A Spanish colonial broadsword/cutlass

[M ELEY]

Thank you for your fast reply, Midelburgo. I wasn't 100% sure on the origin of this sword, but I figured I'd throw it out there for identification. In lieu of the fact that it isn't from the period of which I hoped (sadly), I will remove the above intro concerning piracy. I am very unfamiliar with the Chinaco swords, but have you seen these types with broadsword blades? I must do some research on this period!

[midelburgo]

I think not even Mexicans have put together all the info on these swords yet. Chinacos were a guerrilla. I found some antiquarians have used that term to call the swords they carried. But I am not sure how long does the term extend in time. Were a guerrilla from a different revolution still called Chinacos?

What I think becomes clear is that Government troops tended to use European-like weapons (like the French 1822 light cavalry saber) and uniforms, and the countergovernment troops used local made hilts and recycled blades.

[Jim McDougall]

This type of Spanish colonial espada is most interesting as in form it leans more toward more traditional sword forms, but its primary curiosity is that these carry elements put together in a redundant fashion. The crossguard with its usually flattened quillons placed vestigially under the shallow cup is clearly unnecessary , but reflects Spanish adherence to tradition over practicality.

Brinckerhoff & Chamberlain (1972, p.93, plates 174-76) note that .."...the origin of this style cannot be determined precisely, but it may have evolved in the colonies".
While these interesting amalgams in style of course are more interpretive in local examples occurring outside records, regulations or precise provenance in most cases, it seems they began around the early part of the 19th c.

Adams (1985) refers to these as 'round tang espadas' but offers no further insight. I have seen reference to these guard bars as 'gavilan' it seems, having to do with sheaves of wheat.Also, I have seen later examples with this structure which were clearly worn as 'court' type swords by officials or perhaps officers in probably remote settings. Midelburgo has well noted these from latter 19th c. termed 'chinano' but that is the first I have heard of that term, or definitive note of the period.

The blade is of seemingly Solingen form but unusual as most of these blades were the hexagonal section 'dragoon' type. In the times when references were written on Spanish Colonial (1972 and previous) it was typically thought that these blades were from Toledo, however research done in recent years have revealed these blades were invariably from Solingen...and the misperceptions derived from the spurious use of Spanish marks and names.

[M ELEY]

Thank you so much, Jim, for the information on this strange beast! Indeed, the blade isn't hexagonal, as I know many of the Solingen imports were. I still have the photo-copies of Brinckerhoff's work, which you sent me many years ago (we're getting old! ) and the styling does appear to be closer to the first quarter of the 19th per that volume. I don't have Adams' book, but I'll have to try and pick up a copy. I still suspect the blade on mine as being a salvage and much earlier, but who knows...

[Jim McDougall]

We have indeed been at this a long time Mark!
There is no doubt this is a 'recycled' blade, and many Solingen blades into the Spanish colonies had these central tri-fuller form, though the majority seem to have been the hexagonal 'dragoon' forms.
The notably more 'distressed' condition of the blade suggests that the hilt maker was using whatever blade he had available at the time. I have often wondered if perhaps the use of these sometimes 'tired' old blades might have been of heirloom character and simply remounted for descendants of the original owner in a more current hilt form.

I do know that some repurposed blades and sword elements were put together entirely out of necessity and lack of proper replacement components, as in the case of the bizarre monstrosity I have with the cast brass hilt of a briquet...the three bar guard of a cavalry sabre...and the 'dragoon' blade with 'motto' but dramatically cut down. I gotta find pics of this thing!

[midelburgo]

There are many examples of three chanelled solingen (PDL, Knecht) staright blades with the "No me saques" motto. Both with solingen three bars hilts or other ad hoc constructions.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by midelburgo

There are many examples of three chanelled solingen (PDL, Knecht) staright blades with the "No me saques" motto. Both with solingen three bars hilts or other ad hoc constructions.

Very well pointed out, and indeed there were an extraordinary volume of these triple channel and flat face with hexagonal section blades. The variations in these and with various forte blocks or 'shoulders' span over a very long period. Thank you BTW for the amazing examples you illustrate!

A very interesting aspect of these blades has been not only their use over generations in the Spanish Colonial sphere, but there have been incidental occurrences of them in a number of other contexts. For example, many of these were still in use during the Mexican-American war of 1846, and many were captured. There were cases of these appearing later in the Civil War in Confederate officers swords (Col. Custer also acquired one of these taken from a Confederate officer).

In another variation, these three channel blades were Solingen products later in the 19th century but these were not with this section, intended for foreign markets particularly Sudan, where they were used both in the Kaskara and in cases with Tuaregs in the Sahara (Briggs, 1965). In his article Briggs notes cases of blades with the 'Spanish motto' in the Sahara, but more of an anomaly it would seem.

As with most of our study with many faceted instances of trade, colonial settings, and repurposing, refurbishing etc. over long periods the spectrum of variations in most aspects is fascinating and often frustrating in trying to classify.