Navaja should not be confused with Navajo.
The navaja is a traditional Spanish folding-blade fighting and utility knife.[1]
The etymology of the word navaja is derived from the Latin novacula, meaning razor, and the Andalusian knife known as the navaja is thought to have derived from the navaja de afeitar, or straight razor used for shaving.
A popular slang term for the navaja in the 19th century was herramienta, which translates as "(iron) tool".
In Spain, the term navaja is often used to generally describe all folding-blade knives[2] [3] and epitomized the concept of a defensive knife to be carried at all times on the person.
Most of the larger navajas of the early 19 centuries were clearly intended as fighting knives, and were popularly referred to as santólios, a contraction of the Spanish term for "holy oil".
The name was a reference to the oils or unguents applied to the dying as part of the Catholic last sacrament, as it was believed that a man encountering such a knife in a violent confrontation would invariably require administration of the last rites.
While folding-blade knives existed in Spain even in pre-Roman times,[4] the earliest Spanish knives recognizable as navajas date from around the late 1600s.
One of the oldest folding knife patterns still in production, the first true navajas originated in the Andalusian region of southern Spain.
The navaja used a variety of blade and handle styles over the years, with certain regions of Spain favoring distinct patterns. The classical Andalusian blade style is today popularly known as the navaja bandolera.
Many blade patterns bear a striking resemblance to that of the Bowie knife, and some historians believe the navaja's blade served as inspiration for the latter.[5] Like the straight razor, the navaja's blade folds into the handle when not in use.
The classic Andalusian navaja of the craftsman era utilized forged carbon steel blades predominantly sourced from Spanish communities with a long history of swordmaking and cutlery manufacture, such as Albacete, Santa Cruz de Mudela, and Toledo.[6]
The traditional navaja was typically fitted with a handle made of wood, horn, bone, or pierced copper or brass[7] that was reinforced with a steel or brass liner, although examples can also be found with expensive materials such inlaid silver, ivory, and even gold.
From the mid-19th century, many 'Spanish' navajas were actually imported from France; most of these imported French patterns lack a locking device for the blade. Many examples of this period were fitted with metal bolsters and butt caps for additional strength and protection; these are often carved, filed, or engraved with decorations.
Navajas with blades over 200mm (23 inches)
