Folding Knife

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by ingelred

Hello,

I just took a look into NAVAJAS ANTIGUAS - ANTIQUE CLASP KNIVES by Rafael Martinez del Peral y Forton.
In picture 018 on page 19 You can see a Navaja very similar to the Navaja shown in style as well in the detail of being a slip joint (it's the one on the right).
The book says 19th century Albacete.

Greetings, Helge

G'day Helge,

Please do show the image you refer to, I am interested as I have never bought the book, only the knives.

I too cannot see any ratchet teeth but ratchet lock or slip joint, a back spring is a spring that sits on the back of a knife and both ratchet or slip joints mechanisms do have a back spring that is clearly missing on this piece.

Look to the out of place circle to the middle, it is a pin to hold the back spring and the empty hole towards the rear of the handle, is where a pin would sit to hold the rear as seen in both slip joint and ratchet mechanism back springs.

As a footnote I know I have one Alvero Garcia exhibition Navaja here that has proved Forton wrong on one count on manufacture.

Well noted about the slip joint though.

Gav