Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Any Info On This Mystery Spanish-made Jambiya???

Chris Evans · 5th June 2008, 02:47 AM

CharlesS,

This is just another example of the direction that what remained of Spain's cutlery industry took once urbanization and changing lifestyles rendered the use of knives obsolete.

Based on circumstantial evidence and whilst studying the history of the navaja, I formed the view that from the last quarter of the 19th century onwards, the Iberian cutlers increasingly catered to the purveyors of souvenirs and the nouveau riche that, emulating the establishment, wanted to decorate their mansions with weaponry that suggested a distinguished and ancient martial ancestry.

The sheer volume of highly decorated but cheaply made navajas, daggers, knives and swords that had no conceivable use produced support this view, as does the observation that other cutlery and armament centres in Europe engaged in a similar trade, albeit of much better quality.

On the plus side, yours is of far better quality that the stuff they were producing after the war and is a collectable.

Cheers
Chris

5th June 2008, 02:47 AM	#2
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 685	CharlesS, This is just another example of the direction that what remained of Spain's cutlery industry took once urbanization and changing lifestyles rendered the use of knives obsolete. Based on circumstantial evidence and whilst studying the history of the navaja, I formed the view that from the last quarter of the 19th century onwards, the Iberian cutlers increasingly catered to the purveyors of souvenirs and the nouveau riche that, emulating the establishment, wanted to decorate their mansions with weaponry that suggested a distinguished and ancient martial ancestry. The sheer volume of highly decorated but cheaply made navajas, daggers, knives and swords that had no conceivable use produced support this view, as does the observation that other cutlery and armament centres in Europe engaged in a similar trade, albeit of much better quality. On the plus side, yours is of far better quality that the stuff they were producing after the war and is a collectable. Cheers Chris Last edited by Chris Evans; 5th June 2008 at 03:13 AM.