Item
Physical Object
Navaja Folding Knife, 'Cola de Crótalo' (Tail Rattle Navaja)"
- Object Name/Title
- Navaja Folding Knife, 'Cola de Crótalo' (Tail Rattle Navaja)"
- Catalog Number
- 111-0111
- Physical Description
- A large Spanish folding knife (navaja) featuring a 7 1/2 inch steel blade that locks into place via an under-blade spring mechanism. The 8 3/4 inch handle is distinctively decorated with brass and bone panels, culminating in a characteristic series of round brass elements at the terminus that resemble a rattlesnake's tail, giving this style its traditional name "cola de crótalo" (tail rattle). The handle combines decorative brass work with bone inlays and features ornamental studs. The knife exemplifies the classic Spanish navaja form, balancing both practical function and cultural aesthetics in its design.
- Knife Type
- Navaja de Muelles (Spanish Spring Knife)
- Maker/Workshop
- Valero Jun, Zaragoza
- Date of Creation
- Circa 1820
- Component Materials
-
Blade: Steel
Handle: Brass and bone construction with decorative brass studs
Mechanism: Steel spring - Measurements
-
Open length: 16 1/4 inches (41.3 cm)
Blade length: 7 1/2 inches (19.1 cm)
Handle length: 8 3/4 inches (22.2 cm)
Overall width: 2 inches (5.1 cm)
Weight: 9 7/8 ounces (280 g) - Edge Type
- Single-edged blade with straight spine
- Locking System
- Under-blade spring lock mechanism
- Deployment Method
- Manual opening with traditional Spanish navaja pivot system
- Handle Scales
- Bone panels with brass decorative elements and studs
- Pivot Mechanism
- Traditional Spanish navaja pivot
- Object History
- This navaja represents a significant example of early 19th-century Spanish cutlery craftsmanship. The maker, Valero Jun of Zaragoza, was known to import fine navaja-style knives from Thiers, France, which were then remarked and sold under his name. This practice provides interesting insight into the international trade and manufacturing relationships in early 19th-century European cutlery. The "cola de crótalo" (rattlesnake tail) style represents a distinctive Spanish design innovation, combining practical function with cultural symbolism.
- Subject Terms
- Spanish weapons; Folding knives; Navajas; Cola de crótalo; 19th century arms; Spanish cutlery; Zaragoza smiths; European knife trade
- Temporal and Spatial Coverage
-
Temporal: Early 19th Century
Spatial: Zaragoza, Spain - Related Collections
- The F.E. Williams III Collection of Antique Weapons and Artifacts
- Collection Attribution
- Frederick Eugene Williams III (known as Jack Williams), Collector
- Rights Statement
- © weaponscollector.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Attribution required: "From the F.E. Williams III Collection at weaponscollector.com
