Jim, you are spot on with the issues of trade and interconnectedness among the various Spanish colonies. There are clear cross-overs in style between Spanish knives in Mexico, broader Latin America, and the Philippines. The usefulness of a blade style in one place translates to the use of a similar style elsewhere, but not always. For example, some espada ancha styles seem to have been localized in the New World and are rarely, if ever, found in the Philippines.
As I mentioned above, sometimes the best we can do is designate an item as "Spanish Colonial."
One fact that is sometimes overlooked is that not just trade was important in the exchanges between Spanish colonies. There was a political element also. Several of the Spanish Governors of the Philippines came from established aristocratic families in Mexico.
Regards, Ian
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