Gaucho knives and cuchillos criollos of South America

[screened porch]

I've always thought it's a very handsome knife. Is it hollow ground?

Thanks, and yes, it is- it weel slice.

It's the leather that gets me. Not gaucho-esque at all

I paid too much for this one without a sheath, but I got the KaBar sheath pretty cheap.

 

[screened porch]

The new one- maybe "rough" is a better word than "plain". The handle appeared to have no finish on it at all, so I sprayed it with a matte acrylic for starters, after this picture was taken. I think the scars near the bolster are from rough grinding rather than bad welding. The sheath is soft and light.
Still, easily worth $13.99 to me, and still worth it at $13.99 plus $9.99 postage.

 

[oldmanwilly]

The new one- maybe "rough" is a better word than "plain". The handle appeared to have no finish on it at all, so I sprayed it with a matte acrylic for starters, after this picture was taken. I think the scars near the bolster are from rough grinding rather than bad welding. The sheath is soft and light.
Still, easily worth $13.99 to me, and still worth it at $13.99 plus $9.99 postage.

Hey, at least it's got a peened tang and a fair bit of character. Cool find.

 

[screened porch]

Hey, at least it's got a peened tang and a fair bit of character. Cool find.

Thanks. It's good hard steel, too.

 

[oldmanwilly]

Even better!

 

[Trubetzkoy]

The new one- maybe "rough" is a better word than "plain". The handle appeared to have no finish on it at all, so I sprayed it with a matte acrylic for starters, after this picture was taken. I think the scars near the bolster are from rough grinding rather than bad welding. The sheath is soft and light.
Still, easily worth $13.99 to me, and still worth it at $13.99 plus $9.99 postage.

Nice! It looks like a very serviceable knife, and like what you might expect an actual gaucho to have used back in the day. Also, the big, rough handle provides a great opportunity for customization, if you're into that.

Edit: I agree that the bolster seems forged rather than welded.

 

[screened porch]

Nice! It looks like a very serviceable knife, and like what you might expect an actual gaucho to have used back in the day. Also, the big, rough handle provides a great opportunity for customization, if you're into that.

Edit: I agree that the bolster seems forged rather than welded.

Thanks!
It has plenty of imperfections, but it's well put together; and I'm still working on the edge, which I think speaks well for the steel and the heat treat.

I'm going to consider it roughly finished rather than unfinished, and give the handle a chance as it is.
(And at $25, I don't have to baby it.)

 

[CelloDan]

The new one- maybe "rough" is a better word than "plain". The handle appeared to have no finish on it at all, so I sprayed it with a matte acrylic for starters, after this picture was taken. I think the scars near the bolster are from rough grinding rather than bad welding. The sheath is soft and light.
Still, easily worth $13.99 to me, and still worth it at $13.99 plus $9.99 postage.

Nice Jer !

Two more additions to your criollo collection

This afternoon I found the same rock I used a couple weeks ago to cook the steak.

Bring your new knives. I’ll get the fire going and throw 2 chunks of meat on it and we’ll celebrate
Wouldn’t that be cool

 

[screened porch]

I have more confidence in the sheath, now that I've stuffed in one of my trademark milk bottle liners.

Just among you, me, and the lamp-post, though, I'm not sure the whole thing wouldn't pop out of my Patagonian cummerbund if I were thundering across the Pampas with it.

 

[kamagong]

Maxi is in Atlanta this weekend for blade show
Saw this he shared on another site.
I wish I was there!

I hope Maxi shares pics of the knives he brought to the show.

 

[screened porch]

I asked the dealer about the steel, because it's clearly rustable, but all the knives on his fancy website are stainless. It's 1045.

 

[CelloDan]

I hope Maxi shares pics of the knives he brought to the show.

I wrote Maxi about it.
He just sent some amazing photos of what he brought to Atlanta with permission to share them here.
He also told me that one of my BF friends had stopped by his table but did not get a name, I wonder who might be ?

Maxi sends his greetings and regards to BF members.

 

[screened porch]

My latest, from the same guy, is coming from California instead of Virginia. Also unlike last time, USPS is already in possession of the item.
This one is by Cacharana and Guayabera instead of Guayabera and Mora. I'm guessing that the order of names reflects alphabetic order rather than seniority.
The 8.5" OA knife has a 4 3/4" blade. I'll be interested to see how the additional 1.5" is distributed on the 10-incher.

I was afraid the first knife would show me an obvious reason why I'm the only one bidding on these. I'm mystified.

 

[Trubetzkoy]

I asked the dealer about the steel, because it's clearly rustable, but all the knives on his fancy website are stainless. It's 1045.

Interesting. Looking it up, I found some interesting old threads about 1045. Here are the links, in case you're interested: thread 1, thread 2, thread 3.

I wrote Maxi about it. He just sent some amazing photos of what he brought to Atlanta with permission to share them here.

Man, the fluted handle on that first knife is friggin gorgeous... One of my dream knives is either a bowie or a gaucho knife with a handle like that. In fact, a while ago I started one of my chef-knife-based projects with a fluted piece of buffalo horn I found on Ebay, but never finished (I believe I started it right around the time I was moving to a different state).

 

[screened porch]

Interesting. Looking it up, I found some interesting old threads about 1045. Here are the links, in case you're interested: thread 1, thread 2, thread 3.

Thanks. I've heard of somebody making knives of 1045 and wondered about it, since the folklore I have says steel is hardenable from 0.5% to 1.0% carbon.

I'm still working on the edge of this one.

 

[kamagong]

My latest, from the same guy, is coming from California instead of Virginia. Also unlike last time, USPS is already in possession of the item.
This one is by Cacharana and Guayabera instead of Guayabera and Mora. I'm guessing that the order of names reflects alphabetic order rather than seniority.
The 8.5" OA knife has a 4 3/4" blade. I'll be interested to see how the additional 1.5" is distributed on the 10-incher.

I was afraid the first knife would show me an obvious reason why I'm the only one bidding on these. I'm mystified.

You have another one on the way?

You've got it bad Jer.

 

[kamagong]

Man, the fluted handle on that first knife is friggin gorgeous... One of my dream knives is either a bowie or a gaucho knife with a handle like that. In fact, a while ago I started one of my chef-knife-based projects with a fluted piece of buffalo horn I found on Ebay, but never finished (I believe I started it right around the time I was moving to a different state).

Agreed. I think I want to go fully bespoke on my next cuchillo criollo. Ladder damascus blade with matching damascus buttcap, with a fluted handle that has inlaid silver wire.



I also think I want some silver inlaid into the botón. Something like this.

The question is, would such a knife look better with a vaina picasa or with a simpler leather sheath, adorned with a damascus stud to match the blade?

 

[Trubetzkoy]

Agreed. I think I want to go fully bespoke on my next cuchillo criollo. Ladder damascus blade with matching damascus buttcap, with a fluted handle that has inlaid silver wire.
View attachment 2589829

I also think I want some silver inlaid into the botón. Something like this.
The question is, would such a knife look better with a vaina picasa or with a simpler leather sheath, adorned with a damascus stud to match the blade?

Picaza, all day!

Edit: I really like the transition from the bolster to the base of the blade on that one. My only suggestion would be to add a fancy ferrule to complete the handle look.

 

[herder]

I wrote Maxi about it.
He just sent some amazing photos of what he brought to Atlanta with permission to share them here.
He also told me that one of my BF friends had stopped by his table but did not get a name, I wonder who might be ?

Maxi sends his greetings and regards to BF members.

I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Maxi at the Atlanta Blade Show. While we struggled a bit at first to communicate without a common language, he pulled out his phone so that we could talk back and forth through google translate.
His knives were fantastic and his character matched his knives, simply wonderful. Maxi had a nice assortment of Gaucho models, but he also had a couple of other beautiful hunting knives including a Bowie type. I looked at and held most of them and was thoroughly impressed. Enclosed is a picture of his table, but I cropped it down to respect his privacy. A great maker and a new friend.

 

[screened porch]

I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Maxi at the Atlanta Blade Show. While we struggled a bit at first to communicate without a common language, he pulled out his phone so that we could talk back and forth through google translate.
His knives were fantastic and his character matched his knives, simply wonderful. Maxi had a nice assortment of Gaucho models, but he also had a couple of other beautiful hunting knives including a Bowie type. I looked at and held most of them and was thoroughly impressed. Enclosed is a picture of his table, but I cropped it down to respect his privacy. A great maker and a new friend.

View attachment 2590027

I have to admit I like that pouch sheath on the right. I feel like I'm tempting fate with the traditional style sheath, and the shorter the blade, the greater the temptation.

[My new, not in Maxi class, knife has been processed through Fresno.
I'm just about there with the edge on my last one.]