King of Navajas

ariel · 28th January 2008, 01:31 AM

Handy penknife..
" Are you carrying a Navaja in your pocket or are happy to see me?"

Gavin Nugent · 28th January 2008, 01:40 AM

Chris has just found the King, though I feel that fat buggar would need a horse and cart to carry him around and need many royal servents to remove him from said horse and cart.

Gav

Gavin Nugent · 28th January 2008, 02:56 AM

While I find information on Navaja quite readily available, I am finding it very difficult finding images of Shop displays and exhibitions where these pieces may have been found. I have seen many images of other syles of weapons in major exhibitions but none thus far of these Navaja. Did they indeed travel outside of their native Spain to show their wares or were they restricted by geography.

Chris Evans · 28th January 2008, 05:21 AM

Hi Gav,

It is well known that by the middle of the 19th century the Spanish cutlery industry was on its knees and could barely resist the flood of French imports that poured into the country in millions - All this on account of poor quality and high prices (Referenec:Forton). According to Forton, the halcyon era of the Spanish cutlery industry was before the 19th century.

Whilst Spain did have some colonies in the late 1800s and it may have exported navajas to these, I don't think the volume would have been sufficiently great to warrant a maker or his representative to travel with gigantic display pieces. Fernando did mention that Spanish navajas found their way into Portugal, so depending on the volume of trade, that is one possibility. Also, small quantities were sent to Sth America but I am led to believe that the trade never amounted to much. From the 1850s on, the great cutlery exporting nations were England, France and Germany.

In the 20th century, the `navajas de muestra', literally show pieces, were generally displayed at factories/workshops, shops and `ferias', (markets/fairs), as evidenced by photos . As for the olden days we can only guess, but probably did not differ greatly from later times. As well, I imagine that there must have been trade shows and industrial expositions, held both in Spain and abroad and it is entirely conceivable that some cutlers were taken along to complement other exhibits, even though the expected interest in their ware would have been small.

The source of the photo is "La Cuchilleria De Albacete En El Siglo XX"

Cheers
Chris

Chris Evans · 28th January 2008, 05:31 AM

Hi,

Here we have an earlier photo of an oversized navaja being displayed by a cutler and his workers in 1908

The source of the photo is "La Cuchilleria De Albacete En El Siglo XX"

Cheers
Chris

Chris Evans · 28th January 2008, 05:35 AM

Gavin,

I am afraid that your navaja will have trouble making it into even the lesser nobility!

Natalio, Pedro and Daniel Martinez Redondo in 1980 with their prize winning navaja that found its way into the Guinness book of records.

The source of the photo is "La Cuchilleria De Albacete En El Siglo XX"

Gavin Nugent · 28th January 2008, 09:13 AM

Outstanding Chris, I knew you'd come through with some references.

Very interesting to see the 3 very different styles and that cutlers were still having a go at Navaja of huge proportions in modern times.

The image I see in the 1908 photo looks very much like a 1.76metre Navaja that sold last year in the US. I guess everyone would be plucking at straws with the questions I am about to ask, but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway. How many of these over sized Navaja do you think existed in the 1800/early1900s, considering the decline in sales, would they still be considered a banned item under Spanish law at this huge size and is there any reference anywhere as to where these first started to appear in these proportions?

very best regards

Gavin

28th January 2008, 01:40 AM	#2
Gavin Nugent Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,818	OMG!!! Chris has just found the King, though I feel that fat buggar would need a horse and cart to carry him around and need many royal servents to remove him from said horse and cart. Gav

28th January 2008, 02:56 AM	#3
Gavin Nugent Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,818	Exhibited Navajas While I find information on Navaja quite readily available, I am finding it very difficult finding images of Shop displays and exhibitions where these pieces may have been found. I have seen many images of other syles of weapons in major exhibitions but none thus far of these Navaja. Did they indeed travel outside of their native Spain to show their wares or were they restricted by geography.

28th January 2008, 05:21 AM	#4
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 685	Hi Gav, It is well known that by the middle of the 19th century the Spanish cutlery industry was on its knees and could barely resist the flood of French imports that poured into the country in millions - All this on account of poor quality and high prices (Referenec:Forton). According to Forton, the halcyon era of the Spanish cutlery industry was before the 19th century. Whilst Spain did have some colonies in the late 1800s and it may have exported navajas to these, I don't think the volume would have been sufficiently great to warrant a maker or his representative to travel with gigantic display pieces. Fernando did mention that Spanish navajas found their way into Portugal, so depending on the volume of trade, that is one possibility. Also, small quantities were sent to Sth America but I am led to believe that the trade never amounted to much. From the 1850s on, the great cutlery exporting nations were England, France and Germany. In the 20th century, the `navajas de muestra', literally show pieces, were generally displayed at factories/workshops, shops and `ferias', (markets/fairs), as evidenced by photos . As for the olden days we can only guess, but probably did not differ greatly from later times. As well, I imagine that there must have been trade shows and industrial expositions, held both in Spain and abroad and it is entirely conceivable that some cutlers were taken along to complement other exhibits, even though the expected interest in their ware would have been small. The source of the photo is "La Cuchilleria De Albacete En El Siglo XX" Cheers Chris Attached Images Last edited by Chris Evans; 28th January 2008 at 05:36 AM.

28th January 2008, 05:31 AM	#5
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 685	Hi, Here we have an earlier photo of an oversized navaja being displayed by a cutler and his workers in 1908 The source of the photo is "La Cuchilleria De Albacete En El Siglo XX" Cheers Chris Attached Images

28th January 2008, 05:35 AM	#6
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 685	Gavin, I am afraid that your navaja will have trouble making it into even the lesser nobility! Natalio, Pedro and Daniel Martinez Redondo in 1980 with their prize winning navaja that found its way into the Guinness book of records. The source of the photo is "La Cuchilleria De Albacete En El Siglo XX" Attached Images

28th January 2008, 01:31 AM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Handy penknife.. " Are you carrying a Navaja in your pocket or are happy to see me?"

28th January 2008, 09:13 AM	#7
Gavin Nugent Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,818	Thanks Chris Outstanding Chris, I knew you'd come through with some references. Very interesting to see the 3 very different styles and that cutlers were still having a go at Navaja of huge proportions in modern times. The image I see in the 1908 photo looks very much like a 1.76metre Navaja that sold last year in the US. I guess everyone would be plucking at straws with the questions I am about to ask, but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway. How many of these over sized Navaja do you think existed in the 1800/early1900s, considering the decline in sales, would they still be considered a banned item under Spanish law at this huge size and is there any reference anywhere as to where these first started to appear in these proportions? very best regards Gavin