I've been wanting big, traditional, 18h / 19h century-style Spanish
navaja for some time. The versions I find online are usually poorly made or, if well made, more expensive than I can afford. The more I studied this style of knife, the more I realized that the so-called South African ratchet lock knives are in fact a European design going back to the 17h century. So Cold Steel's Eland knife, a copy of the Okapi, was my starting point.
First I bought one of these monsters online for $7.00 plus shipping. I used it in its stock form for about a week and was thrilled with how it performed. It's a great cutter, easy to carry in my back pocket next to my cell phone, and handles well with gloves or barehanded. The edge holds as long as an SAK and breaks down boxes, cuts twine, opens feed bags, cuts apples and carrots, and whittles wood very well. It's easy to clean up after a day in the barn and the back of the blade pops open a beer bottle perfectly. The lock is foolproof, never threatens to close, and is easy to operate, though it is two-handed.
Taking historical examples as my pattern, I clipped the blade farther down, eliminating the nail nick. Then I sanded off the logo etching on both sides of the blade, also removing the mirror finish. I threw some brown paint on the handle, giving it a less "Cold Steel plastic" look, though I expect this to wear off completely in a couple of months. At first I ditched the ring, thinking if it were an 18c knife it wouldn't have this and I wanted something early looking. The earliest ratchet lock
navajas had a wide thumb lock like the Buck Marksman has today. The ring came later and the lever in the 19c. So I put a leather thong on there but found it difficult to get hold of if it slid down my pocket. Going modern, I added a titanium bead so I could fish it out of my pocket. It worked nicely but the leather threatened to break, I felt. Reading more and more I found historical examples of the ring appearing on the ratchet lock as early as the 1780s, so I decided to slip it back on. But I still need that leash hanging out the top of my back pocket, so I compromised and have the decidedly unhistorical leather and Ti bead on the ring. So sue me.
Finally, I got out the files and threw some file work on the blade spine. I first had a nice staggered pattern on there, but I got carried away and filled in the open spaces, which I think now is a bit too cluttered. There are plenty of historical examples, though, that have file work all down the blade, so while I'm less pleased by it than I was before I added more notches, it's not unusual.
So, traditional? Well, the blade profile and lock mechanism are. The handle is still space age plastic. The bead is space age metal. But for now, it's my $9.00
navaja made in China, modded in Colorado. I have three more on their way from the same retailer. I may mod them differently, maybe keep one stock, maybe gift them. Maybe make one for a BF giveaway. They're fun, functional, and cheap.
Zieg
My great uncle's initials was J.F. - I think I remember him saying he lost a knife like that in the war - just sayin'.
What is the blade shape of the fixed blade with the J.F. handle called? Congrats on your early harvest!
