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Old 29th June 2018, 03:07 PM   #5
midelburgo
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Join Date: Jun 2005
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The South American revolutions cut relations between Spain and its old colonies for a long time. At least at the official level. UK would try to occupy the best trade agreements. I do not think Nueva Granada would buy machetes from Spain in 1845. I think they are English, too early for Germany and design matches the so-called "Steamer machetes". I think the government of Nueva Granada asked to have that imprinted and not the maker logo, because it takes its place.

What I see through the google images searches is that vikingsword has a lead in providing identities. So the Dominican swords now are Berber sabers as far as internet cares. Funny and scary. As I was writing above, this short living styles could last just the life of a prolific artisan, or small group of artisans and then just disappear.

The only way of being sure about the "Berber sabers" is finding them as archeological remnants. The Nimcha handle probably has been reinvented several times each century. It is a too logical design.

Guanabacoa machetes probably were fancy just at the time of the Cuban guerrillas 1888-1898. Then the style stopped being produced. On the other hand, decorative characters are not efficient, and possibly they could give better lineage clues.
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