Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Norman McCormick · 21st October 2010, 08:18 PM

Hi Chris and Gene,
I have now received a reply from Mr. Abel Domenech.
The shallow chiseled decoration is typical of early knives. My knife is very similar if not identical to his in various aspects, the handle, bolster, shape of blade, shape and decoration of sheath although, in his words, the belt hook and end of sheath are prettier on mine! The stamp of Merino & Cia is not only upside down on both his knife and mine the J in Janeiro is also absent from both and replaced by a dot, possibly a worn stamp as it was common for letters to be mis-struck or missing altogether. This form was probably made in Germany/Belgium/Flandres with handles and sheaths of nickel silver/German silver/alpaca especially for the South American market at the end of the 18thC beginning of the 19thC and this is the dating he ascribes to this knife. Merino & Cia in his opinion was a Brazilian importer and he believes that these ornate knives were for wealthy citizens of Rio de Janeiro city and were not true Gaucho knives as used by the country folk.
I would like to thank Mr Domenech for his kind and courteous reply to my enquiry.
My Regards,
Norman.

P.S. Chris, I have written back to him with a few further questions and the info re the 1876 Exhibition and Merino & Co that you kindly supplied. Will post reply received if and when.

P.P.S. It would appear that I was wrong re the silver factor with regard to the hilt, getting older and stupider, although there is a slight colour difference in hilt and scabbard. I still could have sworn the hilt had a real silver content so I might take it to a local jeweller and get it tested.

21st October 2010, 08:18 PM	#10
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,613	Hi Chris and Gene, I have now received a reply from Mr. Abel Domenech. The shallow chiseled decoration is typical of early knives. My knife is very similar if not identical to his in various aspects, the handle, bolster, shape of blade, shape and decoration of sheath although, in his words, the belt hook and end of sheath are prettier on mine! The stamp of Merino & Cia is not only upside down on both his knife and mine the J in Janeiro is also absent from both and replaced by a dot, possibly a worn stamp as it was common for letters to be mis-struck or missing altogether. This form was probably made in Germany/Belgium/Flandres with handles and sheaths of nickel silver/German silver/alpaca especially for the South American market at the end of the 18thC beginning of the 19thC and this is the dating he ascribes to this knife. Merino & Cia in his opinion was a Brazilian importer and he believes that these ornate knives were for wealthy citizens of Rio de Janeiro city and were not true Gaucho knives as used by the country folk. I would like to thank Mr Domenech for his kind and courteous reply to my enquiry. My Regards, Norman. P.S. Chris, I have written back to him with a few further questions and the info re the 1876 Exhibition and Merino & Co that you kindly supplied. Will post reply received if and when. P.P.S. It would appear that I was wrong re the silver factor with regard to the hilt, getting older and stupider, although there is a slight colour difference in hilt and scabbard. I still could have sworn the hilt had a real silver content so I might take it to a local jeweller and get it tested. Last edited by Norman McCormick; 21st October 2010 at 10:49 PM.