Gaucho knives and cuchillos criollos of South America

[CelloDan]

My apologies for being monothematic guys … but this gaucho was very hungry early this morning.

Fortunately for him, a man once taught him how to fish

One fish bled out well and has white fillets, the other could be better but a hungry gaucho doesn’t worry about it
Lemon, salt, garlic, onion, cajun seasoning

Part of that delicious broth went into the rice

Buen provecho

 

[Prester John]

My apologies for being monothematic guys … but this gaucho was very hungry early this morning.

Fortunately for him, a man once taught him how to fish

One fish bled out well and has white fillets, the other could be better but a hungry gaucho doesn’t worry about it
Lemon, salt, garlic, onion, cajun seasoning

Part of that delicious broth went into the rice

Buen provecho

I wouldn't worry about being "monothematic", Dan: that's what we do here! Making me hungry, hermano. ¡Buen provecho!

(Still waiting--patiently--for my verijero!)

 

[Trubetzkoy]

My apologies for being monothematic guys … but this gaucho was very hungry early this morning.

Fortunately for him, a man once taught him how to fish

One fish bled out well and has white fillets, the other could be better but a hungry gaucho doesn’t worry about it
Lemon, salt, garlic, onion, cajun seasoning

Part of that delicious broth went into the rice

Buen provecho

That rice looks killer! Well, all the meals you show do

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

My apologies for being monothematic guys … but this gaucho was very hungry early this morning.

Fortunately for him, a man once taught him how to fish

One fish bled out well and has white fillets, the other could be better but a hungry gaucho doesn’t worry about it
Lemon, salt, garlic, onion, cajun seasoning

Part of that delicious broth went into the rice

Buen provecho

You are one of the few people I'm aware of that actually gets their money's worth out of their boat

Love to see it!

 

[screened porch]

One fish bled out well and has white fillets, the other could be better but a hungry gaucho doesn’t worry about it

What causes a fish to bleed out less well?

Could you insure good bleed-out by cutting off their heads and whirling them by their tails on a string?

 

[CelloDan]

Still waiting--patiently--for my verijero!

Me too Vince

That rice looks killer! Well, all the meals you show do

Gracias amigo
Being out in nature and feeling hungry does something to one’s taste buds as the whole experience can never be replicated at home.

You are one of the few people I'm aware of that actually gets their money's worth out of their boat

Love to see it!

Gracias amigo
We have certainly enjoyed our little 17 foot sailboat ️ this season.
Some fiberglass, cloth and aluminum poles can bring a lot of joy !

What causes a fish to bleed out less well?

Could you insure good bleed-out by cutting off their heads and whirling them by their tails on a string?

Lol Jer !
I got to try that method

I used to cut their gills to let them bleed out and, sad in a way to say, kill them.

It bothered me dispatching them that way, same as letting them slowly suffocate.

Now I use a rubber mallet to quickly knock them out right away.

Rather than bleed out I suspect it was bleeding IN this time.
I may have been too forceful with the mallet or also it could be I cut a little too deep on the behind the head cut and severed a vessel.

I’ll be searching some more on how to avoid it.

btw, I just learned that my “mallet” is actually called a “priest”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priest_(tool)

 

[Prester John]

Dan, this looks like a picture you should put on a flag!
(Or a baking soda box.)

Seriously, though, I have enjoyed your posts about your boating adventures and your pics. I have been reading a book about the whaleship Essex which was stove by a whale in 1820 (inspiration for Moby Dick). The survivors spent three months in whaleboats in the middle of the Pacific. What a horrible experience! Nice to see you having fun on the water. But stay out of the middle of the Pacific!

 

[Barbt]

Dan, that is a beautiful example and I really enjoyed seeing the process of it being made.
Such an elegant design, my compliments to you and the maker maxipescie.

Enclosed is a pre-WWII F. Herder Gaucho salesman sample knife (technically a slightly longer punal model).
This knife features a metal handle with a lion head as the pommel. It also has the same type of sheath as your model.
It's well established that German cutlers produced many knives for the South American market.

View attachment 2110460

 

[Barbt]

I was told that this thread might be able to give me more information on this knife that I purchased at an estate sale. Thank you so much in advance for any information you can share with me!

 

[Trubetzkoy]

I was told that this thread might be able to give me more information on this knife that I purchased at an estate sale. Thank you so much in advance for any information you can share with me!

Very handsome knife. I'd date it to the early 1900s (1920s or so). Based on the ball-shaped bolster, it was probably made for export to Brazil or Uruguay. And based on the fittings, which I've seen in other examples, and which look to be pressed or cast rather than chiseled, I'd say the knife and sheath were made entirely in Germany.

Here's a similar example, with the same blade shape and scabbard fittings (bottom):

H herder might be able to tell your more.

 

[Barbt]

Thanks so very much

 

[Barbt]

you have all been so very helpful, what thread do you think I should go to identify this knife? Thanks again.

 

[Arathol]

Looks like a pretty decent piece, but better high resolution pics are needed. What does the reverse side look like?
Thats a spade marking on the blade, Spade Brand is/was a Herder trademark brand since the early 18th century.
The pebbly looking material on the sheath appears to be ray skin.
The handle might be ivory, might be bone, might be something else, better pictures are needed.
Can you tell what the fittings are made from? They look almost like brass but again its hard to tell from the pictures.
Are there any other markings, maybe on the top of the sheath?

 

[Barbt]

 

[Arathol]

you have all been so very helpful, what thread do you think I should go to identify this knife? Thanks again.

Make a new one, don't tack it on to a thread about another knife.

 

[Barbt]

Looks like a pretty decent piece, but better high resolution pics are needed. What does the reverse side look like?
Thats a spade marking on the blade, Spade Brand is/was a Herder trademark brand since the early 18th century.
The pebbly looking material on the sheath appears to be ray skin.
The handle might be ivory, might be bone, might be something else, better pictures are needed.
Can you tell what the fittings are made from? They look almost like brass but again its hard to tell from the pictures.
Are there any other markings, maybe on the top of the sheath?

I couldn’t find any other markings whatsoever on it, but it does look to be brass.

 

[Barbt]

Make a new one, don't tack it on to a thread about another knife.

Yes, I will try to figure this out. So new to this! I’m sorry if I’m confusing everyone.

 

[oldmanwilly]

B Barbt If you have a number of old/vintage knives that you need help to identify then start a thread in Bernard Levine's forum, here:

Bernard Levine's Knife Collecting & Identification

Moderated by Bernard Levine, "The Knife Expert"; author of Levine's Guide to Knives and their Values, Blade Magazine Correspondent (since 1974) and Knife World Editor (since 1978).

www.bladeforums.com

Post pics of the several knives you have and ask for help identifying. Someone may suggest you post pics of a specific knife into an existing, on-topic thread for further information (similar to how I suggested you post in this thread). In that case you should only post pics of that specific knife, or others like it, in that thread. Forum etiquette generally dictates that members not post pics of knives in threads unless the pics are germane to the subject matter of the thread (ex: only post bowies in threads about bowies, etc.). There are thousands of threads, so you're likely to find one on-topic somewhere. If in doubt then just start a new thread and someone can direct you to more pertinent information.

Lots to learn. Again, welcome and good luck.

 

[Barbt]

B Barbt If you have a number of old/vintage knives that you need help to identify then start a thread in Bernard Levine's forum, here:

Bernard Levine's Knife Collecting & Identification

Moderated by Bernard Levine, "The Knife Expert"; author of Levine's Guide to Knives and their Values, Blade Magazine Correspondent (since 1974) and Knife World Editor (since 1978).

www.bladeforums.com

Post pics of the several knives you have and ask for help identifying. Someone may suggest you post pics of a specific knife into an existing, on-topic thread for further information (similar to how I suggested you post in this thread). In that case you should only post pics of that specific knife, or others like it, in that thread. Forum etiquette generally dictates that members not post pics of knives in threads unless the pics are germane to the subject matter of the thread (ex: only post bowies in threads about bowies, etc.). There are thousands of threads, so you're likely to find one on-topic somewhere. If in doubt then just start a new thread and someone can direct you to more pertinent information.

Lots to learn. Again, welcome and good luck.

Thank you so much for your advice and direction!

 

[Trubetzkoy]

I couldn’t find any other markings whatsoever on it, but it does look to be brass.

The fittings of the Herder are most likely nickel silver, also referred to as German silver (especially back in the day), which was the go-to material for fittings in Germany and England in the 19th century and the early portion of the 20th. Contrary to what the term suggests, nickel silver has no actual silver in it, but is an alloy containing copper and nickel, among other things (depending on the specific "formula" being used). The copper content is precisely what makes it look "brassy," especially as it ages, depending of course on the actual amount of copper (relative to nickel, zinc, etc.) used.

Edit: Looking more closely at the sheath tip, it could also be gold-plated (in which case the base metal could be nickel silver or pewter), since the crest looks noticeably more golden than the rest of the tip. Hard to say.