Navajas of the Galleons

[Dmitry]

My money is on the razors, not knives. Iron discipline was required on board ships, especially the treasure ships and naval vessels. Sailors did not carry knives as a matter of fact, all the repairs of the tackle and sails were done by the sail-makers and their crews, who had their own tools.
As we can see from numerous period paintings, most people were clean-shaven, even the lower classes [and sailors were the lowest of the low], to combat lice and infections. Author writes about scars on faces of some of the crew members. It could have been pox, acne, who knows.
The lone knife that he pictures with a plastic mould done after the original blade looks like a fruit knife. In regard to Newman's pictures of the folding knives, many of them have been identified as provincial Italian shabby jobs, not 18th c., but mid-19th or even early 20th c.
All in all I find the topic interesting, but the supplied article not convincing in the least. I can be wrong, of course.
Just my $ .02

[M ELEY]

Interesting. As I said, I'm a novice when it comes to these, so I welcome the feedback and opinion. It is troubling that the powers that be would allow sailors, many of them possibly mutinous, access to such tools while at sea. Hmm, perhaps you are onto something, Dmitri. I do wish there were some period paintings or inventory lists that might shed light on the subject better. If these were carried by sailors or pirates, I'd love to add them to the collection. If not, I'd pass...

[fernando]

Say, Mark,
Have yout tried the search button ?
... Many threads on navajas there, including pictures of Battara's example, as well as others.

[M ELEY]

Oh no, Fernando! Not the egg of Columbus quip again!! That one is becoming my "Shaver Cool" shocker these days!

You are right, of course. I did briefly look at some of the past threads. My main concern was for possible naval use. Even given that perhaps common naval men and merchant sailors didn't carry them, there is still enormous room (and needed research) for their use on privateers and pirate vessels, who had no such rules and regulations. As Gilkerson points out, these flotilla of vessels far out-numbered the existing navies at the time. Thanks for the reminder about old threads, though. I shall partake of them when I get the chance.

[Rick]

Not to worry Mark .
I was brought up with a round turn on my hand cannon inquiry .

You are not alone .

[Dmitry]

Think about it. 500 ton galleon, loaded with millions worth of riches, with a crew of about 200-250 rough muchachos, many of them convicts. Even 20 hombres armed with navajas could easily disarm the guard of the gun-room, secure it, proceed to overtake the ship, and sail her wherever they wanted to. No captain in his right mind would allow knives to be carried by the ratings.
I don't want to repeat myself, but all the jobs requiring something to be cut were done by the specialist crews, carpenter, sail-maker, purser, etc. Sailors would have no business having a knife on board. They even ate with their hands.
Just my 2 reales..

[Chris Evans]

Hi Folks,

I am with Dmtry on this one. This paper has been around for a while, but I for one cannot take it seriously as it clearly was written without having given serious thought to the subject.

After having studied the work of Forton and others, I have concluded that whilst folding knives of some kind or another have been around since at least Roman times, the lockable navaja, for our purposes the only one of interest as a weapon, is an XVIII century development,


Here are some loose and abbreviated translations from Forton's La Navaja Antigua Espanola, the standard reference book on the subject:

Pg 25: In my judgement, the navaja of olden times can be defined as follows: Popular instrument used in Spain during the XVII, XVIII and XIX....with a single edge, pointed and nearly always somewhat curved, fitted with a mechanism that allows it to turn from within the handle... measuring 18-24cm when closed.

CE's Note: I consider it very significant that Forton does not include a blade fixation or locking mechanism in his definition. This omission broadens the concept of what a navaja almost to the point of meaniglessness. It is also significant that Spanish legislators recognized that it was the locking mechanism that rendered a folding knife into a weapon.

Pg48: From the beginnings of the XVI century the word navaja is used frequently but in a vague and undefined sense. It isn't the shaving razor nor the navajon (CE: A large navaja, but of what kind?) but it did refer to some kind of cutting instrument with a sharp edge.

Pg 65: It is difficult to establish when exactly the navaja appeared in Spain.... The most important reason that the use of the navaja became adopted by the populous, from the XVII century onwards, was self defence in the face of dangers attendant on prevailing conditions.... As long as the Spanish monarchs allowed the possession of the sword, the navaja did not appear....

CE's Note: Until the death of Charles I, in the mid XVI century, there were no restrictions on the ownership of swords

Pg69: ....the navaja did not appear in a generalized form until the beginnings of the XVII century

Pg 72: The earliest reliably documented navaja that I know of is dated October 23, 1699... It is nowadays kept at London's Victoria and Albert museum.

CE's Note: This folding knife does not look anything like what we would now call a navaja

Pg 77: It is from 1732 when the word "navaja" gains a definitive meaning in a legal context....

Pg 90: Quotation of first royal decree, dated 1721, against the possession cut and thrust weapons that may have included navajas by implication.

CE's Note: Curiously, Forton does not elaborate on the Spanish war of succession of 1702, which resulted in the expulsion of the Habsburgs and the ascent of the French Borbons to the Spanish throne. It was after this event that Spain became an annex of France and the government commenced the effective disarmament of the population. Why Forton glossed over this watershed event defies my comprehension.

Cheers
Chris