Revolutionary War to Federalist period cutlass

M ELEY · Today, 03:19 PM

Hey, I think I figured out what we are looking at in that museum chart. Post # 4, Figure 148, the 'sailor's sword', is hinged. This was probably a sketch of a very large navaja 'knife', controversially believed to be carried by sailors and thus misidentified as a sailor's sword. I've had whole threads I've started and argued about concerning sailors carrying jack knives, but I won't digress right now (I just bought my first navaja and will post it soon with all the arguments pro and nay for sea use!

. Of course, it could be something else...

Jim McDougall · Today, 09:44 PM

You have an amazing eye Capn! I hadnt noticed that! Indeed a navaja is quite possible though I had not seen them with the clipped blade. However the name I believe means razor, which was a folding blade item.
These kept getting larger until they became the size of dirks and even larger. With the ratchet lock on the blade, they went from pocket knife to short sword/dirk instantly.
Colloquially known as 'carracha' for the click of the ratchet lock, they were the 'baratero weapon', sailors knife fighting weapon.
Part of New Orleans French Quarter, the lair of pirate Jean Lafitte was known as Barateria.

Today, 03:19 PM	#1
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,096	Hey, I think I figured out what we are looking at in that museum chart. Post # 4, Figure 148, the 'sailor's sword', is hinged. This was probably a sketch of a very large navaja 'knife', controversially believed to be carried by sailors and thus misidentified as a sailor's sword. I've had whole threads I've started and argued about concerning sailors carrying jack knives, but I won't digress right now (I just bought my first navaja and will post it soon with all the arguments pro and nay for sea use!. Of course, it could be something else...

Today, 09:44 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,945	You have an amazing eye Capn! I hadnt noticed that! Indeed a navaja is quite possible though I had not seen them with the clipped blade. However the name I believe means razor, which was a folding blade item. These kept getting larger until they became the size of dirks and even larger. With the ratchet lock on the blade, they went from pocket knife to short sword/dirk instantly. Colloquially known as 'carracha' for the click of the ratchet lock, they were the 'baratero weapon', sailors knife fighting weapon. Part of New Orleans French Quarter, the lair of pirate Jean Lafitte was known as Barateria.