Mexican Presentation Sword?

kronckew · 9th November 2008, 06:28 AM

i initially passed on this item due to the english 'made in' marking, but it grew on me, the hilt & guard especially looked better made than most tourista junk (that looped lower guard was familiar somehow, but i can't place it), so i risked a small bid, about an hours pay & won it... i'll either consign it to the OOPS drawer or not depending on the blade dimensions and detailing when it arrives. i'll also bill my client an extra hour for working on an email they sent me yesterday

a number of interesting example illustrations i found googling for mexican weapons:

Billed as found near a well known east texas battle that occurred in 1836...

this style may be earlier than prev. mentioned. for scale, this has a 27 in. blade, an inch longer than mine. the perspective of the photo makes it look longer than it appears.

from the forum:

from therion for illustration:

i note that this was described as a 'duck-billed' blade style.

celtan · 9th November 2008, 07:35 AM

The design is certainly very attractive overall, and the blade is wicked, wouldn't like to face one on the downstroke.

As far as I know, there are no llamas in Mexico, but it might be copying an andean motif, or the animals might be some equine breed. Mules, donkeys, horses, polticians?

: )

Best

Manuel

kronckew · 9th November 2008, 07:55 AM

the animals on the blade in the photo appear to be equine to me, llamas do not have long tails.

horses tend to have them tho.

the palm trees in the etching also are not very andian.

ausjulius · 9th November 2008, 06:14 PM

it is a typical machete sword from mexico.
this style is quite common , recently ive seen quite alot of older versions being sold on ebay..

typicaly the blade has a pointed tip and is sharp for about 20cm along the back of the edge, the swords come in sheaths in the style of a machete not in a typical sword sheath.

yours would have to be dated as a product of the last 70 years.. older ones are not normaly saying mad in mexico..and the etching it ushaly of a different style

Rick · 9th November 2008, 11:05 PM

There is , I believe, an ersatz rendition of an Early machete with a very similar blade profile to the original subject post that has been making the rounds (unsuccessfully) on our favorite (?)

auction site .

That particular one implies a Cuban provenance .

Gonzalo G · 11th November 2008, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ausjulius

it is a typical machete sword from mexico.
this style is quite common , recently ive seen quite alot of older versions being sold on ebay..

typicaly the blade has a pointed tip and is sharp for about 20cm along the back of the edge, the swords come in sheaths in the style of a machete not in a typical sword sheath.

yours would have to be dated as a product of the last 70 years.. older ones are not normaly saying mad in mexico..and the etching it ushaly of a different style

Yes, it is a typical machete from México. The blade very probably came from a common machete known as "acapulqueño" (from the port of Acapulco, on the State of Guerrero coast), even from a Collins machete like the one shown above. Those blades are remounted like kronckew´s, in the old mexican fashion. A tourist item, since the old fighting machetes mounted like this were slender. And not expensive. The tip of the original machete is just like this, and not pointed. It is used traditionally on the sugar cane cutting labour. The design originally is not mexican. It was adopted because it permits a long life throught continous re-sharpening, and the balance helps in cutting several sugar canes with one stroke. I don´t think the mounting has any silver, though the real old mountings used to have it. Those are naive style horses. We don´t have llamas.
Regards

Gonzalo

celtan · 11th November 2008, 03:35 PM

Naive horses? And you can ID them by appearance?

I wonder how the racy, world-savvy type then look. Red Horse-shoes with tall heels?

Just Kidding Gonzalo, couldn't help myself.

Interesting the note on the reasons behind the rounded blade...

Best regards & Saludos.

Manolo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gonzalo G

Yes, it is a typical machete from México. The blade very probably came from a common machete known as "acapulqueño" (from the port of Acapulco, on the State of Guerrero coast), even from a Collins machete like the one shown above. Those blades are remounted like kronckew´s, in the old mexican fashion. A tourist item, since the old fighting machetes mounted like this were slender. And not expensive. The tip of the original machete is just like this, and not pointed. It is used traditionally on the sugar cane cutting labour. The design originally is not mexican. It was adopted because it permits a long life throught continous re-sharpening, and the balance helps in cutting several sugar canes with one stroke. I don´t think the mounting has any silver, though the real old mountings used to have it. Those are naive style horses. We don´t have llamas.
Regards

Gonzalo

Gonzalo G · 11th November 2008, 06:01 PM

Manolo, the naive or naif movement in painting (please see the Naive School in the history of art), used to represent figures in a very simple manner, almosto childish, just like on the popular art. The use of the colors was also very simple. The most known painter in this movement was el Aduanero Rousseau (Henri Rousseau). That´s what I meant with "naive horses".
Un abrazo, amigo.

Gonzalo

9th November 2008, 06:28 AM	#1
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,240	i initially passed on this item due to the english 'made in' marking, but it grew on me, the hilt & guard especially looked better made than most tourista junk (that looped lower guard was familiar somehow, but i can't place it), so i risked a small bid, about an hours pay & won it... i'll either consign it to the OOPS drawer or not depending on the blade dimensions and detailing when it arrives. i'll also bill my client an extra hour for working on an email they sent me yesterday a number of interesting example illustrations i found googling for mexican weapons: Billed as found near a well known east texas battle that occurred in 1836... this style may be earlier than prev. mentioned. for scale, this has a 27 in. blade, an inch longer than mine. the perspective of the photo makes it look longer than it appears. from the forum: from therion for illustration: i note that this was described as a 'duck-billed' blade style. Last edited by kronckew; 9th November 2008 at 06:44 AM.

9th November 2008, 11:05 PM	#5
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,348	Machete ? There is , I believe, an ersatz rendition of an Early machete with a very similar blade profile to the original subject post that has been making the rounds (unsuccessfully) on our favorite (?) auction site . That particular one implies a Cuban provenance .

9th November 2008, 07:35 AM	#2
celtan Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: PR, USA Posts: 679	The design is certainly very attractive overall, and the blade is wicked, wouldn't like to face one on the downstroke. As far as I know, there are no llamas in Mexico, but it might be copying an andean motif, or the animals might be some equine breed. Mules, donkeys, horses, polticians? : ) Best Manuel

9th November 2008, 07:55 AM	#3
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,240	the animals on the blade in the photo appear to be equine to me, llamas do not have long tails. horses tend to have them tho. the palm trees in the etching also are not very andian.

9th November 2008, 06:14 PM	#4
ausjulius Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: musorian territory Posts: 458	it is a typical machete sword from mexico. this style is quite common , recently ive seen quite alot of older versions being sold on ebay.. typicaly the blade has a pointed tip and is sharp for about 20cm along the back of the edge, the swords come in sheaths in the style of a machete not in a typical sword sheath. yours would have to be dated as a product of the last 70 years.. older ones are not normaly saying mad in mexico..and the etching it ushaly of a different style

11th November 2008, 06:01 PM	#8
Gonzalo G Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nothern Mexico Posts: 458	Manolo, the naive or naif movement in painting (please see the Naive School in the history of art), used to represent figures in a very simple manner, almosto childish, just like on the popular art. The use of the colors was also very simple. The most known painter in this movement was el Aduanero Rousseau (Henri Rousseau). That´s what I meant with "naive horses". Un abrazo, amigo. Gonzalo