Foreign Traditional Folders

[mnblade]

Great stuff, surfer! Thanks

 

[Will Power]

Surfer, that Valencia knife slicing the sausage is really nice:thumbup:

Any dimensions and or specs? Can they be bought on-line from Spain?

Regards, W

 

[surfer]

Hello Willgoy,
that Francisco Valencia has an 11cm blade, total about 23cm, bullhorn and some german silver rivets, carbon steel blade.
Have a look here at Valencias page http://www.franciscovalencia.es/
This knife is called "Cabritera" or "Girodias", they go for about 30-40,-€ depending if you want these rivets or not.

Regards
surfer

 

[Will Power]

Thank you, most interesting.

 

[littleknife]

Here are some traditional Hungarian patterns made in the shop of Imre Polyak:

http://www.accentknives.com/

Probably the oldest type is the one he calls "Classic":

http://www.accentknives.com/classic.html

A nice variation of the traditional Hungarian clasp knife called "Fejes görbe bicska" ("curved folder with a head"):

http://www.accentknives.com/vlad.html

I doubt it has anything to do with the Carpathian Mountains or Transylvania, or much less with Dracula, a 15th century Romanian. I don't think this pattern is older than 150-200 years.

And finally a traditional "Szalonnázó bicska" ("bacon slicer") pattern knife he calls the Surgeon's knife, a fantasy name too:

http://www.accentknives.com/surgeon.html

These knives in the past were used first and foremost as eating utensils by farmers, herders, coachmen and tradesmen. They were sometimes used as backup weapons, and only rarely for whittling.
I can attest that the "surgeon's knives" are really handy to slice bacon, lard, salami or cheese.

These knives have strong springs and don't have kicks so you have to use both hands to close them slowly and carefully to avoid damaging the edge.

Traditionally they might have had horn, bone or mother of pearl handles, less frequently stag or wood ones.

I have a few older Polyak knives, stag handled variants resembling the Classic and the Vlad from Accentknives.
The stag is European red deer stag, not sambar stag and the steel is average German made cutlery stainless steel (similar to 420 HC or 440A).

Mine have good fit, acceptable but not great finish. I don't own any of the ones sold by Accent Knives, so I cannot comment on their quality.

Below are some other examples of these and other Hungarian patterns:

http://www.bicska.hu/index.php?function=listItems&category=28

http://www.bicska.hu/index.php?function=listItems&category=29

http://www.bicska.hu/index.php?function=listItems&category=30

http://www.bicska.hu/index.php?function=listItems&category=31

http://www.bicska.hu/index.php?function=listItems&category=32

http://www.bicska.hu/index.php?function=listItems&category=33

http://www.bicska.hu/index.php?function=listItems&category=34

http://www.bicska.hu/index.php?function=listItems&category=35

http://www.bicska.hu/index.php?function=listItems&category=36

 

[VANCE]

VANCE, you can seal up an opy pretty well without disassembling it.

Just take some 500 grit paper and give it a very light sanding to rough it up a bit. Make sure you sand down in the blade slot and around the blade pivot. I fold up the sheet of sandpaper 4 times to get it thick enough to be a tight fit. Wipe it off real good with a damp cloth. After it's dry, give it two light coats of Helmsman Spar Urathane, all over. I use a pipe cleaner to get down in the blade slot in the handle. Make sure you get the flat area on the top of the knife by the ring lock where you can see lathe marks. Thats the end grain, and if that area is not sealed, it will wick up moisture like a sponge. Spar urathane over that area will help a great deal.

After it's all done, there's one thing more you can do. A friend of mine is French, and his family really do carry Opinels. They take a toothpick, and lube the inside where the blade pivots with Vasoline jelly. Smear in, then wipe out exsess, and you have a darn water resistant Opinel. Crude but effective.

thanks jackknife.
i just found this thread since it was moved

 

[BJE]

Love that sailors knife on the bottom with the patina, I really need to pick one up.

 

[oregon]

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[festerfromnzed]

I POSTED THIS ON THE OLD KNIVES FORUM....it is my most traditional folder and the one i know the least about......

 

[oregon]

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[festerfromnzed]

OREGON....thank you for the info..I did a small job for a guy that ended up being a big job(im a carpenter)..I didnt charge him any extra...I noticed the knife in his boat(he used it as his fishing knife))...he said it belonged to his wifes grandfather??...I admired it,he gave it to me as part payment...it is a beautiful knife....FES

 

[Robert.B]

More pics of the Ethnic Chinese slip joint still made today by Kuo. A family business since 1870 located in Taipei, Taiwan.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/oregun/05-29-2011KuofoldersrefugePuYicoin053.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/oregun/05-29-2011KuofoldersrefugePuYicoin047.jpg

Harder to find than hen's teeth.

Here is a link to a fine quality video of the maker, with knives, at his shop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9rjVibk9Ms

Are they hard to find? I love those and would like to opening my options up for something like that

I have one of these Japanese "Higonokami" made by Kanekoma with brass handle and yasuki aogami steel (carbon sai mai blade)...these are pics from the seller, I have polished the edge to a mirror finish, no seconary bevel so its a VERY keen slicer.

The only let down of these is they come fairly rough...the handle had burrs on it, blade had some burring on the spine near the tip and edge wasn't as aggressive as I wanted but for under $30 for a forged blade I didnt mind tinkering with it a bit when it arrived.

 

[oregon]

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[oregon]

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[Robert.B]

I had a layover in Taipei when I flew to Alaska in 2007 and I spent my who time at the Miramar golf country club , wish Id known about that or Id have checked it out...I figured they'd be a little easier to obtain, definitely don't have the funds to globe trek for a knife at this point.

It is avery attractive knife though and I bet it is one mean slicer, thanks for posting the pics and info!

 

[oregon]

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[oregon]

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