[Ian]

On looking through the archives here, I was surprised to find that there is relatively little information about Canary Island knives.They are distinctive, attractive, and fairly common. While many of them may have been produced for those who travel, they are usually well made and functional. The knives are clearly Spanish Colonial in origin, and they seem to have been made mainly from the second half of the 19th C until WWII. Several years ago I found a company online that still appeared to be making them, but that link is not functioning now.

A recent inexpensive purchase prompted me to post some pictures here, and hopefully obtain more information about these knives. The following knife is a small example of the Canary Island type. It measures 9 inches overall and the blade is 5.5 inches. The blade shows evidence of lamination and an old patina, suggesting it may be 19th C in manufacture. There is a faint swedge to the spine over the distal 2 inches. As usually found, there is a "Spanish notch" on the blade adjacent to the hilt. The blade appears unmarked, although occasionally there are dot designs or a date punched into the blade at forte.

The hilt is a typical stacked variety with horn, bone, and wood discs, with brass fittings at each end. The hilt swells in the middle, similar to Spanish knives from Albacete and Ripol.

The brown leather sheath has been stitched down the middle of the back, and the front has been lightly cross-hatched to create a series of diamond shapes. Missing is the usual flap to retain the knife at the waist when worn inside trousers.
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