Hi Katana,
Fernando summed it up neatly. A navaja that in all probability was made in Santa Cruz de Mudela, in the first half of the 19th century or earlier. I have one very similar to yours and its construction is noteworthy because it is typical of the early navajas, which changed during the nineteenth century with the spring becoming housed between a handle halves. The quality of these was generally low by even Spanish standards and the Frenchman D'Avillier around 1862 wrote:
"....Santa Cruz de Mudela is a rival of Albacete. When careless, we were accosted by large numbers of vendors, men, women and children, who tried to sell us their wares by repeating the prices of daggers and knives several times. We bought a few items, so as not to disappoint and also to help a fledging industry which has as yet to match that of Sheffield. Without a doubt, this is primitive cutlery, even worse than that of Albacete and which has given rise to the popular verse:
`Bad knife,
Cuts the finger,
Instead of the stave' ................"
He obviously did not think much of the navajas made in Albacete either, because of his observations:
"...Albacete is to Spain what Chatellerault is to France and Sheffield to England. Here they make folding knives, knives and daggers in huge numbers. It is rough work that reminds one of the work of Arabs...."
And the above probably explains why French made navajas flooded the country and almost completely displaced the native product.
Cheers
Chris
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