[Interested Party]

David, Jim & Ed, this has been an interesting and possibly fruitful discussion. Is this an ethnographic weapon? In many ways no. Is it primarily a weapon or a tool? Tool, I believe, but there are several fencing schools built around this "tool" to muddy the waters. These schools are localized and traditional, does this make the insight, true skill, and oral tradition not ethnographic because they now use a mass-produced item? So, weapon or not is the item ethnographic?

I personally believe that this item is most likely is factory made, but I do not know. To paraphrase Alan Maisey "I could not tell conclusively without having the item in my hand." The sheath is very culturally Central American, handmade and wonderful. I do not believe the machete is military in origin. The question we are coming to is "Is a village made machete in the pattern of the US Army not ethnographic even though the US Army stole the pattern from Central America?" For that matter is a Masi seme made from a trade machete and used by a working Masi herder ethnographic? When a machete is bought by a local population rehandled and reshaped to optimized use in their ecosystem is that item then ethnographic?

I feel a push back against Militaria on this forum which I agree with. Militaria to me is kind of boring and a different genre than what the scope of this forum encompasses. That said I am a global learner so much so that I do feel incomplete if an idea or thread is not explored to its natural conclusion. I would like to thank the moderators for letting it continue and thanks everyone for participating in a discussion about an item that has sparked ideas well beyond its status. I feel that it dovetails into Jim's research into the espada ancha and regional martial arts that are possibly descended from Carança's teachings. I hope whoever made the machete would be proud or their legacy.