Spanish knives: photos and descriptions. Knives for kitchen, hunting and tourism

Let's look at what Spanish knives are like. Have you ever seen Navajo? Of all the fighting folding knives, she is the most famous! This model is the protagonist of the current tactical cold steel. It should be noted that it is the Spanish knife combat system that is considered basic: almost all competitions on short blades were created on its basis.

Swordsmanship

Most of all, the art of fencing in Europe was developed in the Mediterranean countries. In Spain, both adults and children were engaged in this sport. In 1474 the masters of this country - the fencers Panso de Perpignan and Pedro de Torres - published the first printed work describing this hand-to-hand fight. In general, the Spanish school significantly influenced the creation of a system of fencing in Europe.

It should be noted that the arms trade in Spain is also famous for its centuries-old history. The sword and armor of this state were popular all over Europe. Along with the bladed long arms, equipment that had a short blade, stilettos, Spanish knives, daggers, was popular.

The Spanish knife of cuchillo, for example, is the simplest product with one-sided sharpening. By the way, this is the name of all cold weapons with a fixed blade (hunting, kitchen, shoemaking and others), so the shape and size of the cuckoo is often not the same.

Doug, unlike the Cuchillo, was intended for combat and self-defense. She had a heavy dagger with a developed guard and blade, reaching a length of 40 cm. Externally, the doug is like a small sword. The Spanish fencing style of "Espada and Dag" differed from the others in that the masters who owned it had a dagger in one hand and a sword in the other.

Spanish Combat Knives

Very interesting is the Spanish fighting knife punal. It is designed for throwing and stabbing. The most picturesque is the Navajo knife. He enjoyed great popularity among all Spanish knives. This product was the progenitor of all folding knives in Europe, equipped with a lock.

The first Spanish long folding knife did not differ from the primitive European. In the open state, it was held in place by an elongated lever, which was a continuation of the shank. Subsequently, this design has become a classic for dangerous razors, which today are manufactured by individual manufacturers. But it must be noted that they are gradually being replaced by safer devices. In general, such razors were used not only by barbers, but also by physicians who performed surgical operations.

Navajo

The name "Navah" came from the Latin name of the razor - "novakula" (novacula). A little later, an uncomfortable long lever on the shaft of the foreman was replaced with a flat spring, which was placed on the upper handle of the knife. This device significantly increased the usability of this product: they could perform a variety of household and household work.

The handle of the Navaji knife, in its simplest varieties, was made from an integral part of the horn. His blade was two or three fingers wide and was palm-long in the form of a leaf. It is interesting that for the first time this product was mentioned in the XIII-XV centuries.

The Navajo knife turned into a military weapon with a fixed blade thanks to the decrees of the Spanish authorities, which were published in the XIII century. It was in those days that this type of product received the widest distribution. After all, a number of royal decrees restricted the rights of the lower castes: they were forbidden to have their own cold weapons with a fixed blade. In the 16th century, the ban extended to shepherds, peasants and artisans. However, such restrictions on folding knives did not work.

Types of Blades

The design of Navahi classical was finally modeled by the 16th century. The most important centers for the production of these knives were Albacete, Valencia, Bonilla, Ciudad Real, Granada, Mora, Guarda, Santa Cruz de Mudela, Toledo, Seville and Jaen. There was also made a Spanish bayonet-knife to the automatic rifle CETME L, which was developed in 1981. In total, about 60,000 such products were manufactured for the Spanish army. The blade of the bayonet had two asymmetrically placed blades, its total length was 335 mm.

Do you know that there was a huge number of varieties of Navahi? Since the name "Navah" is the collective name of a folding knife with a fixed blade, its variations in various Spanish regions were called completely differently: "herrameneta" (tooth and horn), "mojosa" (prickle), "pinch" (point), "Korte" (blade), "abaniko" (fan) and others.

In the classical version, the handle of the knife of this specimen was curved and tapered to the end. The blade was made in the form of a narrow sheet. In addition to the classical form, there were two more types of blade: powerful and wide in the place of their origin are called "Albacete". The second popular species was considered a bandolier.

The long blade of it at the point was equipped with a concave falsh-blade, which had a very prominent "abdomen". In the current literature, which narrates about knives, this form is called a "blade with a beveled butt" (in the English language - a clip point).

Women of Spain

Spanish women were very sensitive to the protection of their virtue and honor. In the struggle against male tyranny they were always helped by their valuable ally - a small female Navah. It was called "salva wigro" (Salvavirgro - keeper of honor). From the knives of men, this product was small in size (in the open state its length was 15-20 cm) and the luxury of finishing.

Navahu women wore on the chest under the dress, or under the garter stockings on the leg. The latter method was the most popular. The remedy was hidden under the skirt. But if her skirt, contrary to the will of the mistress, rose above a certain limit, the Navaji turned out to be in the hands of the lady, which immediately started up.

It should be noted that in Spain handmade knives were very common: inertial ones with frontal ejection of the blade, exotic specimens with a folding handle, serpentine blade and others. Many peasants worked on vineyards, using navahu with a sickle-shaped blade.

Species of the Navahi

In some versions of Navaji, the folded blade was retracted into the handle only half the length. Outwardly such a product did not differ from a simple knife with a short blade, which was usually used for small-scale chores. But as soon as the blade unfolded, its length doubled. In the XVIII century, this device was further developed in the daggers / daggers of Dustin, created by French Admiral Charles D'Estaing.

So, we found out that Navajo is the biggest of folding knives. As a rule, the usual length of this specimen in the open form was 45 cm. Thanks to the curved Navaji arm, the fighter always could use a pistol grip, which in combination with the impressive length of the handle increased at times the distance from which it was possible to neutralize the enemy.

Interestingly, some models of Navaji in the open position reached a meter length (even samples with a length of 185 cm are known). Such products are called "novajon" (navajon). With the help of Novahon it was possible to successfully resist an opponent armed with a long blade of knives. If the blade was shorter than the sword, this defect was compensated by the vigorous use of a hat or cloak sandwiched in the left hand of a warrior.

Navajo - a formidable weapon

So, the Navajo from the folding household utility knife turned into a formidable outfit of hand-to-hand combat: her blade was always firmly secured in the open form. The lock (lock) of the blade looked like a metal strip - it was a spring made in the form of a rocker arm. It was attached to the handle from the side of the butt.

In the open form, the bulge on the shank of the blade was placed in the hole on the spring and prevented accidental folding of the blade. The quality of the blade was tested with simple tests. The most popular way to check the quality of knives was the following test: one or two copper coins were put on a table. If, after stabbing with a knife, the blade remained unharmed and did not fold, and the coins were punched, it was believed that the exam was delivered and the quality of the product was impeccable.

Sometimes Spanish knives were tested using a wooden block 5 cm thick. A high-quality product had to pierce through it from the first blow.

Disadvantages of the Navahi

It should be noted that the design of the Navahi with the ring had its drawbacks: it was necessary to exert a great effort to lift the rigid spring of the stopper-the knife retainer. In fact, it was very, very hard to fold the product. In the future, the master modeled, of course, a more convenient system. In it, instead of a ring, a special small lever (a Basque lock) was used. The device of the lock of the Navah has turned into a prototype of one of the most famous and reliable types of lock of the current folding knives - the "lock on the back".

One of the most curious and mysterious variations of this amazing cold steel is the ratchet knives. For the first time they were talked about in the middle of the 17th century, it seems, in Seville. The shank of the blade of this model had several teeth, sometimes it was performed in the form of a gear wheel. When the owner opened this product, it always produced a characteristic sound "krrrak", from which the name of this species of Navaji occurred.

The functional purpose of this shank is still unknown. Some experts say that the sound served as a warning to the enemy, the knife seemed to say: "I'm coming to you!" Others think that this device allows you to fix the blade in half-opened form. However, in all carrack navaques that have survived to this day, a reliable fixation of the blade is ensured only when it is completely opened.

Handles and ascetic appearance

Initially, Navaji handles were made from a whole piece of horn: in classic Navaji they had a curved shape. A little later the handle design of this kind of knives has acquired new shades. Packing types appeared, equipped with metal inserts, to which lining, created from solid wood and bone, was attached. The converging specimens ended with a conic pommel made of metal, with one or a pair of balls at the end. In addition to the handles with a smooth curve, models with a pronounced "bend" placed near the end have become more famous. They had a specific pommel - the tail of a scorpion. Small knives were sometimes made with straight handles.

Poor people allowed themselves to have Navajo only ascetic type, the only decoration of which was a simple ornament, put on a blade or handle. Often on the blade were put threatening inscriptions like "As soon as my knife touches you, no doctor will help you", "Seville will forever remember me and my owner", "Creator of widows" and so on.

Prosperous Spaniards allowed themselves to own more expensive specimens, some of which were amazing examples of weapons art. Usually these were handmade products: ivory, gold and silver were used to make them.

Arcos company

But we got to a very interesting company! The Spanish company Arcos leads its history since 1875: then in the small town of Albaset, the masters opened a small workshop, which was engaged in the manufacture of scissors, pocket knives and daggers. Over time, people stopped using daggers, but the merits of kitchen samples, realized under the brand Arcos, professional chefs around the world appreciated immediately.

Today Arcos is a European-scale company. It has a couple of plants in the province of Albacete with a total area of about 30,000 square meters. In terms of production, Arcos takes the second place in the world; The knives of this company in the Spanish market took a share of 60%.

The company produces not only universal models like the famous "cook triple", but also special ones - knives for oysters, cheese, for smoked fish, for salmon, boning, bread, vegetable, "Japanese chefs" and even cold weapons for slaughtering cattle.

The company Arcos knives makes great! In addition, this company offers all sorts of hatchets and scoops for meat, scissors for cutting poultry and compact "qualifying cases", in which there is everything necessary for the work of the cook.

Knives of the firm "Muela"

As mentioned above, the arms industry is well developed in Spain. Her cold arms and hunting rifles became famous all over the world. Many Spanish knife firms specialize in the production of specimens intended only for the performance of various tasks. Among them there are enterprises that create expensive products mostly hand-made, and firms that manufacture only serial products.

Basic manufacture of knives Is located in Toledo and Albacete. As a rule, a very massive weapon is created here, with large handgrip limbs and aggressive design, unusual for Russian hunters.

It is for this reason that Spanish knives have not yet gained popularity in Russia, despite the high-quality steel blades, excellent assembly and wonderful materials of the handles.

Let's look at the specialized company "Muela", which has been the property of the Muel family for many years. It is located in the Spanish town of Argamasilla de Calatrava. Today, about sixty people of various specialties work in the factory.

Modern Muela knives are considered one of the best in the country. The enterprise owns its own museum of cold steel, which stores copies of all its products. In addition, for this institution workers produce a special series of knives that can not be sold: they are equipped with wide long blades with a pair of blades. Cuttings of their handles are made of ivory or ebony. Limiter or forging is silver casting, made in the form of a head of a wild boar, a deer or other beast. The emblem of this firm is the image of a deer head with the letters "MM" inscribed between its horns.

Knives for hunting in the Spanish style - large and massive, with large delimiters of intricate design. They are manufactured in batches of three to five models, each of which has a name. But few hunters use them: dimensions, weight and construction are not suitable. For example, in Russia, knives with a long dagger blade are not used for hunting. And yet in each series there is a model, which for all its parameters - mass, design and size, can be called hunting.

What other knives for hunting are made by the masters of the wonderful firm "Muela"? Oh, they produce hunting daggers of length 245, 250 and 260 mm with blades of two blades 140, 155, 160, 170 and 180 mm long. These products are equipped with handles made from a solid deer antler. On the handles are mounted casters with images of the head of a wild boar, a dog, an antelope and a deer. Daggers, of course, are very massive: they weigh from 0.5 to 0.75 kg. These items are not cheap, so they serve as a decoration for a hunting room or a ceremonial hunt.

In general, the family company of the family Muela creates wonderful hunting blades for more than fifty years. Of course, in the assortment of the company today there are not only hunting samples. "Muela" produces both domestic and pocket models, cold steel weapons for diving, high-end handmade knives, kukri, tourist kits, tools for cutting and so on. But, of course, the skate of the company has always been knives for hunters.