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Old 8th April 2007, 10:48 AM   #2
Chris Evans
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 685
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Hola Fernando,

Muchisimas gracias.

For those incurable romantics, who like myself, are infatuated with these wonderful folding knives, Spanish navajas, Fernando has kindly made available a list on inscriptions that were commonly etched into the blades. Blades were usually eteched with popular sayings on only one side, as the navaja pointed from right to left.

The least I can do is to translate some of them into English:

Soy de Sevilla: I am from Seville

Soy defensa de mi dueno: I am the defender of my owner

Soy para cortar y no se presta: I am for cutting and not for loan

Viva el honor de mi dueno: Long life to my owners honour

Matare a tus enemigos con la ayuda de Dio: I will kill your enemies, with God's help

En Albacete me izo Ivan Carvajal: I was made in ALbacete by Ivan Carvajal

Soy defensa de mi dueno porque le cuesta el dinero soy de acero fino y fuerte y el que me quirea probal lo bera: I am the defender of my owner. Because he paid good money I am made from strong and fine steel. He who will try me will see that this is so

I should add that the bulk of the cutlers before 1900 were illiterate and their spelling was notoriously bad.

Again, many thanks

Chris
PS. Where did you get this list of inscriptions?
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