Gatzolles, Trinxets, Ganivets, Porquers, Etxurats and Talós are the names for some of the traditional Mallorcan peasant pocket knives. You will not find a single Pagès on the island who would not carry one of those traditional knives on him, or an assortment of them, depending on the task in hand.

Traditional country folks in Mallorca always have a job to do, be that hunting, fishing, vine grafting, sheep or goat herding, harvesting, what have you. For such tasks and similar jobs, you need at times a sharp knife and you better have one on you, just in case. The typical Mallorcan pocket knife comes either with a wooden handle, often in Ullastre, the Wild Olive tree, or in goat horn finish. Prices range from 9 € to 45 €, depending on size, type and finish. I know of three reputable knife makers on the island, Ordinas in Llucmajor, Joan Campins in Consell (see photo top), and Miralles in Muro (see photo bottom), all of them producing the trusted pocket knives in stainless steel, beautifully hand-crafted.

The photo (top) was taken in Campos, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 6th, 2012. The time was 13:00:51. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of flickr.com and artesaniademenorca.

Thank you very much, and

muchas gracias.