Mystery knife 'Turkish' / Facon?

[Chris Evans]

Originally Posted by Atlantia

So it's a bit of a mystery!
You'd say from the weight of evidence that it is a 'gaucho' though would you?

Hi Gene,

Don't know. It is a strange piece.

More than anything else, that belt loop sticks in my gullet real bad, and the blade does not appear to have been sharpened or used; Is this correct?. From the photo it also appears that the blade was left in the as forged condition, without subsequent polishing; Again, is this correct?

Cheers
Chris

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by Chris Evans

Hi Gene,

Don't know. It is a strange piece.

More than anything else, that belt loop sticks in my gullet real bad, and the blade does not appear to have been sharpened or used; Is this correct?. From the photo it also appears that the blade was left in the as forged condition, without subsequent polishing; Again, is this correct?

Cheers
Chris

Hi Chris

Funny you should ask
I actually had the same thoughts about the sharpening when I first saw it.
It has a single edge which is brutally sharp, but to first glance looks fairly recently sharpened. However, there are two distinct areas that were missed in that sharpening that show it always has been sharp on one edge.

The steel is quite rough. As you say either poorly finished or left to rust and cleaned at some stage.
Width of blade is variable from 1.5mm to 2mm. Generally rough and ready, but rigid like a good carving knife.

Thanks
Gene

[Chris Evans]

Hi Gene,

If you have a good loupe, have a look at the sharpened edge - Perhaps you can make out if it was sharpened by hand or on a machine.

Cheers
Chris

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by Chris Evans

Hi Gene,

If you have a good loupe, have a look at the sharpened edge - Perhaps you can make out if it was sharpened by hand or on a machine.

Cheers
Chris

Hi Chris
Hand sharpened definately. Here's the back end where it was only ever 'partially sharp' and the later sharpening starts about 2" from the guard. You can see the old patina and scratches from the earlier sharpenings.

Best
Gene

[Chris Evans]

Hi Gene,

The Argentinean silversmiths usually fashion the hollow handle from a single sheet of silver or German silver, with a soldered seam running along its length. The blade is fastened to the handle's tang by means of pouring molten cutler's rosin into the hollow. Criollo (Creole) blades have a substantial button on at the heel of the blade, where it meets the handle and its shape is a ready identifier of its origins. No hard and fast rules, but this is how the vast majority were made. Beyond this, knives were made in Europe for Sth American use.

Cheers
Chris