Swords in the Mexican Revolution 1910-1921

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you very much Keith!
My main objective with this topic, as with most topics I try to discuss, is to look into historic perspectives that pertain to the weaponry in focus, as well as the contexts in which they were present.

While these forums are primarily with focus toward collectors of varied forms of weapons, the historic aspects of these arms discussed are typically and notably unattended. With collecting, everyone tends to follow 'their own drum' so to speak, that is to be attracted to certain weapon forms and areas, as well as not just typology but artistic and aesthetic values.

While we can categorize, classify and selectively itemize weapons into neatly defined boxes, history itself tends to not be so neatly classified. I always think of trying to place a finite timeline on the 'middle ages' etc.

I think the main objective here as far as the forum discourses are concerned is to avoid descending into the familiar clutter of 'militaria', and the 'issue' type of materials including the regulation forms of standard arms. While 'mass produced' swords and guns are of course nothing new, as arms producers indeed manufactured large quantities of relatively standard weapons, their vintage itself places them more in line with the historic factor. Still, the collecting phenomena dictates what aspects of these each individual finds interesting.

Getting back to this thread, while one of the questions I pondered was whether or not the M1913 Patton sword was ever involved in actions of the US cavalry in pursuit of Pancho Villa.
Meanwhile, on the Mexican side, we know that the vestigial 'culture of the sword' still remained in their ethos. The use of the machete in various forms as well as regulation style military swords was ever present in the many factions of Mexican revolutionaries during these turbulent years.

From many of the earlier espada anchas and cavalry type swords used by the Rurales, the production of various swords often termed 'saddle swords' continued. These were often inscribed with catchy 'dichos' (mottos or phrases_) on the blades, and these are the kinds of swords I am looking for.

Many of these were produced in Oaxaca and Guerrero among others.

[Jim McDougall]

As previously noted, the quasi military frontier police formed by Diaz in the 1860s, the 'Rurales' while heavily armed with revolvers and carbines, still wore cavalry type sabers (typically) through the late 19th c. and certainly into the 20th. What actual use of these took place is hard to say, as accounts of combats, battles etc. simply presume use of guns, and seldom specify if use of sword(s) was part of any action.

The cavalry sabers were typically of the three bar hilt form familiar from US Civil War examples from the M1840, M1860 types. These often had blades marked A.C., which while often presumed to mean 'armeria centrale' for the Mexico City armory, it is suggested these were the initials of Acier Colubuzier, who held the monopoly on imported swords into Mexico.

Often there are the RM stamps representing Republic of Mexico.

While these were used of course from 1870s onward, swords, like most arms in Mexico, remained in use for decades if not generations.
This example reflects the rugged condition from such years of use on the frontier, and the hilt is misshapen possibly from being trampled by a horse?
There is a centavo (date obscured) hammered onto the pommel, perhaps a good luck amulet? or simply decoration.

Note: There are numbers of three bar hilt sabers of British M1821 form which have turned up in Mexican context, usually with an oval cartouche with PDL, Luneschloss of Solingen.

[Jim McDougall]

This unusual example was acquired many years ago, along with the common presumptions which often accompany Spanish colonial swords where little tangible information was available, but fanciful lore was handy.

The complication here was that the hilt form was clearly from very early Spanish hilt styles, which reflected distinct 'Moorish' influences (the 'hand nock' in the grip familiar on Maghrebi nimchas). In this case, the typical espada ancha hilt style of the late 18th century, incorporated with hilt styles from South America and the 'Spanish Main' (Spanish Caribbean, and the ports through Central America and the South American coasts......is joined with those identified as Brazilian.

What is notable here is that the blade appears distinctively like the Brazilian cavalry sabers of 1880, supplied by Coppell of Solingen, which were in turn copied from the British M1853 cavalry sabers (thanks to Midelburgo for these ohservations, 2024).
Interestingly, other 'espadas' from Brazilian context seem to favor 'shell' guards and have the 'Moorish' hand nock.

Many arms for Mexican factions came from South America, though mostly Argentina, but of course certainly Brazil as well. These swords may be presumed from anywhere in the 'Spanish Main' (which prevailed well through 19th c) in Caribbean regions and many arms came to Mexico through the port of Vera Cruz.

The illustration is from "The Lore of Arms", William Reid, Sweden, 1976, p.124, showing the earlier Spanish (Moorish) influences with the hand nock (from nimchas etc). Corrientes was a maker from Toledo, then Madrid, 1730s (Palomares) but likely earlier.

While it would have been exciting for this sword to have been a 'pirate' sword of late 17th c. as suggested when I acquired it years ago, this hilt may still be from the early to mid 18th century as suggested by Reid (1976) and perhaps a heirloom from an old Spanish family in the colonies of New Spain. At some point it was mounted with a newer cavalry blade, and may well have become involved in the actions in the Revolution, perhaps among Zapatista forces. Obviously pure speculation but with these elements of plausibility.

[Jim McDougall]

This is another example concurring with that of previous post, again with the notable shell guard, the serpent appendage coiling around edge seems an affectation popular in hilts of S. Mexico into Central America.
The grip again, with the Moorish 'notch' hand nock from North African hilts (Maghreb).

The blade is marked LYNDON & WIGNALL, sword cutlers at Minerva Works, Fazely St. Birmingham, and in registers 1833-1839.

Swords with these type hilts have been associated with Brazil as one with inscribed blade c. 1850s is known, thus suggesting that provenance.

These again, are known to have been fancifully hawked as 'pirate cutlasses' some years ago, but of course, now that more study of these weapons has been forthcoming, it is good to know the actual identity of these.

As with the previously mentioned sword likely with Brazilian provenance, these type swords may well have entered the theaters of the Mexican Revolution in some capicity, in southern regions.

[Jim McDougall]

This is another example of the cavalry three bar hilt saber, but with heavy, shorter blade which is tempting to associate with the earlier espada anchas, but seems colloquially termed 'cutlass'. While these seem pretty uncommon, they fall into same contexts as the Civil War type cavalry sabers, and have the 'liberty hat' symbol and RM, Republic of Mexico.
It is unclear which forces might have used these, and as yet no direct connection with navy. Regardless, virtually all types of arms of these periods may be viably considered as potentially available for use by virtually any faction.

[Jim McDougall]

In addition to the previously noted types of swords, there were likely many examples of much earlier variations of swords which had been in families for generations. There also seems to have been many cases of swords either simply remounted blades, or even examples made up of composite sword elements.

In examples of swords from later in the 19th c into the 20th, there were often 'dichos' (mottos, sayings or phrases) inscribed into the blades. In some cases there were names such as on this example (from Drac2 a year ago) which is a remounted blade and fabricated hilt.
The name is Luis Padilla and SAYULA, which is a town in Jalisco (south of Guadalajara, and could be the name of an individual, or perhaps the person who fabricated the sword.

As noted earlier, whether swords were indeed used or not, they seem to have been regarded as part of the attire of men in the sense of a mark of formidable intent or authority. In remote rural areas such weapons might have been quite simple and refabricated, but still bearing the same kind of representation.

The Revolution of course had both North and South theaters, so these kinds of weapons were likely with men participating in actions in either. Though typically versions of 'saddle swords' worn by charros, they seem to have been ubiquitous before and well through the Revolution well into the 20th c.
Woodward writing on Mexican swords in 1946 interviewed many of these men noting these types of swords.

[urbanspaceman]

Keep it coming Jim; I'm learning. Just as so few are interested in or have anything to add to the Shotley Bridge history, that was the birth of the British sword industry, so too the huge theater that was the birth of over 50% of the United States. Keep it coming. Thank-you.
ps
Are we voices in the wilderness or simply off grid?