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Originally Posted by Iliad
Hi guys, in accordance with Jim's wish that I post pics of the items in my collection, here is a Folding Knife about which I know very little. It looks Arabic to me, but what do I know! The pics may at least go in the files and be useful for research in the future.
It does not have a mechanism for locking the blade in place, so surely wouldn't be of much use as a weapon. Too big for cleaning one's fingernails? Table cutlery? Too clumsy to use to spread jam on the bread and butter?
Regards to all my new friends,
Brian
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Hi Iliad,
That looks like a mid to late 19th century Spanish navaja, perhaps from Sta Cruz De Mudela, a rival of Albacete, and judging by the decorated blade and good state of preservation of its edge and point, most likely intended as a souvenir or display item. The slipjoint, or perhaps demi-lock, reflects the ban, in most jurisdictions, on more effective locks, for it lowered the knife's potential as a weapon. Its overall style is a precursor to what nowadays in Spain is called an Arab style navaja, best exemplified by the wares of the cutler JJ Martinez. For a modern piece see:
http://www.filofiel.com/tienda/produ...oducts_id=3530
For a similar period piece, I refer you to Forton's `La Navaja Espaņola Antigua' pg243 Fig 112
It is a nice piece and worthy of any collection.
Cheers
Chris