Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Swords in the Mexican Revolution 1910-1921

Jim McDougall · 17th March 2025, 05:42 PM

Thank you very much Keith!
My main objective with this topic, as with most topics I try to discuss, is to look into historic perspectives that pertain to the weaponry in focus, as well as the contexts in which they were present.

While these forums are primarily with focus toward collectors of varied forms of weapons, the historic aspects of these arms discussed are typically and notably unattended. With collecting, everyone tends to follow 'their own drum' so to speak, that is to be attracted to certain weapon forms and areas, as well as not just typology but artistic and aesthetic values.

While we can categorize, classify and selectively itemize weapons into neatly defined boxes, history itself tends to not be so neatly classified. I always think of trying to place a finite timeline on the 'middle ages' etc.

I think the main objective here as far as the forum discourses are concerned is to avoid descending into the familiar clutter of 'militaria', and the 'issue' type of materials including the regulation forms of standard arms. While 'mass produced' swords and guns are of course nothing new, as arms producers indeed manufactured large quantities of relatively standard weapons, their vintage itself places them more in line with the historic factor. Still, the collecting phenomena dictates what aspects of these each individual finds interesting.

Getting back to this thread, while one of the questions I pondered was whether or not the M1913 Patton sword was ever involved in actions of the US cavalry in pursuit of Pancho Villa.
Meanwhile, on the Mexican side, we know that the vestigial 'culture of the sword' still remained in their ethos. The use of the machete in various forms as well as regulation style military swords was ever present in the many factions of Mexican revolutionaries during these turbulent years.

From many of the earlier espada anchas and cavalry type swords used by the Rurales, the production of various swords often termed 'saddle swords' continued. These were often inscribed with catchy 'dichos' (mottos or phrases_) on the blades, and these are the kinds of swords I am looking for.

Many of these were produced in Oaxaca and Guerrero among others.

17th March 2025, 05:42 PM	#8
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,169	Thank you very much Keith! My main objective with this topic, as with most topics I try to discuss, is to look into historic perspectives that pertain to the weaponry in focus, as well as the contexts in which they were present. While these forums are primarily with focus toward collectors of varied forms of weapons, the historic aspects of these arms discussed are typically and notably unattended. With collecting, everyone tends to follow 'their own drum' so to speak, that is to be attracted to certain weapon forms and areas, as well as not just typology but artistic and aesthetic values. While we can categorize, classify and selectively itemize weapons into neatly defined boxes, history itself tends to not be so neatly classified. I always think of trying to place a finite timeline on the 'middle ages' etc. I think the main objective here as far as the forum discourses are concerned is to avoid descending into the familiar clutter of 'militaria', and the 'issue' type of materials including the regulation forms of standard arms. While 'mass produced' swords and guns are of course nothing new, as arms producers indeed manufactured large quantities of relatively standard weapons, their vintage itself places them more in line with the historic factor. Still, the collecting phenomena dictates what aspects of these each individual finds interesting. Getting back to this thread, while one of the questions I pondered was whether or not the M1913 Patton sword was ever involved in actions of the US cavalry in pursuit of Pancho Villa. Meanwhile, on the Mexican side, we know that the vestigial 'culture of the sword' still remained in their ethos. The use of the machete in various forms as well as regulation style military swords was ever present in the many factions of Mexican revolutionaries during these turbulent years. From many of the earlier espada anchas and cavalry type swords used by the Rurales, the production of various swords often termed 'saddle swords' continued. These were often inscribed with catchy 'dichos' (mottos or phrases_) on the blades, and these are the kinds of swords I am looking for. Many of these were produced in Oaxaca and Guerrero among others.