Navaja Folding Knife, Circa 1820

Navajas are traditional Spanish folding knives. The one shown below is 16 1/4 inches long when open and weighs almost 10 ounces. It has a 7 1/2 inch steel blade and a 8 3/4 inch handle decorated with bone and brass. A spring under the blade locks it into place when open. The blade is marked Valero Jun and Zaragoza. Valero Jun was an important Spanish knife maker in the city of Zaragoza. The style of the makers mark indicates the knife was made at the beginning of the 19th century. According to some sources Valero Jun imported fine Navaja style knives like this one from Thiers France and resold them with their mark. (1) This style of Navaja is sometimes called a "tail rattler" (cola de crotalo), because the tip of the handle resembles a rattlesnake`s tail.

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