Posted 8 years ago
Benmorgan8…
(1 item)
I picked this up today at a flea market after admiring the interesting inlay saying "Toledo " I only paid 17£ which I thought was pretty decent because I love it ! Upon researching and trying find information I've discovered just a little bit about its roots ! Any information at all on this would be hugely appreciated :) or even a rough evaluation if there is anything to be known !
General information: that's not "inlay", it's "resist etching." The blade is dipped in molten was and allowed to cool creating a thin coat of wax over its entire surface. The wax is carefully scraped off in a pattern or picture or words. Then the entire piece is dumped in acid which dissolves some of the metal where the wax was removed. When the blade is heat treated and polished the etched areas remain dark; or they can be filled in with paint. Obviously, it was made in Toledo, Spain; knives are a popular souvenir there. My GUESS, based on the more modern design and the plastic handles, is sometime after 1970. It's a switchblade, Right?
Yup it's a switch blade ! There is residual paint left over on some parts of the knife like you say . All the other similar models indicate that it is from Around the 1970's but the only other Toledos I can find are from the 1950s that are similar .
This looks like a streamlined interpretation of a classic Mediterranean-area design which is more curved - the earliest ones were made from the tip of a cattle horn, hence the shape. These knives (mostly non-autos) have been made as souvenirs in Spain for decades. Many larger ones are etched with elaborate hunting scenes or tourist attractions and the words "Recuardo Toledo" (or another city) which means "memory" of Toledo. I have two which are 10" long closed with 1.75" wide blades - plenty of room to etch a panorama.