108 Girodias 19 1/2 inch Folder

[3Miles2Gburg]

...so there I was...

...Watching a live online auction with an active bidder button waiting for a Martini Henry with my two year-old grandson sitting with me when it happened. He won an antique French folding knife.

Being that I don't know a thing about antique French folding knives, a friend suggested your group to me in case someone knew these kind of knives and wouldn't mind sharing. I've spent some time googling and reviewing auctions, boards, and images, but find no real comparisons for this or indications of it being either common, rare, collectable, or not of interest to collectors.

Appreciate any information and insights you might be able to provide on what it might be, and if there is any meaning to the intricate Egyptian style decoration pattern on the metal bits, and the bow with quiver of arrows in the center.

Cheers,

Vern

[wlf]

Welcome,we have a member Mason who knows a lot about European knives,and others too. They may be able to help.

[junebug]

to AAPK



DOES IT MAKE A CARRACAS or "RATCHETING" SOUND WHEN YOU OPEN IT????
COOL KNIFE

[junebug]

I WAS BORED AND DID A LIL SEARCHIN........
YOU MAY HAVE TO TRANSLATE IT??? I DID, IT IS A KNIFE SITE FROM SPAIN

this guy is a collector and started this thread :
http://armasblancas.mforos.com/933172/9 ... r=girodias

Hello everyone,

One of the brands most interests me, and I think many of this forum is the mythical 108 Girodias . Besides the intrinsic value of the brand, I think 108 Girodias is important in the history of the Spanish cutlery for being the origin of the typology known as "CABRITERA" of which several collectors are die - hard fans. Despite its popularity, it is a mark of the great thing that certainly is not known and on which there are a number of uncertainties. The brief history derived from what I have read in different forum post is more or less the following:

"Very old French Brand that at some unspecified time of the twentieth century, next to the 40, is acquired by the Spanish distributor" IFA.SL ". Since then, IFA owns the brand and subcontracts manufacturing cuchilleros both French and Spanish. "

In this post I will try to show all the information I've gathered on this mysterious brand and hope that together we can trace the path of 108 Girodias with a little more precision.

If you want to learn something, the first thing to do is to use the classic authors to see what they say. Following this premise, the first thing I've done is look at what it says about this brand Rafael Martinez del Peral in his classic book "The old Spanish army knife" which is extracted this passage:

"On August 13, 1889, Juan Bautista Girodias Chabral and his son Pedro Luis Girodias Jartón requested registration of its mark in Spain."

Surely the good of Don Rafael extracted this information from the BOPI (Official Bulletin of Industrial Property) since 1889 in the same the following notation is:

[3Miles2Gburg]

Great lead! To my good fortune you were bored last night

I copied most the post and additional comments to google translator but your section highlights the meat of it all. This appears to be a well known mark in the European collecting world but little understood as to its true history and origins sans the post you found and the diligence of that gentleman in tracking down records and original registrations.

I would assume that its brute size and style speaks to a type of application or craft and possible era and would have initially thought it pointing to something laborious. However, the ornate decoration and hunting motif hints at a more stately application and recreational use although for the life of me I'm having trouble picturing someone swinging this around with force for any prolonged activity without compromising the hinged end of the knife - any thoughts appreciated.

Apologies in advance though - this is the first time I've looked closely into any specialized knife so may speculating at things already obvious and well known in this group. My forte is Martini Henrys and derivatives so if you have questions on those...I'm on much firmer ground!

Junebug - thanks for the lead and taking time to comment.

Vern

Sadly, no ratcheting or other sounds but for a "click" when it seats into the locked position. I looked for an embedded toothpick and tweezers, or the little scissors that I've come to expect as well, but they seem to be absent.

[wlf]

Just a thought. Many makers made oversize examples of their knives for advertisement ,showpieces.?????

It is a showpiece...

[deo-pa]

As for the Egyptian characters, the 19th Century was the time of the so-called Egyptian Revival period during which a lot of objects were decorated with such symbols. This style was popular for many years, in particular in the U.S. from after the Civil War to the 1920s. That would sort of jive with the 1889 registration date mentioned in the translation. The size suggests an "objet d' art" rather than a tool.

Dennis

[3Miles2Gburg]

Thanks for the comments and the influence of the Egyptian Revival Period makes sense for the decorations - even the quiver and bow. I should mention that this came out of an auction in Vancouver, Canada.

[Mason]

Wonderful example of a classic Navaja styled knife. While usually associated with Spain, many great Navaja models such as this one were made in France in the 19th and 20th centuries in different regions including Chatellerault, Corsica, Rousillon, and Thiers where this Girodias was made. the majority of older Navaja models were large as this one (8 to 12 inches closed on average) due to Spanish laws which prevented "commoners" from carrying swords which were reserved for the military and noblemen. The law was skirted by producing large folders for those not entitled to carry a sword for protection or prestige.
This model is most likely from the late 1800s to early 1900s and is in generally very good condition with a few minor mechanical issues. In the sixth picture down, the detail shows that a "ring" and "pin" is missing on two different sides of the back spring. The "pin" would have locked the blade in place, and the "ring" would have been used to release the back spring to unlock and close the blade. A good repair man could easily repair this.
Enclosed is a picture showing two "108 Girodias" which are similar to yours. The bottom one is also missing the "ring" on the back spring.

[3Miles2Gburg]

Mason - wonderful information and back ground - thank you. It certainly did remind me of a sword when opened, and knowing the history and reason for the design makes it much more interesting. Thank you very much.

Vern