Corsican Vendetta folding knives

L

lonestar1979

Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Messages
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Does anyone have one of these, which brands are the best and what are the places where I can buy them.Any info on this type of knife is welcome:) (the design seems like handy edc-food prep blade perfect for cutting cheese-sausage etc)
 
I have only handled one made by Langoulie(?) when I was in a knife store in Paris. My impression was that was a slim and nice knife, although not what I was looking for then. I regret is bit now..

I read that you where going to Italy. I can really recommend a visit to Maniago! They are the knife town to go in Italy, they even have a great museum of history of knife and scissors in Maniago. I spend hours
just staring at the exhibit of classic auto stilettos.
 
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Now you're talking! :) ;)

I have this older model, I bought from an antiques shop.

Vendetta%202-3_zpskmesokv2.jpg


And a recent acquisition made by Sabot :)

Vendetta%20Sabot%201-3_zpsnnqj1gd1.jpg
 
Unless the "places to buy" are BF dealer members, they won't be listed in the discussion forums.
 
I've been drawn to Corsican Vendetta knives for a while now, but I can't bring myself to pull the trigger on one. The problem is that bandit head stamp on the modern knives. Talk about kitschy.
 
kamagong said:
The problem is that bandit head stamp on the modern knives.
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Do you mean the Testa di Moru Christian?

http://www.vaguelyinteresting.co.uk/blindfolded-moors-the-flags-of-corsica-and-sardinia/

The marketing of folding Corsican Vendetta knives as souvenir/tourist items, and with the Moor's Head as well as the various etched slogans, apparently goes back to the 19th century after the island was romanticized in Prospero Merimee's tale Colomba in 1840. Reminds me a bit of those old etched Bowie knives :)

I was introduced to Colomba by our friend Jolipapa. It's a romantic novel with little about knives, but I noted down a few passages which might be of interest to posters here :thumbup:

"There is no justice in Corsica," added the sailor, "and I put much more faith in a good gun than in the judge of the Royal Court. If a man has an enemy he must choose one of the three S's." (A national expression meaning schiopetto, stiletto, strada - that is, gun, dagger, or flight.
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Though it is less noble to kill a few rascals than to free one's country, still a fine deed of vengeance is a fine thing.
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Miss Nevil kept the dagger, and to avert the danger consequent on giving instruments that cut or pierce to a friend, Colomba insisted on receiving a soldo in payment.
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"In the world money is everything," remarked Castriconi, "but in the maquis, all a man need care for is a brave heart, and a gun that carries true."
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Thanks for the research, Jack.
And I never knew there was historical precedent for Conan-Doyle's avenging pill-presenter either.
 
scrteened porch said:
Thanks for the research, Jack.
And I never knew there was historical precedent for Conan-Doyle's avenging pill-presenter either.
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Thanks my friend, it was JP who pointed me to the novella. It whiled away a wet Sunday afternoon. You can download it as a PDF online, but it's very much a work of its time. Vengeance always seems to have been a best seller, going back at least to ancient Greek times! I dare say that numerous psychological studies have been written about the way that 'good' men and women in fiction are 'permitted' to go way beyond what would ordinarily be morally permissible, just so long as they've been thoroughly provoked first! :D I was reading a newspaper just the other week which discussed the vendetta in a contemporary setting (though not in Corsica I don't think), describing numerous villages where the male folk cannot leave the house, sometimes it has gone on for decades. In terms of fiction, I think my favourite book dealing with the subject of blood feud is the Icelandic Njal's Saga, which I thoroughly recommend :thumbup:
 
Jack Black said:
Do you mean the Testa di Moru Christian?

http://www.vaguelyinteresting.co.uk/blindfolded-moors-the-flags-of-corsica-and-sardinia/

The marketing of folding Corsican Vendetta knives as souvenir/tourist items, and with the Moor's Head as well as the various etched slogans, apparently goes back to the 19th century after the island was romanticized in Prospero Merimee's tale Colomba in 1840. Reminds me a bit of those old etched Bowie knives :)

I was introduced to Colomba by our friend Jolipapa. It's a romantic novel with little about knives, but I noted down a few passages which might be of interest to posters here :thumbup:
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The very same. I had no idea that the Testa di Moru had symbolic meaning. Thanks for the info Jack.

I like that flag. But then again I like flags that have historic significance (i.e., the Lebanese cedar).
 
kamagong said:
The very same. I had no idea that the Testa di Moru had symbolic meaning. Thanks for the info Jack.

I like that flag. But then again I like flags that have historic significance (i.e., the Lebanese cedar).
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Me too Christian, I once lived in Lebanon :)

There was some substantial discussion about the symbols and flags - relating to Corsica, Sardinia, and Aragon - in another thread a while back (Jon Slider was probably involved! :) ). I'll try and find a link :thumbup:

Sayoc01 said:
Would a Navaja be included as one of these knives?
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Not the same, but a relative perhaps :) I'll try and find that link :thumbup:

EDIT - Unfortunately, many of the images are currently missing, but I think the discussion I was thinking of is in this thread here (possibly elsewhere) - http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1088969-The-Mighty-Pequena
 
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Ooh!
I really like these, always been fascinated by this pattern.
In my collection, I've only got one, however, and it's a kinda "cheap" one, with hollow bolsters and white plastic handle covers. I'll snap a pic when I get home.
Some day, I'll get around to rebuilding it properly. The blade, spring, and liners are all quite decent, and with some nicer handle material and some solid, soldered bolsters, it could be a really great knife.
 
Here's my vendetta in its original, cheesy form. It has no markings of any kind, but the steel seems alright for mystery-meat. And the "cran forcé" type backspring works well and is cool.

I also like how this one has a bail on the end; when I rebuild it, I'm going to keep that feature.

97B99C7A-6BBC-4C89-9FB1-87E7183FA87C.jpg


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Jack, from the same author, another Corsican novel, Matéo Falcone. Good for a rainy day. But please, stop looking my wife! :D

Personally I dig the vendedouk, designed by Bellini & Fred Perrin, made by Coignet
Vendedouk.jpg
 
Yet another knife I know absolutely nothing about. It never ceases to amaze me at how many different knives there are.
 
To be true, this knife pattern was probably not born in Corsica, rather somewhere near Thiers, during 19th century, inspired by Corsican and Genovese Stilettis, the only true traditionnals on the island.
The Corsican stylet cuts both sides, unlike the Genovese. Other sources originate it fromNapoli or even Malta.
The Moro head and the Vendetta name are nothing but touristic gimmicks and make real Corsican cutlers rather angry. Note that this is quite easily achieved, and not only with cutlers and not only about knives :confused: And I would never mess with an angry Corsican... :mad:
Nevertheless, like most knives made in Thiers it is a sturdy knife, like Pukkaman's fine one.
BTW, there was no real knife maker in Corsica until 1975...

ps Balzac also had his Corsican period, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Vendetta_%28novel%29
 
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Leave the moors where they belong to...and try not to mess around with people from both Corse and Sardinia :D
Personally, it's not a pattern that drives me crazy, yet it's quite a peculiar one...and Corse is very close ;)

Fausto
:cool:
 
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