19th century corvo for discussion

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by fernando

"The exact origin of the Chilean Corvo cannot yet be clarified. Some authors speculate that it could be related to a white weapon brought by the first Spanish conquerors, the Janyar, a curved short sword of Arab origin that had entered the Iberian Peninsula after the invasion of the Moors. Be that as it may, the Corvo would be a widely used instrument in our country in colonial times, especially by the so-called "Chilean Roto" (the gañán, huaso, miner or cattle worker) for their work tasks and also as a defense weapo. Carlos López Urrutia, in his book “The Pacific War: 1879-1884 ″, explains that, "the famous Chilean Corvo was not a military weapon, but was usually used by agricultural workers and miners, as it was a very useful tool for the performance of their work ”.

Thank you so much Fernando! Those are outstanding and most helpful insights that really present a much more detailed look at the likely evolution of these unusual knives. It is interesting how many edged weapons evoolved out of agricultural tools and implements. I really appreciate the references you always cite as well, as your specialized access to these which are not typically found in the Engljsh language sphere is so very helpful.

Well noted on the raven term also, I had not realized corvo meant curved but was thinking of the corvus term, which apparently refers to the Raven's hooked beak.

This is the kind of information I had been looking for to add to and correct my notes .

[fernando]

The notes on the Corvo courtesy:

https://www.guioteca.com/mitos-y-eni...cito-de-chile/

And by the way, raven in Portuguese translates to "Corvo" ... but that is a different deal .

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by fernando

The notes on the Corvo courtesy:

https://www.guioteca.com/mitos-y-eni...cito-de-chile/

Thank you for the link Fernando, I've noticed it some time ago but forget about it.

Regards,
Detlef

[fernando]

You're welcome Detlef .

.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by fernando

You're welcome Detlef .

.

I like this picture more.

Quotation from the above given link: "...not to mention, in rural areas, it's one of the most popular weapons of bandits, rustlers, and broken ones in general." They speak from the early 1800s.

[Sajen]

Another interesting quotation from the given link:
"The website Famae.cl reports in their article "El Corvo Chile" that "it was worn by its users at the waist, on the left side and with the edge down; some people used it with a cover and others did not. The Production was a completely handmade process, the forging was carried out by a master farrier or by one's own user. The blade was intrusive and no thicker than 5 mm (the main edge is the inner edge), the curve of which ends in a point. The continuation of this blade a point that eventually forms the handle. The final finish of the handle can be polygonal contours made up of several rings arranged in sequence with materials that depend on the purchasing power of each person. That is why these knives come in different designs and shapes , there is no uniform design,.."

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Sajen

I like this picture more.

Quotation from the above given link: "...not to mention, in rural areas, it's one of the most popular weapons of bandits, rustlers, and broken ones in general." They speak from the early 1800s.

I REALLY like this picture a lot!!!
If I may, this is what came to mind, my favorite 'spaghetti' western, and my interpretation
Indeed these scary looking knives were very much 'cut throat' knives as the colloquial term went.

[kronckew]

An extensive webpage on the 'crow' translated to English from the original Spanish.

Urbatorium

Personally, I prefer the less steeply angled 'Puma Claw' versions which retain some thrusting ability as well as hooking and slicing. Jim's pic above for example...