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KNIVES AND SPANISH CUTTLERY

 

The knives comprise important of the history of the Humanity, since there are been and they are present partly important of our daily activities; when we prepared the food, when we eat, etc, because we always used the indispensable knife.

For centuries the knives have been having a fundamental presence in our history and not only like domestic utensil, also like valuable defensive weapon. Thus, the knives include a great set of beautiful pieces exits of the skilful hand of the craftsman cutler, pieces as they are; daggers, knives, daggers, swords, sabers, rapiers, machetes, fender guards, penknife, letter opener, bistouries, axes, bayonets, scissors, goads, estoques, stings, chuzos, knives, etc.

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Pocket knive of Albacete made artesan with reed-deer.

 

The knives are the pieces that we are going to discover, from the history of one of the places of Spain that single to name it evokes it to the utensil, Albacete. The short manufacture of knives and other cutting weapons come from the moors inhabitants of that zone manchega, since they were very capable artisan in forged and the work of the knives and knives.

The classic knife appeared in Spain at the end of century XVI, of form so generalized and practical that soon it extended by all our geography. Becoming weapon necessary to guarantee the security before a possible surprise attack, since the poverty of the moment did not allow the rating of rural police, nor of public lighting system that guaranteed the security citizen.

At those certain moments arms, like the swords and sabers, had reserved their use for the noble class and the military service, whereas the citizen of a foot, also needed to count on an equal instrument of effective, then the knife arose. It was a weapon that in spite of its so large minor had the advantage to duplicate it when opening itself, simultaneously that weighed less, that did more bearable and easy to hide, and sharpened well with acute end, its effectiveness had therefore the assured knife.

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Spanish pocket knive made by the most prestigious artesan of Albacete.

 

The striker pin is known that or marks to engravings in the leaf of the knives and knives or any other cutting weapon like sabers and swords, is not more than the company/signature of its author, that character identifier had its importance at certain moments of history. Nevertheless, as much in Albacete as in most of Spain, during centuries XVII and XVIII Centuries of Gold of the knives and knives of Albacete, the mark or striker pin of the leaves did not practice frequently (except in the scissors of crafts for tablecloth). Fact that helps the study of the well-known units very little.

It had a little while in the history of the cutlery of Albacete in which it fell so under this splendid art that was on the verge of disappearing. This disappearance of the knives and knives was not happening only in Albacete but that happened by all Spain, and some of their causes were; the exhaustion of steel of Mondragón, the disappearance of the unions of cutlers, the competition of the foreign cutlery, and the norms of the monarchs who ended the manufacture, sale, use and possession of daggers, knives, daggers, knives, etc.

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Collection of pocket knifes with the handle of bull horn

 

One of the prohibitions was dictated by Felipe V (Lerma, 21 of December of 1721), in her prohibited "el use of daggers or knives or other cutting weapons", in addition, in her "el was prohibited use of daggers or knives or other cutting weapons", one condemned with the pain of six years of military prison if he were noble or of galera if were plebian the simple fact of apprehension with those. During the following year the Council of Castile completed this order notifying to the cutlers who did not make that type of prohibited cutting weapons and that broke the existing ones.

Because of these and other legal dispositions that prohibited the use of the knives, daggers, knives and daggers, the prizes albacetenses craftsmen had to close their factories and to dedicate themselves to other activities. But, the certain thing is that, with the closing of the centers cutlers of Albacete it does not yield in absolute the custom to take and to use knives. For that reason, it increased so much the number of concerned knives of the foreigner, facts that can be verified in Book of Commerce of Spain from 1850 to 1869.

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This pocket knives is called estiletes too.

 

A peculiar fact is to observe as the gregarious spirit pronounced itself, so that the union of cutlers of Albacete located their factories around a district. Perhaps by the easiest location for that wished to find a knife or knife or any sharp instrument, by the similarity of the industrial, economic and commercial activity, the certain thing is that all the cutlers of Albacete settled in a same district formed by the streets Shoemakers, Door of Chinchilla and San Agustín. There apprentices of cutlers lived and coexisted masterful, official and.

The cutlers of Albacete of centuries XVII and XVIII already had a detailed contract where the conditions of work between which it wished to form, the apprentice, and the teacher settled down. It is mentioned that these agreements were celebrated all before notary public (notary), with companies of several witnesses, the writing contracted three inspectors; the teacher or industralist, the father or tutor and the apprentice of cutler.

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This pocket knife is an old pocket knive.

 

The treatment was that the masterful cutler became position of apprentice while lasted the learning, committed itself to teach the office without leaving nothing to him, to give him to eat, to dress to him, to wear to him, bed where to sleep and honest life. At the end of the period of education it had to give him; a dress of cloth of the Earth, ferreruelo, clothes, trousers, averages, shoes, hat, shirt and Walloon, everything had to be new. It could not throw of its house, if it were not by right cause, because it would have to pay to him what exactly it had to him by the passed time.

The apprentice forced itself to live and to serve in house of the masterful cutler, could not go away of its house and service. If towards and he absented himself, the father committed itself to make it return, to that the apprentice loses the served thing and to pay to the damages and caused prejudices.

Life lasts the one of the cutler, almost always anonymous in its art and effort, leaving its soul and effort in its works for the benefit and pride of the others

 

Knives

Albacete Knives

Pocket Knives

Albacete Penknives

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