Hi Alex,
Thanks for sharing with us Mr Domenech's knowledgeable and lengthy reply. He is a true gentleman, a scholar, and an invaluable resource to students of South American edged weapons.
Fernando,
You make a very good point about not all knives being of Pampean origin. Domenech in his magisterial work, Dagas De Plata, devotes a section to the Puņal Salteņo, a mountainous region of Argentina, which is in keeping with your observation. As well. large narrow and pointed bladed knives of probably African origin are peculiar to parts of Brazil, and some time ago we had this thread on the subject:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...brazilian+faca
Cheers
Chris