Knife

[Winnlex]

I am trying to get information on a knife. I do not know its origin/history. My dad got it many years ago. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.

[David]

This looks like a gaucho knife to me, specifically a "cuchilla", a common utility knife of the gaucho. We have an article about such knives on our site and if you scroll down you will see similar examples.
http://www.vikingsword.com/ethsword/facon/criollo.html
The maker here is Broqua & Scholberg. I believe the company started in 1856 and was pretty much defunct by WWII, so that might give you a time frame.

[Chris Evans]

Winnlex,

It is an Argentine knife made by Broqua Scholberg & Cia Rosario Santa Fe.

This type of knife if generically known as a "Cuchillo De Campo", translatable as a field knife.

Here's a thread in Spanish on this brand (use Google translator): http://www.armasblancas.com.ar/foros...marca-sol.html

If you are stuck with anything just ask.

Cheers
Chris Evans

[David]

Chris, would you say then that the information in the essay posted on our site is wrong. According to that link "cuchillo de campo" have a false bolster. This one has none and is identified as a "cuchilla" in the article.

[Chris Evans]

David,

The differentiator between a `cuchillo” and a `cuchilla’ (feminine gender) is primarily by the extent of the blade’s belly, the more pronounced ones belong to the last mentioned class. Often the differentiation is not easy to make because `cuchillos’ also have a belly and a significant overlap exists.

`Cuchillo/cuchilla de campo’ generally refer to sturdy utilitarian knives of substantial size and does not refer to a specific traditional sub-type of regional knives. Domenech acknowledges in this thread, post #27, that he arbitrarily made up this class of knives in his book Dagas De Plata: http://www.armasblancas.com.ar/foros...riollos-3.html.

Domenech’s rather late and narrow definition is not necessarily shared by others, as exemplified by this knife from the renowned Argentinean blade smith Gugliotta: http://www.armasblancas.com.ar/foros...o-rustico.html
And all of these are considered also `cuchillos de campo’: http://www.armasblancas.com.ar/foros...-de-campo.html


So if we use Domench’s definition then it cannot be a `cuchillo de campo’ and it must be either a mere `cuchillo’ (knife!) or a `cuchilla’ (a knife with a pronounced belly). However, I still class it as a `cuchillo de campo’ or perhaps a `cuchilla de campo’

Since the genre made its appearance rather late, I would not be surprised if it is not simply a local rendition of what we would call a `camp knife' and hence the name.

Cheers
Chris Evans

[VANDOO]

THESE ARE PRIMARLY A EVERDAY WORK KNIFE CARRIED BY THE WORKERS AND CABALLEROS/VICARREOS. THEY ARE ALSO USED TO SETTLE DISPUTES WHICH SOMETIMES TURN BLOODY.
AFTERMATH OF A ARGENTINE KNFE FIGHT WIN OR LOSE THE OUTCOME CAN BE VERY BAD.

[Chris Evans]

Hi,

As an afterthought:

In that post #27, Domenech makes the point that many things pertaining to gauchos defies classifications and on his part he only classified generalities and that he owns many items that are outside his own definitions.

Cheers
Chris Evans

[Chris Evans]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

THESE ARE PRIMARLY A EVERDAY WORK KNIFE CARRIED BY THE WORKERS AND CABALLEROS/VICARREOS. THEY ARE ALSO USED TO SETTLE DISPUTES WHICH SOMETIMES TURN BLOODY.
AFTERMATH OF A ARGENTINE KNFE FIGHT WIN OR LOSE THE OUTCOME CAN BE VERY BAD.

He must have seen it coming!

Cheers
Chris Evans

[David]

Thanks for the clarification Chris.

[Winnlex]

Thank you all for your information on this knife and sorry for my late response. Do you happen to know if there would be much of a demand for one to collect an item such as this? Thank you again very much.

Winnlex

[Chris Evans]

Winnlex,

I guess that it depends where you came at it from and the role that it would play in one's collection.

The antiques fetch a good price in Argentina, as exemplified by this old English blade: http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/...y-no-facon-_JM

It is my impression that Creole knives and such like are more seriously collected in Sth America than elsewhere.

Cheers
Chris

[Gavin Nugent]

Brian,

With reference to your now closed thread, the image you have on file and the knife type used to inflict such wounds are found here, discussed in this thread.

Your closed thread here;
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=22753

Gavin

[Lee]

Well, I guess that answers Iliad's question. I had suspected the victim's belt was gaucho and so the knife is the plain, rather than silver mounted, variant of the cuchillo gaucho. Please note the examples in Abel Domenech's excellent article.

[A. G. Maisey]

Those French Cooks certainly got around, didn't they?