tear associated with regular usage, strongly suggests that these were display pieces or souvenirs.

As collectors, we gravitate towards the most attractive and well preserved specimens and over time this acts as a filter and removes from circulation those less attractive implements that were used in earnest.

Cheers
Chris

Atlantia · 30th July 2010, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Evans

Atlantia,

I don't know all that much about these folders, except that most were made in France.

What I consider significant about them, as with many French "navajas", is that despite the fierce wording of the inscribed legends and often large size, they lacked a mechanical lock that would render them safe (for the wielder) for thrusting. As such, I strongly suspect that they were not intended for violent use, rather souvenirs, or at most, common cutting implements designed to fit in with restrictve laws.

That so many ornate Spanish and French folders survive to this day, without the usual signs or repeated sharpening and other wear and tear associated with regular usage, strongly suggests that these were display pieces or souvenirs.

As collectors, we gravitate towards the most attractive and well preserved specimens and over time this acts as a filter and removes from circulation those less attractive implements that were used in earnest.

Cheers
Chris

Hi Chris,

Well, TBH I think you are being a bit unkind about the folders.
Absolutely they are 'souvenir' items (you can see mine has 'Souvenir De Bastia' on the grip), but then so really are many Spanish, South American, and many other blades of the same period.
I think you are quite right that they were made to also accomodate a tightening of laws as with Navajas.
As for the lack of a lock. The one I have would serve the purpose perfectly well without, having as it does a tremendously rigid spring that 'snaps' the blade into place. Its a full two handed job to close the damn thing.
As for use... well I can't see it being a good utility knife in all honesty, it feels like its made for stabbing and not much else. So I can't see them really being used or needing sharpening.
I'm certainly a novice when it comes to these, and although I've owned many 'navajas' over the years this is the first os these Corsican variants that I've owned.
So I can't comment on mainland French made versions, but this one certainly claims to have been made by Robert Badani in Bastia on Corsica.

I wish I knew a little more about him as I'd like to date the knife. It has the feel of folders made around 1900 that I've owned which would put it within an era where Vendetta fueds still allegedly regularly took place, making it at the very least an extraordinarily lethal contemporary souvenir of a somewhat macarbre piece of European history.

Which is why I'm suprised more people don't like them? Especially given the interest in plain old Spanish Navajas!

Best
Gene

Chris Evans · 30th July 2010, 04:32 PM

Hi Gene,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atlantia

Hi Chris,

Well, TBH I think you are being a bit unkind about the folders.

Sorry, didn't mean to be disparaging in any way at all, because as souvenir items they are highly collectable. I myself have a number of those garishly decorated oversized navajas that bear the all telling "Recuerdo de....". (souvenir of...) and paid plenty for them.

Quote:

Absolutely they are 'souvenir' items (you can see mine has 'Souvenir De Bastia' on the grip), but then so really are many Spanish, South American, and many other blades of the same period.

Indeed. And this is why I go out of my way to point in the various discussions that these knives were not normative and try to dispel the fanciful pseudo history that have been spun around them.

Quote:

I think you are quite right that they were made to also accomodate a tightening of laws as with Navajas.

The French, as did the English and Germans, had a massive export cutlery industry and made locking systems to fit in with their target markets. In the 19th century Spain bough millions of French made nvajas, most without a lock.

Quote:

As for the lack of a lock. The one I have would serve the purpose perfectly well without, having as it does a tremendously rigid spring that 'snaps' the blade into place. Its a full two handed job to close the damn thing.

All the French made ones that I have seen had what I call the `demi-lock' which required more force to close than a common slip joint, but still met restrictive ordnances. As for using them to thrust, well, yes one could do so, but at a risk and along the way a well directed blow with a parrying jacket could easily close the blade onto the fingers of the wielder. This is why the mechanical lock was illegal in Spain and I suspect also in many other jurisdictions, as is the case now in England, as I am told. Forton himself commented on this matter at quite some length in his book on navajas.

Quote:

As for use... well I can't see it being a good utility knife in all honesty, it feels like its made for stabbing and not much else. So I can't see them really being used or needing sharpening.

I agree with you entirely. A large folding knife fitted with a demi-lock, is a dangerous item to open and close when sharp.

Quote:

So I can't comment on mainland French made versions, but this one certainly claims to have been made by Robert Badani in Bastia on Corsica.

Bernard Levine, the renowned authority on knives, is forever pointing out to collectors that what is stamped on a blade does not necessarily indicate the name of the manufacturer. It is a well entrenched practice in the cutlery industry for importers to order knives from foreign manufacturers with their own name on them. Your knife may or may not have been made in Corsica, but Thiers remains a prime suspect.

As an aside, the same applies to a large number of very French looking navajas that bear the name of Spanish cutlery outlets. This was debated some time ago on a Spanish forum and nobody could confirm if the ubiquitous Valero Jun of Zaragoza made his own knives or bought them on order from France with his name stamped - Because of their good quality I suspect that they were imports.

Quote:

I wish I knew a little more about him as I'd like to date the knife. It has the feel of folders made around 1900 that I've owned which would put it within an era where Vendetta fueds still allegedly regularly took place, making it at the very least an extraordinarily lethal contemporary souvenir of a somewhat macarbre piece of European history.

Vendettas are common all over the Latin world to this day, but they are rarely committed with fancy knives. Don't know if they ever were, as usually such weapons are quickly discarded.

Quote:

Which is why I'm surprised more people don't like them? Especially given the interest in plain old Spanish Navajas!

Well, the same could be said for the folders made by the French for their own domestic use. They made large folding knives every bit as good or better than the Spaniards.

The Spanish decided to project a national identity, to attract tourists, based on the very distinctive culture of the country's south and gypsies. The navaja has become a much publicized icon of this image, a bit like the Scottish dirk in the sock is part of that country's image, along with kilts and bagpipes. To be sure, navajas were an everyday item in pre 1900 Spain, but not necessarily the ornate large "santolios" that we associate with the term, rather cheap friction folders, as all over Europe - There are importation figures and other evidence that supports this view.

Cheers
Chris

Montino Bourbon · 30th July 2010, 09:01 PM

In this case means "Corsican", not a race or a run.

Chris Evans · 31st July 2010, 07:12 AM

Hi Gene,

Trying to learn something, I had a look through my books on navajas and searched the net to find that:

In Forton's `Navajas Antiguas' pgs 114-117 there is a section dedicated to Corsican folders, which he lists as French. He shows 11 specimens similar to yours, the biggest with a 20cm blade. All are attributed to early 20th century. The author does not say if these were manufactured in Corisca or mainland France, but a number of them have brands stamped with a name plus AJACCIO, a major city on the island, as is Bastio (on yours).

In De Vivar's `La Navaja Clasica' pg 58 there is an illustration of another small French "Corsican" folder but this one appears to be either slip joint or friction folder. It has a 12cm etched decorated blade and painted handle with the inscriptiion `Valladolid' a city of northern Spain! Vivar assigns this folder to the early 20th century. The blade has also inscribed on it `ACIER FONDU' (cast steel).

This article from the New York Times, published in1881, claims that Corsican vendettas were perpetrated mostly with firearms: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...679D94609FD7CF

A very informative paper, translated by Google, on Corsican cut & thrust weapons:
http://translate.googleusercontent.c...HQb526Fe1aRgMA. The authors mentions that in the 19th century, the local merchants cashed in on the tourist's preconceptions as inspired by novelas. He also appears to say that the islanders began to manufacture "robust" folding knives at the end of the 19th century, in most cases without a spring. Perhaps someone fluent in French can read the original paper and clarify this, as the Google translation leaves a lot to be desired

This is an excellent French website's section on Corsican fixed blade knives: http://www.couteaux-jfl.com/Corse.htm. Perhaps you could drop the owner a line and see what he has to say on the subject.

Cheers
Chris

Chris Evans · 31st July 2010, 04:34 PM

Hi Gene,

Did a bit of further searching and found this old thread, on another forum, in which Bernard Levine gives an opinion on these folders and has this to say:

"....It is called a Vendetta Corse or Corsican 'vendetta' knife. They are mainly sold in the island of Corsica, in the Mediterranean Sea. Some are made in Bastia, Corsica. Others are made in Thiers, on the French mainland. They are made in step sizes. For more details, see pages 303 and 304 of Levine's Guide to Knives, 4th Editio...."

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/sh...arch/1/#361661

Cheers
Chris

Atlantia · 31st July 2010, 05:33 PM

Chris,
Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant! My knowledge of these has just increased exponentially!
Thank you

Montino,
I did wonder if if was that, but 'Corsica' is painted on the grips in full, so I wondered if it was 'run' as in 'proceed' or 'continue'.
Thanks for the clarification.

30th July 2010, 09:01 PM	#4
Montino Bourbon Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Santa Barbara, California Posts: 301	"Corsa" In this case means "Corsican", not a race or a run.

30th July 2010, 05:27 AM	#1
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 685	Atlantia, I don't know all that much about these folders, except that most were made in France. What I consider significant about them, as with many French "navajas", is that despite the fierce wording of the inscribed legends and often large size, they lacked a mechanical lock that would render them safe (for the wielder) for thrusting. As such, I strongly suspect that they were not intended for violent use, rather souvenirs, or at most, common cutting implements designed to fit in with restrictve laws. That so many ornate Spanish and French folders survive to this day, without the usual signs or repeated sharpening and other wear and tear associated with regular usage, strongly suggests that these were display pieces or souvenirs. As collectors, we gravitate towards the most attractive and well preserved specimens and over time this acts as a filter and removes from circulation those less attractive implements that were used in earnest. Cheers Chris

31st July 2010, 07:12 AM	#5
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 685	Hi Gene, Trying to learn something, I had a look through my books on navajas and searched the net to find that: In Forton's `Navajas Antiguas' pgs 114-117 there is a section dedicated to Corsican folders, which he lists as French. He shows 11 specimens similar to yours, the biggest with a 20cm blade. All are attributed to early 20th century. The author does not say if these were manufactured in Corisca or mainland France, but a number of them have brands stamped with a name plus AJACCIO, a major city on the island, as is Bastio (on yours). In De Vivar's `La Navaja Clasica' pg 58 there is an illustration of another small French "Corsican" folder but this one appears to be either slip joint or friction folder. It has a 12cm etched decorated blade and painted handle with the inscriptiion `Valladolid' a city of northern Spain! Vivar assigns this folder to the early 20th century. The blade has also inscribed on it `ACIER FONDU' (cast steel). This article from the New York Times, published in1881, claims that Corsican vendettas were perpetrated mostly with firearms: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...679D94609FD7CF A very informative paper, translated by Google, on Corsican cut & thrust weapons: http://translate.googleusercontent.c...HQb526Fe1aRgMA. The authors mentions that in the 19th century, the local merchants cashed in on the tourist's preconceptions as inspired by novelas. He also appears to say that the islanders began to manufacture "robust" folding knives at the end of the 19th century, in most cases without a spring. Perhaps someone fluent in French can read the original paper and clarify this, as the Google translation leaves a lot to be desired This is an excellent French website's section on Corsican fixed blade knives: http://www.couteaux-jfl.com/Corse.htm. Perhaps you could drop the owner a line and see what he has to say on the subject. Cheers Chris

31st July 2010, 04:34 PM	#6
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 685	Hi Gene, Did a bit of further searching and found this old thread, on another forum, in which Bernard Levine gives an opinion on these folders and has this to say: "....It is called a Vendetta Corse or Corsican 'vendetta' knife. They are mainly sold in the island of Corsica, in the Mediterranean Sea. Some are made in Bastia, Corsica. Others are made in Thiers, on the French mainland. They are made in step sizes. For more details, see pages 303 and 304 of Levine's Guide to Knives, 4th Editio...." http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/sh...arch/1/#361661 Cheers Chris

31st July 2010, 05:33 PM	#7
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Chris, Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant! My knowledge of these has just increased exponentially! Thank you Montino, I did wonder if if was that, but 'Corsica' is painted on the grips in full, so I wondered if it was 'run' as in 'proceed' or 'continue'. Thanks for the clarification.