My First Resolza

B

bonusmarple

Joined
Sep 27, 2009
Messages
150
I bought a Resolza and it arrived today. I took it for a brief spin. Overall, I am happy. The blade is ground very thin. It is a full flat grind of stainless steel. The type of stainless. steel is not listed. The blade centers well, closes flush, no wobble, and has plenty of friction in this friction folder. This blade profile slices beyond even my opinels.

The knife is made by Vittorio Mura and is hand made in Santa Lussurgio (sp), which is in Sardinia but from Google maps is on the other side of the island from Pattada. I doubt this makes much of a difference but who knows. The handle is ox horn which appears to be less traditional than the ram's horn. Again, I don't know. The blade is 10cm long and is slightly smaller than what looks like the more common size of 12cm. Maybe somebody will chime in what is or is not typical or traditional for this pattern.

Overall, this size pockets fine although it is a bit big for church or office carry. I do like this knife very much and it will find use. I am very happy with the quality and performance.

LeakeyTrip007.jpg


Closed next to my modded Opinel #8 and my 2012 BF Knife.

LeakeyTrip009.jpg


You can get an idea of the blade length here. I love this blade profile. Very unique!
 
My land, my knives, my roots...and my turn to chime in :)
So...
Vittorio Mura was a very known knifemaker from Santulussurgiu; if I recall well, he died a few years ago. His job has been taken on by his sons (who worked with him for years). I can bet the blade is 420 HC, which is the most common stainless used for these knives. I've seen and handled a bunch of Mura's knives and they were all in 420.
Yes, the blade profile and grind is the best feature of these knives, carried by shepherds and used for any tasks in and out of their homes (mainly food I guess).
As for the origin of this pattern, it was not born in Pattada at all. It's a common pattern all over Sardinia, born in the inner part of the island; it's usually named "Pattada" or "pattadesa" because there has been a huge tradition and breed of talented knifemakers in Pattada in the last century.
Resolza is the name of this knife in our own Sardinian language; it means, literally, "folding knife". The real traditional material for the handles is mouflon's horn, but these animals, who were very common decades ago, are almost extinct nowadays. so, in the last decades, ram's horn has become the most common and traditional material, but ox horn is not rare at all.
Believe it or not, many men around here still carry these knives in their pocket. To me, they're way too large, so I keep them at home, and use them for food prep (a task where they excel).
Congratulations! You now own a piece of cutlery with way more history than you might suspect, and also got a glimpse on a distant (from you) land and its culture and traditions through a knife :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
bonusmarpl: Congratz on that beautiful knife! I really like shape. The blade is a real looker... might be a great slicer in any ways :)

Faust: Thank you for the history of this knife as well as of the family history of Mr. Mura. I really like those threads!
 
Ditto. Love the cross cultural exchange (even if we force you guys to deal with us in English!!!)

Fausto, are these knives slip joints or friction folders?
 
Pinnah,
they're always friction folders. All Sardinian traditionals ("pattadesa", "arburesa", and "foggia antica") are friction folders.

dsc0083mod.jpg


Fausto
:cool:
 
pinnah said:
Ditto. Love the cross cultural exchange (even if we force you guys to deal with us in English!!!)

Fausto, are these knives slip joints or friction folders?
Click to expand...

LOL ... that would be great; everyone is writting in his mother tongue - the conversations would be great! :eek: :)
 
quattromori said:
My land, my knives, my roots...and my turn to chime in :)
So...
Vittorio Mura was a very known knifemaker from Santulussurgiu; if I recall well, he died a few years ago. His job has been taken on by his sons (who worked with him for years). I can bet the blade is 420 HC, which is the most common stainless used for these knives. I've seen and handled a bunch of Mura's knives and they were all in 420.
Yes, the blade profile and grind is the best feature of these knives, carried by shepherds and used for any tasks in and out of their homes (mainly food I guess).
As for the origin of this pattern, it was not born in Pattada at all. It's a common pattern all over Sardinia, born in the inner part of the island; it's usually named "Pattada" or "pattadesa" because there has been a huge tradition and breed of talented knifemakers in Pattada in the last century.
Resolza is the name of this knife in our own Sardinian language; it means, literally, "folding knife". The real traditional material for the handles is mouflon's horn, but these animals, who were very common decades ago, are almost extinct nowadays. so, in the last decades, ram's horn has become the most common and traditional material, but ox horn is not rare at all.
Believe it or not, many men around here still carry these knives in their pocket. To me, they're way too large, so I keep them at home, and use them for food prep (a task where they excel).
Congratulations! You now own a piece of cutlery with way more history than you might suspect, and also got a glimpse on a distant (from you) land and its culture and traditions through a knife :)

Fausto
:cool:
Click to expand...

Fausto,

Thanks so much for the background! This is a great knife and it was one of your older posts that got me interested in the first place.

Darin
 
Humppa said:
bonusmarpl: Congratz on that beautiful knife! I really like shape. The blade is a real looker... might be a great slicer in any ways :)

Faust: Thank you for the history of this knife as well as of the family history of Mr. Mura. I really like those threads!
Click to expand...

Andi,

I just made short work of an apple with the knife. Very nice indeed!

Darin
 
bonusmarple said:
Fausto,

Thanks so much for the background! This is a great knife and it was one of your older posts that got me interested in the first place.

Darin
Click to expand...

I receive so much knowledge from you people on this subforum. I'm glad when the time comes for me to give something back as well...and I'm proud of my island, my roots, and my knives, so you are very welcome :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
I remember seeing those knives being used in the Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern episode. I found it interesting that they were using them instead of dedicated kitchen knives for cutting cheese, meat, etc.
 
SAKsRCool said:
I remember seeing those knives being used in the Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern episode. I found it interesting that they were using them instead of dedicated kitchen knives for cutting cheese, meat, etc.
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Haven't seen that episode, but we do eat some bizarre foods, so I will look it up :)
Anthony Bourdain also shot a couple episodes in Pattada with some focus on these knives (his current wife is sardinian :))
And yes, in any ome in the inner part of the island there is at least one of these knives used for food prep (meat, sausage, cheese and so on). I think it's their natural task. That's also why the "standard" size is at least 4,5" closed.

Fausto
:cool:
 
You can't beat local knowledge! Great post Fausto, very interesting. Nice knife you have there Mr Marple :)
 
very interesting. i like traditional working knives from different cultures and this one looks quite elegant.
 
And thanks to Fausto, I am lucky enough to own...I believe...the knife in the above pic. ;) When my wife will let me use it.
 
LKJW said:
And thanks to Fausto, I am lucky enough to own...I believe...the knife in the above pic. ;) When my wife will let me use it.
Click to expand...

Come on Dan, don't blame her if she likes the way this knife performs in the kitchen.
Yes, you own the very knife pictured above, and I'm glad it found a new caring home :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
shrapne1 said:
thanks for the introduction to a new knife, i love the hand-made aspect of this.
Click to expand...

For some reasons that I can't really explain (or maybe, just for the fact that Sardinians are quite "closed" towards certain things), there has never been a knife factory here on the island. Some Italian knifemaking companies do produce this pattern, but they're "foreigners" to these knives and they often derail a bit from the traditional shape. Instead, Sardinian cutlery is a net of knifemakers who make their knives by hand (most of them work on their own, a few gathered together in small groups), and even if they make knives in series and not one by one (since there's not a big variety in patterns and sizes), they follow every step of the whole process, which I find nice.

Fausto
:cool:
 
quattromori said:
For some reasons that I can't really explain (or maybe, just for the fact that Sardinians are quite "closed" towards certain things), there has never been a knife factory here on the island. Some Italian knifemaking companies do produce this pattern, but they're "foreigners" to these knives and they often derail a bit from the traditional shape. Instead, Sardinian cutlery is a net of knifemakers who make their knives by hand (most of them work on their own, a few gathered together in small groups), and even if they make knives in series and not one by one (since there's not a big variety in patterns and sizes), they follow every step of the whole process, which I find nice.

Fausto
:cool:
Click to expand...

agreed. A major factor to me which i think brings the "life" into a blade is whether its forged or just stamped out of a sheet of metal. Dont get me wrong, the stamped blades - once heat treated - hold their own, but to me a forged knife was pounded whilst red hot with cold steel and it has a life of its own. I feel that with these Sardinian knives
 
I agree with you on forged blades, for pure "emotional" factors. Unfortunately, forgers seems to be less and less, or at least account for a minority of knifemakers. Even here, in the old cutlery world, forgers are rare. I'm happy if I handle a quality knife, no matter if it's production made, but on some knives (surely for Sardinian knives) the "custom" factor plays a role. Recently, I acted as middleman for a friend who wanted to buy his first resolza, and asked for help; being involved in the whole process (choice of handles and so on) was very nice and added something to the knife...and it wasn't even my knife :D
I do wish that Sardinian cutlery remains as it is now. Fortunately, the relatively small number of knives produced (compared to the market request) combined with the tradition in cutlery is bringing new youngsters to the business and causing a slow generational change, so this craftmanship won't be lost. Last year, at the small annual show and expo in Pattada, I met a couple of knifemakers under 30yo, and saw the work of another two or three; one of them, in particular, seems to be very talented. In small realities like on this island, that's definitely good news for all the knife lovers.

Fausto
:cool:
 
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