ALCE Muela Fixed Blade knife - A Classic, Rugged Spanish-Made Hunting Knife

-

 This is a substantial fixed blade knife with some heft.  And in keeping with my goal of collecting knives from the US and outside the US, this knife is from Spain. Muela is considered a well-regarded Spanish knife maker with a history of producing high-quality, durable knives, particularly for hunting and outdoor activities. 

The ALCE is a “tactical knife” or even a “survival knife”, but not specifically marketed or designed as a military knife. ALCE is a specific line of knives within the Muela brand. My particular knife, appears to possibly be a "vintage" knife from the 1990s.  Eladio Muela León established the company in 1952.  They have annual production of around 350,000 pieces, produced in its factory in Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. RUKO knives is the exclusive importer of these knives to the US.  

Printed on the blade is the designation INOX.  "Inox" is the French and international term for stainless steel, a type of steel alloy known for its high resistance to corrosion and rust, often used in various applications due to its durability and hygiene.  "Inox" is derived from the French word "inoxydable," which means "not oxidable" or "stainless".  The stainless may be 440c or something similar.  

The blade is a clip point with a serrated top, which one source said was perfect for cutting thick rope. Someone also said that it can be used to cut cardboard, thus sparing the main blade, since cardboard is notoriously hard on knifes.  The knife also came with a hard sheath (maybe Kydex??).  The knives I initially saw online all had leather sheaths (which is usual), and I wondered if this was originally with the knife, although I purchased it with the original box.  There are two M's on the sheath, which is part of the Muela logo.  There was one site that featured this green-handled model with a hard sheath, so perhaps this was one of the few models that did not have a leather sheath.

One site listed this specific green-handled model for $90 marked down to $67.99.  I paid $35. The seller at the gun show was generous and gave me a discount.  He, too, was listing it for over $90, but marked down to $39. 

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Higonokami Knife - An Affordable Japanese Classic Combines Simplicty with Effective Style

-
  Higonokami (肥後守) knives are a  type of traditional Japanese pocket knife that goes back to 1896 . The blade of these friction folding knives is secured in the 'open' position by applying thumb pressure to the Chikiri ('Tail' lever) that is built in to the blade.  The handle is brass.  The knife is hand-crafted and supposedly the only one allowed to call his knives 'Higonokami' now is 5th generation blacksmith Mr Nagao, based in Miki. It is a light duty knife and clearly not intended for any hard or heavy task.  Usually used for opening packages, sharpening pencils, or cutting fruit.  Would make a nice EDC.  It's light and thin and fits easily in any pants pocket.   As I noted in another post, I wanted to add some unique knives to my collection, and this Japanese knife truly fits the bill. I purchased mine from Amazon for around $30.  Higonokami knives are to the Japanese what the Swiss Army Knife is to the Swiss, in being the iconic...
Read more

NexTool Mini Sailor Lite Multi-tool - Small, Well Built and TSA Compliant - A Sure Winner!

-
While this site is dedicated primarily to my knife collecting, this post represents a slight exception. As noted in a previous post my EDC pouch includes an inexpensive multi-tool. The NexTool Mini Sailor Lite Multi-tool , however, is a 'blade-less' version of their multi-tool. It appealed to me primarily because it is TSA compliant .  I still remember having to turn over a small pocket knife at security some years back (it was a cheap K-Mart knife, not a loss), and the hassle in the years since of having all kinds of things from keys to other items flagged by the screening system.  I just purchased this, so it hasn't been tested, but others have and it seems okay. It feels solid for its size; not cheaply constructed at all.  It is a 9-in-1 multi-tool which includes: 1.) needle-nosed pliers, 2.) regular pliers, 3.) Philips screwdriver, 4.) regular screwdriver, 5.) key chain ring, 6.) scissors, 7.) wire cutter, 8.) SIM card remover, and 9.) a bottle opener.  I doubt...
Read more

BUCK 110 - The Alltime Classic that Makes All the Lists, A Must Have for Any Collector

-
 In reviewing the lists of knives all collectors should have, this model surfaced repeatedly.  I have a 'knock off' version of the Buck 110 from China (it is a highly copied knife), but knew that I needed to finally invest in the genuine article.  It is a heavy knife, to be sure, especially for a folder (probably twice the weight of typical folders today with synthetic handles).  But the weight betrays its quality.  As the photos demonstrate, this knife is constructed with brass, both on the end caps, but also in the liner.  The blade is constructed of 420HC steel, which, as some will observed, is not necessarily impressive in itself, but it is the heat treatment of the steel that makes the difference.  The handle is constructed of genuine ebony with brass bolsters. All around an impressive piece of workmanship that shines brightly in the world of knives. Although large, by comparison, it also comes up in lists of "gentleman's knives" (which are usuall...
Read more