Spanish(?) Machete Sword with horn grips

[Chris Evans]

Originally Posted by Gavin Nugent

Is Chris about, he'll nail it down pretty quickly.

Hi Gavin,

Sorry to disappoint, but I plead ignorance on this one as it could have come from anywehere, though it does have a Latino look about it, and your suggestion of it being a Sorocaban has merit!

Facons, large thrust oriented knives, were generally not tolerated on the cattle `estancias' as they were not working knives, and the size of this example, puts it loosely in the facon category.

Pampean gauchos were poor vagabonds, later itinerant station hands and gang-pressed troopers, and for knives and facons had to do with whatever came their way.

It could have belonged to a soldier from the many wars, improvised from a bayonet - or perhaps a `montonero', even a gaucho `matrero', in other words an irregular militia man or outlaw, but this is pure speculation on my part.

Cheers
Chris

[Gavin Nugent]

Thanks Chris,

That's some great cultural insight and context with avenues for further consideration.


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