Lierenaar - a knife from the belgian/german border

[puukkoman]

Very cool one, Andi! That type of locking mechanism (well, similar variations) can be seen on knives all over Europe - Italy, Spain, and now Bavaria. Thank you for posting this one!

(Sending you a PM, with a question.....)

 

[sitflyer]

Thanks a lot for the kind replies, folks! Really very much appreciated.

I love this, when other members from other parts of the world are showing their regional traditional knives. So I gonna torture you guys & gals with more traditional european, espcially german traditional knives if I can find unique patterns.

Torture away my friend! I love these threads the most:thumbup:
I will never tire of seeing the different patterns that evolved around the world.

 

[Galeocerdoshark]

Being German (with familyin Belgium) myself, I find this knife every interesting. I think I'll get one for myself. I would love to see some traditional folders, especially from Germany!

Thanks a lot Andi and... wait I can do this... GALEOCERDOSHARK! (hell yeah)

You said it right .

Thanks again for ordering one for me too.

See, Humppa, you've already sold two of these! You should be asking for a small percentage on the sales, lol.

 

[quattromori]

Andi,
thank you for the thread and pictures. I had never seen nor heard of this pattern...and it's always interesting to see what our neighbours beyond the Alps use to cut their cheese

Fausto

 

[lambertiana]

That looks like a pretty useful blade design. Cool knife!

 

[zippofan]

Thank you for posting this knife Andi. I really enjoy learning about all the different and historical knife patterns in Europe and Germany.

 

[untamed]

Wow! Thanks for sharing another wonderful traditional design.

Now that's ultimate simplicity in locking.

(promptly subscribes to this thread). . .

 

[untamed]

Oh yeah, those handles are just begging to have some sort of mod on them!

 

[mike Berkovitch]

Interesting stuff, never saw one like this from that part of the world. This is a working man knife, no doubt.
Thanks Andi.
Mike

 

[J D Wijbenga]

Thanks for starting this thread Humppa! I too read the article in the Messermagazine (bought it for that reason). And thank you Galeocerdoshark for the pictures and history. I love reading and learning of knives and knife use in the past.

 

[Jack Black]

Interesting knife Andi :thumbup:

 

[Humppa]

Thanks again for the kind replies, gentlemen!

When I got the knife, the lock was a little sticky. Means, when I wanted to close, the bladed needed some "force" to get out of its lockbar. I´ve played around a little yesterday evening and now the spring is a little lighter to unlock the blade.

 

[sitflyer]

Well, a lot of time has passed since Andi started this thread, and this knife has made a big journey across the pond to wind up in my hands
Andi thought that I might make some modifications to this knife, so he gifted it to me a while back!
After tightening the pivot, sanding and rounding the back portion of the spring it is now a most comfortable knife to hold and use. It is a light as a feather and has only a tiny amount of up and down blade play when open. When I say tiny I mean tiny! I have seen modern production lockbacks with more blade play than this knife has. The blade has a very nice grind to it and this thin carbon steel really slices. What an impressive knife for its simple construction...
Although the external spring may look a little ungainly, after de burring all possible contact areas and rounding the back portion it isn't at all uncomfortable in hand, and it is very secure, and offers a sort of guard to boot.

Again, Thank You Very Much Andi, for the pleasure of handling such a cool piece of cutlery

 

[Humppa]

Duane ... wow just wow! This are great modification on that "ugly brute" (quoted by scruffuk ). The symetrical rounded end of the handle makes it really look handfriendly. The sanded backspring looks really traditional and almost well used.

I´m glad You like the knife and exactly this was my intention sending you this knife. I was thinking about you just for this reason. Thanks for modification, my friend. You have really great skills, Duane

 

[DougC-3]

Well, google shopping has totally failed me on this one I would appreciate it if someone could, without going to too much trouble, PM me with ordering instructions for one of these.

Edit: oops, and thanks, everyone, for the fascinating thread!

 

[SoCal_kid]

interesting review/overview on an interesting knife. thank you.

 

[jon_slider]

That type of locking mechanism (well, similar variations) can be seen on knives all over Europe - Italy, Spain, and now Bavaria.

good insight. You triggered a search for the location and chronology of these knives:

Spanish navaja originates around 1700. Early navajas had no back spring and no lock, similar to the Pattada and the Opinel.
A) Lier home of the Lierenaar, 1700's
B) Laguiole home of the Laguiole, 1829
C) Pattada home of the Pattadesa 1850's
D) Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, home of the Opinel 1890

At the time the Navaja came into existence, Spain was ruled by the Senior Hapsburg family and their territories included parts of Belgium, Sardinia, Corsica, Italy, Sicily, Montpelier and Provence in southern France.
Montpelier is on the way from Laguiole to Pattada, through the port of Marseilles.
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is reached from Corsica by going through Monaco, or from Pattada by going through Marseilles. I believe these were all Spanish territories at one time. See the following map, showing the Hapsburg territories in the year 1700

here is a navaja with a pull ring to lift the external lock spring, before the pivoting lock release lever was developed, note also the leaf shaped blade

pivot lever navaja, external lock spring.

modern Spanish made navaja variant with slip joint back spring and no lock, Aitor Castor. Note leaf shaped blade, exposed pivot pin, and drop handle, as well as the back spring set between slab handles

Belgian Lierenaar originates in Lier in the 1700's
note the drop in the handle, reminiscent of the navaja and pattadesa. Note also the surface mounted lock spring in following image, top, and the older variation, with the lock spring set between the scales.

 

[jon_slider]

Laguiole originates in Laguiole France in 1829

In this video you will see Laguioles with pull rings like the early Spanish Navajas.

[video=youtube;6BTqnR9UV9M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BTqnR9UV9M[/video]

here you see the Fly on a Laguiole, which I believe also drops into a notch in the blade spine, but the notch is designed to release if enough force is applied to close the blade, without pulling up on the wings. The Laguiole came after the Lierenaar, and shares the drop handle shape.

Sardinian Pattadesa originates in Pattada around the 1850's

Pattadesa: here is a leaf shaped blade with no lock, no back spring, although it has a full length blade stop between the handle scales.. Note the bolster ring and exposed pivot pin

French Opinel, named for the family that created it, originates in 1890 in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France

The Opinel came after the Pattadesa. The Opinel, like the Pattadesa, has an exposed pivot pin, and a bolster ring (virolock is a new addition). Opinel handle is one piece of wood with a slot cut into it. Original Pattadesas were one piece also, but made from sheep horn.

 

[DougC-3]

Fascinating... Thanks. Have you considered writing a book?

 

[puukkoman]

Very cool, Jon! Thanks for sharing your research.