Odd Navaja For Comment

[RobT]

Hi All,

I find this navaja to be unusual so I am posting it here for your input. I have two main questions.
One: Could there have been a finial on the end? I can see no solder to indicate something is missing but the end could have been longer and simply cut off after the finial was lost. Currently, the blade point ends about 1/16” (1.5875mm) from the end of the hilt.
Two: Could this knife have actually been made in Morocco? I have never seen a navaja back spring that looks like this. The 20th century style back springs (like those on Okapi knives) are very flat. This one sort of looks like someone took a 19th century style back spring and and put it in the 20th century position outside of the hilt instead of the 19th century position between the hilt scales. The hilt decoration is also giving me a North African vibe but that could just be because a lot of Spanish motifs look North African.
The hilt is wood covered with sheet brass. Because the blade pivot pin has broken through the sheet brass, the wooden core has a tendency to slide in the brass cover when the blade is opened. The 13.25” (33.655cm) blade has a ratchet lock and is engraved on one side. Part of the engraving looks for all the world like a hot air balloon above a mountain.
Any information you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
RobT

[Chris Evans]

Hi RobT,

Have a look at this old thread: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2480

Hope that this helps, and

Cheers
Chris

[Lee]

and here is my battered old example that seems to have a similar locking mechanism: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...4&postcount=15

[Chris Evans]

Hi Lee,

Originally Posted by Lee

and here is my battered old example that seems to have a similar locking mechanism: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...4&postcount=15

The ring pull/release made its appearance around 1875, so yours is most probably earlier, but its general styling suggests 19th century.

Unfortunately inscribing date of manufacture was not an established practice.

Cheers
Chris

[RobT]

Chris Evans,
Not only did the link you provided answer the country of origin question, it gave the city also. Since the hilt on Fernando’s example is virtually identical to mine (even down to the incised decoration) and has a ball finial on the end, it is most likely that mine had one also. Thus answering the other question. I would assume that my knife is from the late 18th to early 19th century also. Although the blade profile on Fernando’s knife differs from mine, the fullering (albeit differing in number) is similar in shape and from what I can see of the incised decoration, it is also similar to mine. Lastly, I’ll bet that the punched indents in the brass (on both sides by the back spring rivet) were made to keep the brass casing from sliding on the wood core. It would have been nice to have had the same feature on mine.

Lee,
From what I can see, the back spring on your knife sits between the scales. On my knife, the back spring sits atop the hilt and is entirely on the outside. Your ratchet lock is similar to mine though.

Sincerely,
RobT

[Chris Evans]

Hi RobT,

I have a nagging suspicion that these navajas were made for sale as souveniers well into the 19th century, perhaps harking back to an earlier era. I base this on the very poor level of workmanship, many being virtually disfunctional, and that the one I have still has decorative paint on the blade.

Cheers
Chris