Belduque from Spanish Mexico

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by S.Workman

Also, I am trying to figure out from not very good photos/drawings what the geometry of the blade is all about. It seems to be fairly complex smithy work for peasant craftsmen.

Actually while these are termed 'peasant' knives, they are by no means the work of rural blacksmiths. The term is simply romantically applied as these were equally carried by persons of standing and fashioned by skilled workers as shown by Simmons and Turley. The geometry of the blades is well described by these authors, and does correspond to the Meditteranean knives which often came aboard vessels from European ports. These knives in shape have been around for many centuries, and these follow these actually somewhat standard traditions.
As you have noted however, the 'clipped back' or false edge is a feature typically more ascribed to a fighting weapon, and as these were like most others of the time, multipurpose, that would be a key factor.

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