Help to identify vintage knife

[Stefanb]

Hey, I am from Prague and just got this knife from my 80 year old neighbor, anyone knows the letters, markings?

[C-WADE7]

Can’t give you any info, but great looking old knife!

[enuf]

I do not know, but I do like it.

[Stefanb]

To sum up - knife was given to me by my neighbor, who says it was in his apartment for long time (he lives there since 1938) but he cannot recall exact moment, his parents use to live in the same apartment before. He has no further knowledge.

Here’s what I’ve found so far:

Key Details:

The blade has a Cyrillic marking: "ВАЛЯХОБА" — transliterated as "VALYAKHOBA" or possibly "VALYAKHOVA"
There’s also a double-curved logo above the text that resembles the “Le Thiers” French cutlery guild symbol, but this knife is almost certainly not French
Construction is consistent with mid-20th-century folding or switchblade-style
Handle may be plastic, bone, or horn with metal bolsters
Looks like brass pins/rivets
Likely origin: Eastern Europe — possibly Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Ukraine, or Serbia
Appears hand-stamped and not mass-produced

“ВАЛЯХОБА” could be:
A surname or brand name (common structure in Russian/Ukrainian/Bulgarian)
A small workshop or knife maker, not a major industrial brand
The knife could be from the 1950s–1980s
Might be a military surplus, utility, or export knife

Currently trying to determine if this maker or marking appears in Eastern Bloc knife records

[QTCut5]

I'd be willing to bet that AAPK member Eustace could help you ID that knife. Maybe try sending him a PM.

[Stefanb]

My Russian colleague was able to identify the knife. So the brand name is Завъялова. As per her it’s famous brand established in 1820 and still making knifes in city of Vorsma.
Possible story to the knife. As I mentioned it was given to me by my neighbor and we live in area where Prague’s Uprising against nazis has taken place during WWII. It’s possible some russian soldier has lost it and it was found. I am not sure what should I do with the knife - should I restore it or it’s better to keep the patina? Thanks all for your comments and help.

[Mumbleypeg]

Sorry I can't tell you anything about the knife. There are hundreds of posts here with tips about knife cleaning, a good place to start is here https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... 37&t=54157

Most will tell you that unless you are very careful you will do more damage than good. Aggressive cleaning usually means metal removal. Metal removed cannot be replaced. Unless you are an experienced knife cleaner or restorer avoid using any kind of power tools to clean - do it manually by hand only.

My son and his family live in Prague district 6, and my oldest grandson is a student there at Charles University. . You live in a very beautiful city!

Welcome to AAPK.

Ken