The Espada Ancha

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you so much Capn! What an incredible 'shell' that is!!!
Great insight into these types of cutlasses, and how key this is to the scope of the espada ancha, which of course evolved it seems from these types of swords used on vessels. The terminology is always a conundrum, essentially a heavy, relatively short bladed weapon is a 'cutlass' as used on a vessel.....but employed in utility use ashore becomes a 'machete'.

The machetes that became known as 'espada ancha' through an inadvertent mistranslation in the 1960s, thus creating a colloquial term for them, now firmly emplaced, are in effect machetes. (a machete by any other name is still a machete- Shakespeare?).

While the 'shell' that just entered my arms locker has its place among espada anchas.....I will post another thread for it under cutlass heading after a bit more research.

[urbanspaceman]

I don't know what I like best: the superb piercing on that very practical weapon or the magnificent table of 'Elm burr'?
ps
Notice the Feur de lys on the pommel cap Jim.

[Jim McDougall]

Yup Keith, just like the one cut down to a dirk!

[Jim McDougall]

Capn,
In accord with post #14, it appears this shell guard hilt style is English c.1750 as per Nuemann (1973, p.83, 64.S).
It would seem this is virtually the same hilt form which likely circulated for some time, and seems favored for refurbishing cutlasses as might well be the case in supplying privateers and private merchant vessels.

While the shell is well known on many espada anchas, the theme is of course widely used on European hangers, including those regarded as cutlasses.
I have started a new thread with this cutlass today.

[Jim McDougall]

Attached is the PDF for the paper:
"The Espada Ancha or Machete of Northern Mexican Frontiers and Spanish Southwest from 18th Through 19th Centuries".
This was published last year in the Swedish Arms Society in Stockholm in their centennial yearbook, and is republished here through kind permission of Staffan Kinman, director, as well as the painstaking work of Lee Jones in reformatting.

I sincerely hope this article (which now appears along with Lee Jones' outstanding article on these in our archives), will encourage interest in the history of these intriguing swords as well as bringing forth examples for further study and discussion. The variations on these are boundless as they were virtually created by local blacksmiths using often many components and blades from many sources, as well as their own decorative creativity.

As always, I welcome your valuable critique and comments, with hopes of advancing our collective knowledge of these swords. While I have collected and studied them for over four decades, I am profoundly still learning, which is what makes them such an exciting field of study.

I would add here my apologies regarding the original posting of this article in the manner of presentation, and the rather off putting copyright notices on pages illustrated from a draft, and the other notices. Here the PDF is fully downloadable, and in the manner of presentation originally intended, and not in the commercialized demeanor which came across.