All About Pocket Knives

Hello,

I am seeking to find any information at all on a recent metal detecting find that an associate of mine discovered in the Rosslyn area of Scotland earlier this month (July 2021). It was about 10" deep in a field about 3 metres from an old tree. The field has been used for farming but indeterminate if the area this was discovered was within the ploughing zone or could have been in the past.

The handle is either a copper alloy of some sort, or brass. The blade is badly corroded and as you can see, nothing much has survived.

It would appear, going by the corrosion that the pins holding this together were also steel.

Im looking to find out if this could be a more recent make (in the last 50 years or so) or something much older. Im getting conflicting opinions from others in my field of work. The only thing that is agreed upon is that its a Navaja or Navaja style knife.

Any information at all would be greatly appreciated and even better a source to match the pattern and design to so that an age may be attributed to it.

My opinion: I have only ever seen ( 1 ) Navaja knife that small ( pocket knife small ) and it dated a few 100 years old I believe. It was made of metal.The brass looking handle has markings similar to a Navaja. That handle material I’m just not sure about. Navaja is Spain and you are in Scotland ?? Probably more than 1,000 miles away ?? Not to say it couldn’t be , just a bit of a stretch if it dates back a few hundred years . If it’s a Navaja ?? it was a folding pocket knife and they are old pieces !! 1600’s,1700’s a distinct possibility. Any old knife makers in Scotland that could have made a similar knife ???

I have seen many navaja knives of that size, so there’s nothing unusual about that. Most are larger however. I have one a little smaller (3-1/4 inches closed length) but it has horn handles. It’s an ancient pattern and there have been hundreds of makers. Which makes it difficult to tell much about one in the condition of yours. The navaja style knife is common to regions in Spain but is found and made in countries around the world, many where there is a history of Spanish influence.

Someone else here may recognize some clue to help identify or age it, but I’m suspecting it will be one of those unsolved mysteries about which we as collectors can only speculate and imagine. Too often in our hobby we “wish it could talk”.

Welcome to AAPK.

KEN

The pattern on your knife handles is reminiscent of this large navaja that was given to me many years ago by a friend whose dad owned an antique shop.What was unusual about it is the entire knife is made of a pewter like material.It has a ratcheting mechanism inside the handle but no lock. It must have been made as some type of display piece as it is not sharp and the blade is very fragile. I've broken it a couple of times just pulling it open.To give you an idea of the size the background is 1 inch squares.