Manual del Baratero - A Review

[Chris Evans]

Hi Frank

The Spanish cutlery industry was on its back foot by 1850 due to the harassment by the authorities and its overpriced and poorly made navajas. As I already said in an earlier post, the largely French
imports nearly eliminated the local product - We know this from importation figures.

After the civil war of 1868 and due to the threat of anarchy that followed, an extreme form of political conservatism set in and there was a clamp down on law and order issues; Gradually the use of the navaja, as a weapon, was removed from Spanish life by 1900 and nothing has changed since then. At that stage a few cutlers remained who made a utilitarian type `navaja' but the demand was small.

According to Spanish cutlery industry sources, in the principal manufacturing centre of Albacete, between 1955 and 1959, only three workshops employed more than ten workers and only one had more than fifteen. Most of the navajas that this cottage industry made were mostly low grade utility and souvenir `navajas'. To a significant degree, this was attributable to adverse legislation regarding knives under the right wing dictator Franco, who ruled Spain from the end of the civil war in 1939 to 1975 with an iron fist and which resulted, amongst other things, in the shunning of Spain by other nations.

After Franco's demise, Spain resumed normal relations with the rest of the world and their cutlery industry made a very strong comeback, but this wasn't achieved with navajas. They became export oriented modern manufacturers with the latest technology producing domestic and industrial cutlery.

The traditionally hand-made utilitarian navaja by this time was a complete anachronism and too expensive to make; Other and better pocket folder designs made their appearance in the interim, designs that could be mass produced more cheaply and to a higher quality.

All the same, the industry, for promotional reasons, chose to identify itself with the old navajas and for this reason alone they continue manufacturing a small number, albeit in the form of an updated design that eliminated much of the labour - The economic contribution by these navajas in negligible. Its is all about image and nothing else.

These modern `navajas' are aimed at the souvenir market as nobody in Spain buys them for actual use, given that there are much better alternatives available. A few of these are exported and these are what you probably saw on the internet.

As well as the cheaper navajas, there is a small but thriving custom knife industry specializing in making high class replicas or modern interpretations of the theme; These cutlers cater for collectionists and traditionalists. Prices start around $US500 and the sky's the limit. A good replica of a 19th century navaja will cost around $US2000.

In answer to your question whether these new type navajas could be used for fighting, the answer is yes, just like one can choose to fight with an antique flintlock pistol. But why bother? They are very slow to open, do not carry well, and excepting the custom jobs their quality leaves a lot to be desired. A modern folder like your Voyager, or similar, is infinitely better suited for the task. In any event, discounting the odd criminal altercation, nobody fights in Spain with knives (least of all with obsolete navajas), at least no more than in any other developed nation. As I already said, that sort of thing came to an end by the beginning of the 20th century.

Cheers
Chris

[Chris Evans]

Hi,

On the top we have a real Catalan navaja from the 1870s. Underneath is a contemporary custom thematic re-interinterpretation. The overall shape and proportions are accurate but the locking spring is post 1900. The workmanship is far better than on the riginals, the blade is made from 440C stainless steel and the handle from buffalo horn.

Cheers
Chris

[Chris Evans]

Hi,

Here we have several neo-classical navajas made in the 1900-1960 period. The top giant is a display knife, the second down is a working utilitarian navaja. Both of these were made around 1920. The shape and construction of these differed significantly from the Santolios of the previous century. Blades were broader and less pointed and as well the locking mechanism changed to an external spring with a convenient lever release.

The bottom three are souvenir navajas made in the 1950s or even the 60s.

The workmanship and overall quality of these is poor to mediocre.

Cheers
Chris

[Chris Evans]

Hi,

Here we have three contemporary navajas.

The top one is a display knife that is built around a modern chrome plated cast brass frame and has synthetic resinated plywood handle scales. It weighs 2.25Lbs and its overall shape and proportions are fanciful rather than functional. It does not resemble anything made in the old days. The blade is some kind of stainless steel, probably 420. Although robust, it is too heavy and clumsy for any practical use.

The navaja in the centre is a very good quality current day interpretation of a traditional post 1900 (neo-classical)utilitarian folder. It has a 440C stainless steel blade, genuine horn handle and German silver bolsters. It made by the firm of Exposito and is the last over-the-counter traditionally made Albacetean folder that I am aware of.

The one at the bottom is a souvenir navaja with an etch engraved blade. Like the one at the top, it is also built around a modern cast frame and uses some kind of stainless steel for the blade and spring, probably 420. It is quite solid and could be put to use but it was not intended as a working knife. Its overall shape is also rather fanciful with only a slight resemblance to the navajas of olden times.

Cheers
Chris

[Frank]

Hi Chris

Great photos. They cleared up a lot of things. Now I understand navajas much better.

Something I still can't understand is that you said that navajas made not very good weapons. After handling that French navaja I mentioned I agree.

So why did the Spaniards use them at all and why not fixed blade knives or swords. After all thier swords were suposed to be very good.

I sent you a private message.

Keeo up the good stuff

Frank

[Chris Evans]

Hi Frank,

From 1723 onwards the Spanish rulers introduced extremely restrictive weapon bans and this is the reason that the navaja was invented. There were no navaja (as we know them) before that date. Up to that date Spaniards had far better weapons at their disposal!

After the bans, all effective weapons were restricted to the upper nobility. The lower nobility were allowed swords, but not firearms and the plebes nothing! In time the authorities accepted folding knives, but only if the blade could not be locked into position.

These bans were backed with an extremely harsh penal code. Anyone caught with a prohibited weapon got the works! (see pic of executed man for possessing a navaja). However, we do know that the degree of enforcement varied with the times and across jurisdictions, Southern Spain being more tolerant. Nevertheless, the laws were enforced sufficiently to just about kill off their own cutlery industry and ensuring that the majority of navajas in use by 1860 did not have full mechanical locks.

In my very carefully considered opinion, after examining all the facts available, the navaja is a vastly over rated knife, be it as a tool or weapon; Requiring two hands and being slow to open, as well as fragile, it cannot be considered an appropriate weapon - A mere 4ft wooden stick can overcome it with ease!

The Spaniards did not choose navajas because it was a great weapon, rather they defaulted to it, because:

a) Knives were an essential tool in agricultural societies and they needed a knife that they could carry; and

b) everything else was prohibited

They knew perfectly well that the fixed blade "cuchillo" (knife) and its variants were the best cut and thrust short arms, but so did the authorities and for this very reason they were banned.

That the opposite perception prevails is due to the misconceptions of present day writers who either make up their own version of history, or in their ignorance base their opinions on the Spanish myths and folklore invented by their intellectuals; These, in their nationalistic writings and paintings, mostly in the late 19th and early 20th century, eulogized the Spanish peasant and his ways, equating him with all that was noble and heroic in the land. Actually, this was in keeping with the then global literary trends and not unique to Spain. Just look at the image and lore surrounding the US cowboys, Argentinean Gauchos and our own pioneers and bushrangers.

None of this is to say that there was no violence in Old Spain, because there was plenty. But most of the blood-letting was in likelihood not committed with navajas, "mano a mano", but rather with whatever lay at hand, from kitchen knives, to axes and sticks, as was and remains the case today all over the world. As for the Spanish criminal elements, they considered themselves outside the law and used everything from swords to firearms, as they tend to do everywhere, regardless of bans.

Cheers
Chris

[Chris Evans]

Hi,

Here is a rather somber reminder of how the weapon bans were enforced in Old Spain. This illustration is by the renowned painter Francisco Goya who was active in the Napoleonic era. Scan taken from Forton's "La Navaja Espanola Antigua"

Frank: Got your meassge and I sent you my email address.

Cheers
Chris