Choils and "Spanish Notches" on Ethnographic weapons

[Ian]

Elsewhere on this web site, Abel Domenech has posted a masterful essay on the knives of the South American gauchos. Here is what he has to say about the treatment of the ricasso area on many of these knives, and specifically the "Spanish notch" and the finger-stop structure:

"... Much has been written regarding the true purpose of the so-called "Spanish notch." As a matter of fact, on page 7 of ABKA Newsletter # 4 there is an interesting paragraph about Mr. Sterling Wortham's tracing of an old "Toledo" marked Spanish scissors and a discussion about the possible use of its "notches" when working with twine. Another interesting discussion on this issue was written by the late noted collector and writer Mr. William Williamson on the occasion of the publishing of a special work for the famous Exhibition of La Commission des Avoyelles (Bowie Knives/Origin & Development, October 1979 - pages 24 & 25). The two Spanish daggers shown on page 25 of that work show several features usually associated with gaucho puñales, including round bolsters and half-moon cuts on the ricasso, confirming the common roots of Bowies and gaucho knives. I have often asked myself if we can really link the purpose of those notches with the menacing rompe puntas (point breakers) of those Spanish left hand (main gauche) daggers used in the past, as has often been suggested; I really doubt it. It is possible that its intended use was that of catching the opponent's blade, but the shape of the notch present in some Bowies suggests another use to me. For example, the knife pictured in the book Bowie Knives by Robert Abels (The Ohio Hist. Scty, 1962), under number 3-K1A3c 10 1/2, depicts a corresponding hole in the sheath. This feature suggests an intended use to secure the knife to its scabbard by means of a leather thong. The notch in a well known Samuel Bell knife could have accommodated some quick release retention device, like a small short chain with a ring secured to the belt. Truly, it is a thrilling view that we get when we think about a duel occurring in those far gone days, during which the duelists try to break or catch the other's knife blade. But I think that we have to remember that the fighting methods of our ancestors were more dictated by their natural instincts, survival desire and personal skill than by formally educated and learned esgrima technique, like that of the different European swordsmanship schools. Thus, it is my personal belief that the presence of the "Spanish notch" responds to a less romantic or thrilling reason: it was more a cosmetic touch of the artisan who made the piece, reminiscent maybe of those European knives he might have seen, than a feature intended to be used in parrying techniques.

I also wish to point out that the ricasso of most puñales shows a "half-moon cut" whose use, it is generally accepted locally, was for the placement of the index finger when grasping the knife. This half-moon cut is especially useful when the owner intends to make a thrust with his knife, by preventing his hand from slipping onto the blade and cutting the fingers. Do our readers remember the story of Rezin cutting his fingers in the calf episode? The primitive knife Rezin was using on that occasion didn't have a guard and when Rezin Bowie stabbed a calf to kill it, his hand slipped onto the blade edge producing a severe wound. It is said that this accident led to the use of a guard in the knives subsequently ordered by Rezin. Gauchos used to place their index finger in that cut whether using their knives as cutting tools or as weapons. The finger inside the "half-moon notch" prevented the forward movement of the hand towards the blade edge and it also allows better control of the knife. (The blade notch on a Samuel Bell knife pictured on page 25 of The Antique Bowie Knife Book shows exactly the same shape of the ones present in several gaucho puñales).

As I said before, the blades for South American puñales came from Europe. Some of the most well regarded brands were "Arbolito" (Boker), "Defensa" (Weyesberg) and "Herder" from Germany; "Dufour" from France and "Joseph Rodgers & Sons" from England (By the way, we all know that Joseph Rodgers produced very high quality cutlery, including Bowies!!) The list of blade brands used in the making of gaucho puñales is very long and it is never complete. Local importers ordered blades from German cutlery firms and requested the stamping of special markings, usually in Spanish, and/or with prominent figures of related objects or animals well known in the South American region: a mate (small gourd or pumpkin used as a vessel to contain the typical local hot beverage sipped with a metallic straw), a running ostrich, a sheep, the sun, a hunter firing his gun, a bull, a stirrup, a tree, etc., etc... Generally, local consumers of knives of those bygone times were incapable of reading or writing, so they needed the logo on the blade to recognize their favorite brand. ..."

Ian