Mexican Presentation Sword?

Gonzalo G · 13th November 2008, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

thanks, gonzalo. i figured it was brazilian or uruguayan from the button cover, and was just guessing brazil as it seemed more likely. there is a bugle etched into the ricasso which i assume is a makers mark. uruguayan would be more interesting as i suspect it'd be a bit more uncommon here in the UK

i'd posted it before & you were kind enough to comment on it as a traditionally made punal, but we'd not discussed where it was from.

The button cover is a more uruguayan feature, but the rounded buttom could be also brazilian. It is not impossible that a brazilian blade mounter silversmith could use the button cover in this times. Uruguay is a small country in the south limits of Brazil, and the areas where those puñales are used is shared along the borders. The stamps or marks on this puñal must be examined carefully.
Regards

Gonzalo

kronckew · 22nd November 2008, 04:13 PM

well, it's here. basically as we discussed above, machete style flexible blade, nice decorations both sides, the maker's name is above the 'made in mexico', and is "A. Aragon, Oax.". i gather that referrs to the state of Oaxaca, the state next to guererro where acapulco is.

there is an incscription on the opposite side, it appears to say (some letters were stylised and worn, harder to see):

Ni me saco, ni me saca
y aunque guera nolo sigo (spelling? i think it may mean guerra, 2nd word 'aunque' or maybe aungue')
al cabo la muerte es flaca
y no ha de poder conmigo

the decoration on this side is cattle being herded and the trees are not palms as on the other side. there is a saguaro cactus there as well on either side of the inscription.

the hilt has whatever it was dipped in worn in a few spots. the tarnish on it is black. the pommel nut is threaded on to a tang, if you look thru the lanyard hiole you can see the threaded hole, i've not taken it loose. the skin appears to be a fine scaled brown snake skin. the front of the guard is decorated in a line of stamped leaves and has the number '10' stamped on it near the top of the teardrop shaped opening in the lower guard. neither the guard or the rest of the metal hilt parts are magnetic at all. i think it may be brass under the silvery coating.

the 26 1/4" blade is distal tapered, starting at 0.20 in. (5mm.) at the guard, down to 0.08 in (2mm) 4 in. from the guard, 0.07 in. (1.67mm.) at halfway, and 0.045 in. (1.14mm.) just rear of the tip. blade is 1.5 in. (40mm.) wide at the grip, 2 3/16 in. (55mm.) at the swell. definitely not a stamped sheet steel machete in this one.

in hand shot for scale:

22nd November 2008, 04:13 PM	#2
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,239	well, it's here. basically as we discussed above, machete style flexible blade, nice decorations both sides, the maker's name is above the 'made in mexico', and is "A. Aragon, Oax.". i gather that referrs to the state of Oaxaca, the state next to guererro where acapulco is. there is an incscription on the opposite side, it appears to say (some letters were stylised and worn, harder to see): Ni me saco, ni me saca y aunque guera nolo sigo (spelling? i think it may mean guerra, 2nd word 'aunque' or maybe aungue') al cabo la muerte es flaca y no ha de poder conmigo the decoration on this side is cattle being herded and the trees are not palms as on the other side. there is a saguaro cactus there as well on either side of the inscription. the hilt has whatever it was dipped in worn in a few spots. the tarnish on it is black. the pommel nut is threaded on to a tang, if you look thru the lanyard hiole you can see the threaded hole, i've not taken it loose. the skin appears to be a fine scaled brown snake skin. the front of the guard is decorated in a line of stamped leaves and has the number '10' stamped on it near the top of the teardrop shaped opening in the lower guard. neither the guard or the rest of the metal hilt parts are magnetic at all. i think it may be brass under the silvery coating. the 26 1/4" blade is distal tapered, starting at 0.20 in. (5mm.) at the guard, down to 0.08 in (2mm) 4 in. from the guard, 0.07 in. (1.67mm.) at halfway, and 0.045 in. (1.14mm.) just rear of the tip. blade is 1.5 in. (40mm.) wide at the grip, 2 3/16 in. (55mm.) at the swell. definitely not a stamped sheet steel machete in this one. in hand shot for scale: Last edited by kronckew; 22nd November 2008 at 04:49 PM.