Authentic Cretan Knife 35cm for Traditional Costume
The Cretan knife, inseparable companion of every Cretan in the old times, accompanied the Cretans wherever they went, either as travelers or as immigrants, but also as soldiers. Cretan knives have a great sentimental value as they are considered symbols of Cretan gallantry and represent the spirit of Crete's resistance against any conqueror.
This particular knife is the genuine Cretan knife that adorns the traditional Cretan costume. It has a forked bone handle with silver carved details. It has a stainless steel blade and is accompanied by an elaborately carved silver sheath which has wood inside in order to clasp the knife. The case is decorated with 3 hanging coins, one that symbolizes the rapture of Europe by Zeus, one that depicts Talos, the mythical giant known as the guardian of Crete, and one coin, the currency of the Cretan State.
The silver sheath and the silver details on it are not made of original silver. It is made of a silver coloured special material called azentol which is used for the production of these knives.
It is possible to make this knife from original silver. If you want a silver knife, contact us to order it. The price of the silver knife is €210,00.
The Cretan knife is offered as a gift to express a promise of everlasting friendship.
The Cretan knife has a specific manufacturing form. Although the hilt varies, the blade's shape has certain characteristics. It is straight, though the side of the edge, a little before the end of the blade, curves sharply and ends at the point, which has a slight upward gradient. The manufacturing singularity of the Cretan dagger's point endows it with great penetrability. The Cretan dagger's hilt is called "manika". Although, its shape varies, there are three dominant types. In the first the hilt's end resembles a bird's beak, in the second the shape of the hilt's end is the same as in the 18th and 19th century cutlasses and in the third, which is the classical Cretan type, the hilt's end is V -shaped.
