South American Knives

[Lee]

Originally Posted by Sajen

The best one I have owned but resold is in the first picture, it would be of great interest for me to know an approx. age from this example. And are they manufactured completely in Germany or they use only the blades in Argentina?

I will stop my procrastinating and honestly reply that I am not sure. My guess would be that your former knife with the gold trim is not really old - maybe second half of the twentieth century - as there is some really good work being done currently and recently in old styles. With equally low confidence, I'd give a similar date for my two from Uruguay and also for my puñal with the gold trim. The work on all of these is very good but they show little sign of wear from use for either mountings or blade. The rest show repairs, damage and significant wear allowing me to more confidently push them back across the line into the 19th century or just short of that.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Lee

I will stop my procrastinating and honestly reply that I am not sure. My guess would be that your former knife with the gold trim is not really old - maybe second half of the twentieth century - as there is some really good work being done currently and recently in old styles. With equally low confidence, I'd give a similar date for my two from Uruguay and also for my puñal with the gold trim. The work on all of these is very good but they show little sign of wear from use for either mountings or blade. The rest show repairs, damage and significant wear allowing me to more confidently push them back across the line into the 19th century or just short of that.

Hi Lee,

A good guess is better as nothing! Thank you. Like you said, it was also my guess, mid. to end of the 20th century. And you are correct, it looks like it was never used.

Regards,
Detlef

[RobT]

Sajen,

From what I have been able to gather online, there is no such Solingen maker as Franz Wenk. The name Franz Wenk is a trade name for knives made by FANACU (Fábrica Nacional de Cuchilleria Uruguay). I wonder if there isn't a sort of play on words with Franz Wenk standing for a sly French wink.

Sincerely,
RobT

[Lee]

Well, RobT has done a fine job of revealing where that particular blade was made!

Struggling through Dagas de Plata with my virtually nonexistent Spanish language skills, I found a reproduction of a catalog page showing complete knives of various styles available from a German supplier (p. 12). Chapter 7 details the development of the blade making center of Tandil, starting in the later part of the first half of the 20th century. I suspect the vast majority of knives used imported blades that were locally mounted up until that time, and that since then the knives have increasingly become a completely South American product.

[RobT]

Lee,

Some of the online sources that supplied the Franz Wenk information also suspected that the the blades were actually made in Argentina and exported to Uruguay where hilts were added.

Sincerely,
RobT

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Lee

Well, RobT has done a fine job of revealing where that particular blade was made!

Struggling through Dagas de Plata with my virtually nonexistent Spanish language skills, I found a reproduction of a catalog page showing complete knives of various styles available from a German supplier (p. 12). Chapter 7 details the development of the blade making center of Tandil, starting in the later part of the first half of the 20th century. I suspect the vast majority of knives used imported blades that were locally mounted up until that time, and that since then the knives have increasingly become a completely South American product.

You are correct Lee, it seems that there was at the beginning an import from Solingen and Sheffield blades to South America and became later an own production under cooperation or bought names to a own production of blades.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Yesterday I get the information, that I am the winner from this Brazilian punal,
the description say:

Fine silver dagger (silverwork - probably South America), blade marked 'Salva Vida' ('Save Life') and 'G.L.& M.'; Length 33 cm (blade can be moved at the top - guide may be missing)

Pictures are the auction pictures.

[Sajen]

By this example is the chain still present about which Mr. Domenech write in his answer to Norman about his shown knife short time ago:
"You can observe that there is a little hook in the end of the sheath hook. Also there is a small hole in the decoration of the tip of sheath called "batiente" in Spanish.

This is so because this type of knives had a small chain going permanently attached to the hole in the extreme of sheath and other end of chain had a small ring to hung on the little hook.

This was a custom only used in Brazil to secure the sheath to the belt and avoid loosing the knife while riding a horse. Rarely the chain is still present in these old knives today but some knives still have them."

Here the thread: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=28532

Sadly is only one side pictured. Soon as I have received it I will post more pictures.

[Lee]

Originally Posted by Sajen

...there was at the beginning an import from Solingen and Sheffield blades to South America...

Additionally, I learned from Dagas de Plata that the importer of the knife marked "Armeria de Paris" (later, from the early 20th century, called Armeria Carlos Rasetti) in post two above, had sourced these blades from Belgium. Decades ago, the husband of a friend of my late mother, who was born and raised in Argentina reportedly showed great delight when my mother showed him that knife and he showed great proficiency in brandishing it as he reminisced about that great Buenos Aires emporium he remembered from his youth. See: https://www.landofborchardt.com/1931cr_catalog.html

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Lee

Additionally, I learned from Dagas de Plata that the importer of the knife marked "Armeria de Paris" (later, from the early 20th century, called Armeria Carlos Rasetti) in post two above, had sourced these blades from Belgium. Decades ago, the husband of a friend of my late mother, who was born and raised in Argentina reportedly showed great delight when my mother showed him that knife and he showed great proficiency in brandishing it as he reminisced about that great Buenos Aires emporium he remembered from his youth. See: https://www.landofborchardt.com/1931cr_catalog.html

Hello Lee,
Yes, better I had written "produced in Europe" instead of Solingen and Sheffield.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by RobT

From what I have been able to gather online, there is no such Solingen maker as Franz Wenk. The name Franz Wenk is a trade name for knives made by FANACU (Fábrica Nacional de Cuchilleria Uruguay). I wonder if there isn't a sort of play on words with Franz Wenk standing for a sly French wink.

Hello RobT,

Thank you very much, a seemingly fact I wasn't aware of. But a short online search shows that there the name "Franz Wenk" only pops up by Cuchillo Criollo knives. Worth a better research.

Regards,
Detlef