Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Ian · Yesterday, 08:14 PM

Detlef, thanks for looking up all that information. The link you provided was very informative. I have copied the Google-translated text below because it has some history of the knife and how it is made. Links have habit of disappearing, hence the importance of archiving such material here.

It is interesting that the author refers to British contact, and hence the transliteration of the English word "knife" to naife to describe the Canary Island form. I believe this British contact related to trips made back and forth between England and India during the 19th C and earlier. British ships, both merchant and passenger, would stop at the Canary Islands for provisions before proceeding down the African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean.

-------------------------

The naife is, without a doubt, the star product of Canarian craftsmanship. This knife has been for centuries a basic tool for the farmer and the Canarian rancher. Today, it has become a valued decorative element from which exquisite pieces longed for by the best collectors in the world are made.

History of this work of craftsmanship

On the history and origins of the Canarian knife much has been said, but little has been studied and written. The most accepted theory is that the naife is a knife of Albacete origin modified by local artisans to meet the needs and tastes of the Canarian man dedicated to the work of the earth and, in particular, of the banana trees.

Its name is clearly derived from the word used in English to refer to a knife, "knife", the Canarian English naife would only have the name. This is because he has not found any piece of the British knife industry that can be related to the unique morphology of the Canarian knife.

Other theories relate the Canarian knife to Berber culture and the Canarian Guanches or Aboriginals. Some specialists claimed that the Canarian knife came from North Africa, but this theory has been losing weight in recent years.

The Canarian masters of the 21st century keep alive an ancestral tradition that has adapted to the new times without losing their value and cultural roots. The workshop, materials and tools have practically not changed, but the final product is used more as a decorative element, either in the form of an abbreads or miniatures, than as a tillage instrument.

The naife: how this work of craftsmanship is manufactured

El naife or Canarian knife is composed of three distinct parts. A large blade, pointed but rounded and wide in shape at the opposite end, which extends into a piece called a spike [tang], which is where the round section handle, which is called the cape [hilt], is embedded.

In the knives made for work in the field, hardened steel blades are used, while in purely decorative ones, silver or alpaca [German silver] leaves are used.

The materials for their elaboration

The materials used for the handles are the ram’s, goat, and cow’s horn, ebony, ivory, and metals such as silver, steel or alpaca. The material chosen is prepared in circular rings with different diameter that are subsequently joined to give the handle its characteristic round shape.

In these rings are made some incisions and purely decorative inlays that form the plant, chess, or geometric figures chosen by the artisan.

The elaboration of the naife

The elaboration of the naife is divided into two parts, on the one hand, the manufacture of the sheet [blade], and on the other, the elaboration of the handle. With the exception of some master knifemen who manufacture the complete knife in their workshop, it is usually that the blade is made by blacksmiths while the knifemakers are dedicated exclusively to the corporal [hilt].

The process of elaboration and ornamentation of the cape is very complex, since it is necessary to prepare circular pieces of different diameter to give it its characteristic circular shape, assemble the metal washers that join them, and make the curious inlays that make unique each artisan Canarian knife.

If you want to know more about the instruments and the Canarian craftsmanship we leave below several links that may be of your interest: The legacy of traditional Canarian ceramics; Timple, know the history of the Canarian instrument; The Canarian draft, insignia of island crafts.

Yesterday, 08:14 PM	#11
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,609	Detlef, thanks for looking up all that information. The link you provided was very informative. I have copied the Google-translated text below because it has some history of the knife and how it is made. Links have habit of disappearing, hence the importance of archiving such material here. It is interesting that the author refers to British contact, and hence the transliteration of the English word "knife" to naife to describe the Canary Island form. I believe this British contact related to trips made back and forth between England and India during the 19th C and earlier. British ships, both merchant and passenger, would stop at the Canary Islands for provisions before proceeding down the African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean. ------------------------- The naife is, without a doubt, the star product of Canarian craftsmanship. This knife has been for centuries a basic tool for the farmer and the Canarian rancher. Today, it has become a valued decorative element from which exquisite pieces longed for by the best collectors in the world are made. History of this work of craftsmanship On the history and origins of the Canarian knife much has been said, but little has been studied and written. The most accepted theory is that the naife is a knife of Albacete origin modified by local artisans to meet the needs and tastes of the Canarian man dedicated to the work of the earth and, in particular, of the banana trees. Its name is clearly derived from the word used in English to refer to a knife, "knife", the Canarian English naife would only have the name. This is because he has not found any piece of the British knife industry that can be related to the unique morphology of the Canarian knife. Other theories relate the Canarian knife to Berber culture and the Canarian Guanches or Aboriginals. Some specialists claimed that the Canarian knife came from North Africa, but this theory has been losing weight in recent years. The Canarian masters of the 21st century keep alive an ancestral tradition that has adapted to the new times without losing their value and cultural roots. The workshop, materials and tools have practically not changed, but the final product is used more as a decorative element, either in the form of an abbreads or miniatures, than as a tillage instrument. *The naife: how this work of craftsmanship is manufactured* El naife or Canarian knife is composed of three distinct parts. A large blade, pointed but rounded and wide in shape at the opposite end, which extends into a piece called a spike [tang], which is where the round section handle, which is called the cape [hilt], is embedded. In the knives made for work in the field, hardened steel blades are used, while in purely decorative ones, silver or alpaca [German silver] leaves are used. The materials for their elaboration The materials used for the handles are the ram’s, goat, and cow’s horn, ebony, ivory, and metals such as silver, steel or alpaca. The material chosen is prepared in circular rings with different diameter that are subsequently joined to give the handle its characteristic round shape. In these rings are made some incisions and purely decorative inlays that form the plant, chess, or geometric figures chosen by the artisan. The elaboration of the naife The elaboration of the naife is divided into two parts, on the one hand, the manufacture of the sheet [blade], and on the other, the elaboration of the handle. With the exception of some master knifemen who manufacture the complete knife in their workshop, it is usually that the blade is made by blacksmiths while the knifemakers are dedicated exclusively to the corporal [hilt]. The process of elaboration and ornamentation of the cape is very complex, since it is necessary to prepare circular pieces of different diameter to give it its characteristic circular shape, assemble the metal washers that join them, and make the curious inlays that make unique each artisan Canarian knife. If you want to know more about the instruments and the Canarian craftsmanship we leave below several links that may be of your interest: The legacy of traditional Canarian ceramics; Timple, know the history of the Canarian instrument; The Canarian draft, insignia of island crafts.