Spanish blades, some info and loooots of pics :D

[Zuluninja]

Thanks, I will snap and post more pics today. I even forgot that I have 2 IHER fixed blades at the house, one at the kitchen knife block and another on standby to get a stacked leather handle, this one in pristine condition. IHER was the original name of the Aitor knife company, named after the founding Izaguirre brothers (HERmanos Izaguirre) who had been making knives since 1939.

 

[ThePeacent]

Yup, stag handle!

I've handled a few ATK folders these months at the Plaça del Pi Knife Shop (Ganiveteria Roca it's the name, the oldest cutlery shop in Barcelona=. They have standard G10, it feels lower quality than Ontario's RAT and Utilitac, or Cold Steel's, etc.
The steel is definitely soft, but I can't tell much about it. Lock is solid, no blade play. They ain't lightweight, they are smooth but nothing to write home about.
They remind me a lot of my ENLAN and Bee, HARNDS or Navy folders. I think there are many well-known, classic budget folders mcuh better and reliable at that price point nowadays (Kershaws, RATs, Dozierm, Avispa, Voyagers, etc.) . That's my opinion, though, and they might be a good alternative here in Spain because they don't have overinflated prices and taxes like most US folders...

 

[Zuluninja]

yes, at their price point in Spain I think they are a better value than the other brands. My current favorite folder is a Kershaw Injection 3.5, which I can get on the bay for 20$, and it is probably better made and better looking than my ATKs, but...the prices for Kershaw/CRKT/ Spyderco and other imported knives over there are ridiculously high. I saw a CRKT M16 going for 92 euros at my favorite Spanish online shop Bought an ATK for 18 euros on my trip there last month, and I feel it was a good buy.

 

[Zuluninja]

ok, got some more. Some are group shots that I will take individual pics of later.

Folders bought in Albacete and Jerez:

The fixed crew:

The IHERs:

I will do individual shots with a brief description later.

 

[Nixelplix]

Very nice!

 

[Zuluninja]

more steely goodness, breaking it down individually... first up is a rather simple Aitor lockback. No frills, just a regular workhorse, nice movement with no side play. I have no idea when was it made, but it definitely is not new:

this one was bought a while ago but I forgot to post pics, my first "carraca" knife, so called because of the noise it makes when opened, due to the toothy tang. This one is an Esparcia, a brand on which I haven't been able to dig much info. I know that they are from Albacete but that's pretty much it. Olive wood frame, no bolsters, and rather large with a 5" blade:

which leads me to my 2nd carraca, this one bought in Albacete and made by Exposito, with a polished blade, bolsters and horn scales:

Albacete has a long standing tradition of being a knife making town, going back around 600 years. Knife making has been a profession for many families and it is something passed down from one generation to the next. The people of Albacete are very rightly proud of their knife making heritage, and display this on their knives with the inscription "AB" inside a shield, which marks the knife as being made in Albacete, "denominacion de origen" (origin denomination). This Exposito has it on the blade, of course:

J.J. Martinez knives are made in Santa Cruz de Mudela, a town not too far from Albacete which shares in its knife making roots. This hawkbill is rather unadorned, but their knives can also be of a very detailed (and expensive) quality. Still looking for a JJ stag carraca...

this one is a Don Benito, a very utilitarian knife with a thin blade and no lock or spring, relying only on friction. Since I bought this one in Jerez, which is famous for their wine and horses, I carved a horse head on the handle:

 

[Zuluninja]

more... Celaya is another brand from Albacete, and this blade has the AB shield stamped at the tang instead of an etch on the blade. Massive and beautiful navaja, one of the best bargains of the trip:

This one is in the "pastora" style (navajas are done in many different styles, I think there are 6-8 different styles, could be many more than that but will double-check), bought at Cuchilleria Simon. The owner assured me it was made in Albacete but the lack of shield and the very low price makes me think something else. Regardless, it is well made with a solid snap at the lock:

another Celaya, this one in "machete" style. Straight handle and blade with a centered tip:

I have to admit, I have a soft spot for Nieto knives. Got some awesome deals on this folder and a fixed from their Pegasus line. Polished and grooved micarta slabs, polished and coined liners, smooth action and solid lock up:

 

[trey999]

This is what I picked up on my recent trip to Barcelona:





Along with a gentleman sharpening knives with bicycle power:

 

[Zuluninja]

I saw a bike like that at the "Museo de la Cuchilleria" in Albacete, thought no one used them anymore! cool pic, love that Nieto with the white bolster, actually all of them look good!

 

[Zuluninja]

From looking at another thread, realized there's still plenty of pics to post. I can't believe I missed posting this beauty from Juan Luis Vergara, a maker from Albacete from a long standing knife making family. Sandvik slippie with a horn, root, fiber and brass pins handle:

 

[Zuluninja]

I had one of these already. Posted here some pages back, with a black blade and different blade profile, same brand/model/maker. I just didn't have to pay 85 euros for this one...just 30....gotta love buying local!!! Nieto Pegasus Combat, satin drop point blade:

A CDS Hobbit with a "granadillo" (ebony) handle and red liners. CDS changed their name and are called now "J & V Cuchillos de Aventura". The Hobbit is offered as either a skeleton or orange/black micarta handle. I was told by the owner of Cuchilleria Pastor that this one had been a special order that the customer failed to purchase, so it was destined to be mine (He also showed me a limited edition Celtibero made in D2, that impressed me so much that I later ordered one online)

Another pleasant surprise, as I really like this one and the price was very fair. Been intrigued by Joker knives for some time but didn't own one, so on my trip to the physical store of my favorite Spanish online store I got this, a Joker 3 hunting knife with a full flat grind and tan micarta handle. I made a scout-style leather sheath for it that I need to take pics of:

 

[Zuluninja]

More stuff from España...olé!

I saw it while surfing the web, but when I got there and handled it was truly impressed. Very comfy in hand and hefty, and aesthetically pleasing, a Muela Aborigen with tan canvas micarta handle and a very nice leather sheath with stag handle ferro; as much as I liked the sheath, I also made a scout leather for it that still needs to be shot:

Another Muela, an Urial. Very elegant flat ground fighter with micarta handle and sinister presence:

This beast is a modern version of an artillery-issued knife, early XX century, that were made in the old national factory at Toledo. Some originals can still be found on ebay, but this version just shocked me into an affirmative impulse buy 1/4" thick stock and white micarta handle, 9" blade, Cudeman Artillero:

 

[Zuluninja]

Now some Aitors to wrap it up (for now, at least). I still need to take more pics of the last one in this post, as it is the top knife in my Spanish collection, but I only have one teaser pic.

Aitor has come out with some tactical models on their ATK line (Aitor Tactical Knives). I might get a couple more folders later, I believe they are a good bang for the buck, at least if you buy straight from Spain bundled with some other blades. This is an Aitor ATK five, a massively built knife that kinda looks like a thinner Becker BK-2 with a recurve and swedge:

brothers from a different mother

Aitor ATK Capetonia. Well made folder with thick liners and lock bar similar to the Ontario Rat 1, and very pleased that it has a pocket clip! me and the rest of the world need more Spanish folders with clips!!

And now this gem. In the year 1981, one of the Izaguirre brothers designed this "cuchillo de remate" (finishing knife) in homage to a famous Spanish hunter, Eduardo Trigo de Yarto. The blade has a "lengua de vaca" (cow's tongue) profile, micarta scales and brass pins. 1000 blades were made and that was it, with the #000 blade being gifted to the then reigning king of Spain, the other 999 blades sold and became very sought after as years went by. I got lucky with this one and have to take many, many more pics of this truly impressive piece of cutlery.

..and that's it, for now. I know I snagged another Muela Comando recently, this one with a serrated spine, and put a handle on a Muela Rebeco blank, so I still need to take more pics that will be posted soon along with the Aitor Trigo. Thanks for looking, hope you liked them!

 

[verylost2016]

Hello,

I am in Madrid, Spain studying abroad and my mentor loves scimitars. Would you happen to know where I could pick one up without having to travel to Toledo?

 

[Llasi]

Scimitar is not a Spanish sword.

 

[Zuluninja]

More pics coming soon, have to review the thread to see what has been added since last I posted. I did snap some pics yesterday of this recent acquisition, an Aitor Survival 21, along with his little brother, the Survival 18:

From what I could dig, The Aitor Survival line ran from 1976-1986. First models didn't have a sawback; this, and the position of the handle grooves lets me speculate that the 18 might be a first edition ('76?) while the 21 might be an end of the line model, '86. As you can see, these knives have not been used, maybe the 18 has seen some minimal action. I don't think I have the heart to use them, but I will try.

 

[Zuluninja]

It has been a long time since I posted here, and in that time some things have changed. While I did accumulate more knives in that period, I've come to realize I don't enjoy hoarding them so much; an ever growing pile of sharpened steel is no longer so satisfying to me. I will however try and keep up and post those Spanish blades I have not posted here yet for you to check out.

This is an Aitor Commando. It has been around for some time. Comes with an aluminum hollow handle with a survival vial inside:

I also managed to get another Aitor Survival 21, this one without serrations:

This one I got as a blank and don't know the name, but it is another Aitor; wrapped the handle in paracord and made a leather sleeve sheath for it:

Muela Machete (name is kinda misleading, as the blade is only 8 inches long and 3/16" thick; it's more like Muela's version of a Survival 21):

I still have some more knives to snap pics of, will try to do so during the week.

 

[Seesteel]

Tu colección es única e impresionante!

 

[Zuluninja]

Gracias!

 

[Zuluninja]

welllll...one year later, some more pics to share! been curbing my spending habits a bit, and the lack of steel options is a deterrent, although Spanish makers are wising up to that fact and are diversifying the steels being used.

FNT (Fabrica Nacional de Toledo) Guerrillero. This is an old knife, no longer made, produced between 1940s - 80s; Spanish Army issue knife for some units until it was replaced by the Oso Negro (or Cuchillo de Monte, as that was the military mark while "Oso" was for the civilian market, from what I've gathered). Full tang with a long single quillion, checkered spine and wood handles; this one was in poor condition so it has been sanded and blued. Nieto did a commemorative edition recently:

with the new Nieto version

A smaller, non-bayonet Marto Phrobis:

While not marked as such, this is an Aitor bowie with micarta scales, marked with a bull's head and "Toledo":

Cudeman JSK2:

I felt that the CDS Hobbit was too fat in the handle so the scales were reduced, and kydex replaced the leather sheath: