Where can I buy a Spanish navaja these days?

killgar said:
...I've owned two Navajas from Spain, and they were both junk.
...The knives struck me more as tourist souvenirs than actual cutting tools...
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Sad to say that even though I am from Spain (I live here in Bilbao), I have to admit that spanish knifemakers are not living up to the reputation they once had.

If we were going to judge any of the folders included in the links above by anything close to the fit and finish and strength standars we use here in BF... they will fail miserably. Don't even talk about "hard use" anything... your fingers would be at risk.

Don't get me wrong, they cut and cut well (due mostly to thin blades) but they are stuck in the traditional patterns but they don't bother to upgrade materials (blade steel, for instance) and the ergos of the traditional patterns are nowhere close to comfortable in the hand.

I own between 40-50 folders and I don't have a single one made in Spain. I have a french Lagioule and... it is, indeed, a crappy knife as well. The blade does not have a closing stop pin and the edge contacts the metal back spacer... talk about design mistakes...

Mikel
 
M Mikel_24 On the subject of Navajas and Laguioles, I would object that these are traditional patterns done for a long time without significant machinery, so, yes, they are rather crude and the fit & finish is no match for today's industry standards (what with laser cutting, water jetting, digital machining and all that stuff). They were also produced in great quantities (with manual labour...) because everyone had a knife and used the heck out of it. Today, we expect more collector quality out of a knife because it's no longer an everyday (more or less) consumable tool. The problem I see, and this probably applies to Navajas and certainly to Laguioles, is that they are still produced with the same ancestral techniques (because tradition !). I saw a very nice knife somewhere here around (the Lion Steel Gitano) which emulates a Navaja and certainly outdoes in F&F most of the traditional made ones. Would you choose it if you're on the hunt for a "real" Navaja ? There are, of course makers in current Spain who do both traditional and flawless finish... One of them : https://artesaniaherreros.es/
 
Mikel_24 said:
Sad to say that even though I am from Spain (I live here in Bilbao), I have to admit that spanish knifemakers are not living up to the reputation they once had.

If we were going to judge any of the folders included in the links above by anything close to the fit and finish and strength standars we use here in BF... they will fail miserably. Don't even talk about "hard use" anything... your fingers would be at risk.
Click to expand...
Well, this is fairly accurate it seems. The two I have are a bit lacking. The biggest issue is the blades don't stay closed. There is no detent to keep them from opening part way if you were to put it in your pocket.
This shows the amount of freeplay when closed.......
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The Esparcia has a one piece olive wood handle. The blade is marked 440. Construction is very basic, looks as if it could have been made in a small shop anytime in the past 100 years.

The other knife, a JJ Martinez, is of better quality and more updated construction methods but still feels a bit loose, not real confidence inspiring to use.
I think if you are going to buy a traditional style Spanish navaja, you should really have it in hand before making any decisions.
 
I
The_Knife_Man said:
Yep... resurrected a thread from the dead...
I was reading "Culturally and Nationally sigificant knives?" And was interested in finding a traditional Spanish knife as well, however the links are dead.
Click to expand...
I got 4 Navaja knives in extended stock :
Alpine, Camoana, Camping and Junior
Contact me if interested
 
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