Odd Navaja For Comment

RobT · 9th November 2024, 07:08 AM

Hi Chris Evans,

I will freely admit to very little knowledge of navajas and I thank you for the information you provided to me in this post. I had never before seen a navaja back spring like the one I posted and you gave me not only country of origin for it but also city of origin and historical context. I am aware that the muelle de teja back spring has been adapted world wide and have three Indian navajas. A great design is bound to be copied.
What I ask you to consider is that lack of wear and tear on a 19th century (or before) item does not necessarily mean that it was made for sale as a souvenir. For example, many small swords were made in the latter half of the 18th century. They all were made to be fully functional weapons but few were actually used or even meant to be used as such. They were simply status symbols that were part of upper class male attire in the culture for which they were made. Any damage the vast majority of these swords sustained was a result of frequent carry, not combat. Currently, many “divers” watches are made to be waterproof when SCUBA diving but few are purchased or worn for that purpose. Likewise, although SUVs are designed to be capable of off road travel, the only wear and tear the average one is likely to suffer is what it gets during the daily commute on paved roads.
I thank you for the source, Navajas Antiguas Las Mejores Piezas De coleccion' by Rafael Martinez Del Peral Y Forton. Unfortunately, my Spanish is very limited. I struggled with the link you just gave me about Santa Cruz de Mudela navajas and had to use Google translate to make sure I had read it correctly.

Sincerely,
RobT

9th November 2024, 07:08 AM	#10
RobT Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 493	It Depends on The Intended Use Hi Chris Evans, I will freely admit to very little knowledge of navajas and I thank you for the information you provided to me in this post. I had never before seen a navaja back spring like the one I posted and you gave me not only country of origin for it but also city of origin and historical context. I am aware that the muelle de teja back spring has been adapted world wide and have three Indian navajas. A great design is bound to be copied. What I ask you to consider is that lack of wear and tear on a 19th century (or before) item does not necessarily mean that it was made for sale as a souvenir. For example, many small swords were made in the latter half of the 18th century. They all were made to be fully functional weapons but few were actually used or even meant to be used as such. They were simply status symbols that were part of upper class male attire in the culture for which they were made. Any damage the vast majority of these swords sustained was a result of frequent carry, not combat. Currently, many “divers” watches are made to be waterproof when SCUBA diving but few are purchased or worn for that purpose. Likewise, although SUVs are designed to be capable of off road travel, the only wear and tear the average one is likely to suffer is what it gets during the daily commute on paved roads. I thank you for the source, Navajas Antiguas Las Mejores Piezas De coleccion' by Rafael Martinez Del Peral Y Forton. Unfortunately, my Spanish is very limited. I struggled with the link you just gave me about Santa Cruz de Mudela navajas and had to use Google translate to make sure I had read it correctly. Sincerely, RobT