Ethnographic folding knives

[Sajen]

Want to keep this most interesting thread alive!

My vintage German Solingen automatics, from left to right:

1. Herbertz in Italian style
2. Robert Klaas leverlock
3. Wilhelm Weltersbach Waidmannsheil leverlock
4. Böker Treebrand leverlock

Enjoy!

[Sajen]

And what many people don't may know, in Germany/Solingen were produced in old times balisongs. It's not mine, they are forbidden in Germany since 2003 because teenager were playing with them in public and older people were afraid by this. It's a Henry Kaufmann. Early 20th century until middle 20th century would be my age guess.

[Hombre]

Sajen wrote: "Want to keep this most interesting thread alive!"
Me too!
I have most newly made knives of this category but here are some of my vintage ones.... Sorry for the bad picture!

Best,
Stefan
Sweden

[ausjulius]

some russian prison made knvies being sold. prices are... fantastic for such things.. but they are many examples..

[RobT]

Hi All,

Would anyone like to hazard a guess as to the origin of this little folding knife. Overall the knife measures about 5.625" (about 14.25cm). There is no lock. The knife is opened and held open by the little loop at the back of the blade. The cutting edge is on the incurve. The little indentations near the spine apparently serve as a nail nick. The hilt is entirely brass and is composed of five pieces. The body of the hilt is a single piece of brass that has been folded to contain the blade. That fold continues all the way along the loop at the back of the hilt. There are two circular bosses on either side of the hilt body and the pivot pin runs through them. This knife is for light duty only. The Asian version of a pen knife perhaps?

Sincerely,
RobT

[Martin Lubojacky]

Not my field, but - I was told in China they used simillar (concave) knives for tonsure. But it could be any country from Iran to the east (?)

[fernando]

A rather cute piece, it is .

[RobT]

Martin,
Thanks for the response. I did two searches. In the first search (Chinese tonsure knife), everything I saw was pretty straight or electric. With the second search (antique tonsure knife) I did find a very nice antique tonsure scissor and knife set from Bangkok Thailand. The set was made for royalty and had a lot of gold on it. The knife was slightly back curved.

Fernando,
Thanks for the complement. I agree, it is very cute.

Sincerely,
RobT

[Rick]

Could this have been for cutting the betel nut; or are they too hard to use something like this on.

[kronckew]

Looks like a pruning knife. Similar small ones are used in scoring opium poppies & collecting the head later to get the seeds for next years crop. I recall seeing similar decorations on blades from northeast India near Burma.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by kronckew

... Looks like a pruning knife. Similar small ones are used in scoring opium poppies & collecting the head later to get the seeds for next years crop...

Makes sense, incurved edge and all.

[Prasanna Weerakkody]

A collection of folding Knives 17th -18th Century from the Kandy Museum Sri Lanka.

[fernando]

Very nice examples, Prasanna

[Gonzoadler]

An old spanish Navaja:

[Gonzoadler]

And inspired by it, a modern knife made by Carl Julius Herbertz: