Mediterranean shepperds knifes

[stelug]

I have been gently challenged from moderator Enki_ck to write something about the traditional knifes in the area where I live.  So I'll try with my elementary english. Athought I have some modern knifes my real passion are the shepard's mediterranean knifes (i.e. the real's pattada, or same from greece turky etc) wich I bought mostly in my youtness, travelling by motorcycle and vespa. None is stainless steel (blades where hammer forged from ancient car dampner, on a carbon fire and reduced at alf or less the original thickness) and handles are in yellow mouton horn (way more though than cow or buffalo horn). These knifes where very pricey for the poor peoples who where destinated (and me too at the time  ) and where often payd with a huge number of cheese forms, if not a whole sheep. Nevertheless they where real whorking (and S. D.) tools wich had to serve for life and to be passed to a son.  Lightness, thougness, quality of craftmanship, edge retaining (high carbon blades yes, assumed on the chocke fire and hammerized deep in the grain and stabilized with the bath in oil whather or else) are common to most. Althought they may seems cheap and simple where reliable but light because had to be carried in pockets or bags for month, and easy to resharpen on field. 

[stelug]

few more pics.
Ps  Rule is 25 cm on maior side, around 10 inches

[Grathr]

That is a great collection of beautiful knives! 

[Sparky415]

Proper working knives, nice collection 

[kkokkolis]

Very nice!
My grandfather used Opinel-like knives, I believe they were made in Crete island. Made from car suspensions, just like the Kuhkries.

[enki_ck]

Thank you very much for these fine photos and explanation.

I like the one with 3 blades from the first pic. Never saw this style of knife with 3 blades.  Also that long one from the second post looks like a melon tester. Am I right? And is that filework or serrations on it?

In the thread where you first mentioned these knives you said some of them were from Yugoslavia. Can you remember which ones they were and which country that is now?

Lots of questions, I know, but you got me interested.

Thank you.

[ciccio90]

you know the "siciliano" rosolino, caltagirone, andscanno knife? here are very useful to the sheperd on mountanis....they don't know what is a zero tolerance, nobody, but they know how use the knife for work  and real situation of life, work....
these are the most utilizated on the region, the ultimate is a knife art

http://www.armeriasavoca.it/public/Prodotti/1822010194537b.jpg

http://www.armeriasavoca.it/public/Prodotti/1722010113211b.jpg

http://www.ilbossolo.it/media/prodotti/8173/coltello-siciliano-gigante.jpg

[kkokkolis]

Yes, there were knives before the "tactical" and exotic steel inventions. And all of them real users.

[firiki]

 
Tante grazie to both, those are lovely pics there.
I have much appreciation for such knives 

[stelug]

Thank you very much for these fine photos and explanation.

I like the one with 3 blades from the first pic. Never saw this style of knife with 3 blades.  Also that long one from the second post looks like a melon tester. Am I right? And is that filework or serrations on it?

In the thread where you first mentioned these knives you said some of them were from Yugoslavia. Can you remember which ones they were and which country that is now?

Lots of questions, I know, but you got me interested.
 


Thank you.

I bought the triple blade one in a farnmer market in  South Turkey, 1980. It is a farmer knife for pruning and fruit three working. Blades appears to be made from discarded saws.

The long one, with file working, is not a melon tester, it is a human belly tester. It is a real criminal knife, absolutely illegal at the time (1700 first 1800) named "Alliccasapuni" (soap lapper). This because legend sais that before using it the Mafia's man used to lap a piece of soap so to avoid  wounds to be cured. The littler one in the same pics is from Yugo and was probabably deputy to the same very charity tasks. You may think that those knife has few to share with the arcadic immagine of the shepperd, lost between mountains and hills, but since a hundred years ago, and less, this job was alla but pacifist. Knife fighting for interest or honor did happened very often. An the "balencia", self condideration, had to be mained at whatever cost, also of his own life. And if you look closer at he three central knife in the second pic (first post) all' Pattada's made from a famous knifemaker now died, Sebastiano Spanu, You can immagine how they can perform e clean kill, not only of lambs and porks. The same in the third pics wich contains knifes from central italy (abruzzo). In the first pics some knifes are from Janina (Grece) and some from Yugo (Aziz signature).
Hope I made myseld understood

[enki_ck]

Yes, you did. Thank you again.

[Aloha]

these are some great knives. thank you for sharing these and talking about their uses. 

[stelug]

short ad-on. filework on blade was deputy to the same nasty thask of soap lapping. but all this knifes are also everiday,s tools. me too i like the modern industry fancy steel and shapes and have and use some. but if you pick up an apple, a peer or a tomato and peel it you will discover how any of these rural blades can easely over perform all modern competitor, believe me, same applies in dressing a target as a wild boar.

[jerseydevil]

That is a very nice collection with some beautiful pieces you have there!    Thanks for sharing them with us!  Now to go about finding a few.....

[Styerman]

Never heard of the soap trick , interesting . I guess file work could also hold other poisons too .

Chris

[stelug]

That is a very nice collection with some beautiful pieces you have there!    Thanks for sharing them with us!  Now to go about finding a few.....

Hi jerseydevil I can sell-trade, but only the ones you see doubled in my collection. Pm if you are interested

[cbl51]

I am a great fan of the friction folders of that area. The simple action, and beauty and feel in the hand is without equal. They are  knives that have to be used to be loved. For the past few months my edc folder has been a Sardinian Resolza. Before that, it was Opinel's. I like to snug up the pivot on the Opinel and use it like a friction folder, and very rarely use the locking ring.

My Sardinian resolza.http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5349/8906616880_9f1199744c_c.jpg

[stelug]

it seems to be a really wonderfull piece. If blade is hand forged and not stamped may cost about 100 euros for each blade inches. When I whent my firts time in Pattada, the small city (village) where traditional resolzas are made cost was ten times less, and there where only few families who still produces the knife in theyr own shops-forgery. No industrial machines (at the time) only the vented carbon-fire and the knowledge of the patriarc who tell when the steel had reached the propper color to be hammered and then rehated and dropped in a bowl with secret liquids (whather, oil, blood aor what'else) to be tempered. It was really fashinatind to see the whork. The famili I recall was Ogana, Sistitgu, Fogarizzu, and the Spanu wich has on the sea side. But there where few others.
take care of it

[cbl51]

I love how the Mediterranean areas of southern Europe have refined the folding knife down to just what is needed, and nothing that is not. The friction folders from Spain, France, Italy, Sardinia, are great knives if you just wnat a sharp edge to cut something with. My interest in these knives was started by the humble Opinel of all knives. I picked one up in 1982, and was bitten. Especially when I learned that the locking ring was not added until 1955, and the knives had been in production since 1890. I snugged up the pivot pin on a number 8, and used it as a friction folder, only using the lock very rarely. It spoiled me for the other knives. I love them, and the other Mediterranean region knives.

Except for the smaller SAK's like the keychain size classic's and ramblers, and the simple bantam and recruit, I carry nothing but my Opinels and Resolza.

[stelug]

thougt they are quite different beasts, you know. Opinel was made by one only family that hired jailed men to work on the knifes. The whole process was pretty proto-industrial. Nevertheless opinels does really have an edge. Resolza where made completely by hands from differents families of knifemakers, every one with his peculiar caratheristics as thikness, hardened, general shape etc. They where not at all cheap blades and one was suppoes to last more than the owner wich was proud to pass it to his sons. The legacy involved also the knifemaker's who, or his descendents, where always ready to replace an handle or care a blade. 

[stelug]

Ps. Another huge difference between these two knifes is in their's DNA. While the opinel shows at a glance their's dependance from the agricoltural world, and is a perfect knife for cutting, preparing food, carving and so on, resolzas are real killing tool's. I have seen myself lambs, porks and boars dispatcend in terms of seconds and prepared as food in a few minutes, and untill few years ago daily reports on newspaper had proven the letal skill's of this knife. It may appear strange as it has any sistem to fix the blade open, but You should bear in mind, that it was handled from men (shepperds) for whos it was a natural extension of the hand. And wounds wher always inflicted in the whorst way: down-upper. 
Btw: today you an find more viable resolzas coming from industrial and semi-industrial production(stamped blades on serial handles but still hand assembled) , but when you met a real one with hand forged blade and spring (wich is not a spring but serve to strenght the blade) and heat formed unique riveted mouton horn, Youll' immediately feel the difference.
 sorry beeing so long but the argoument touch me

[nervium]

very common models in my country, some has really high quality steel blades.the problem is they do not have country wide distribution, famous makers sell only on their shops on only at that town they produce it.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Lovely collection you've got there mate

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