Gaucho knives and cuchillos criollos of South America

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I'm liking the sterile second too much to call it that. I think it's a Juca, but I'm not sure, so henceforth Who-ca is its name.

I thought they'd put my whoca into the sheath backwards, but if a verijero is worn in front with the edge up, it should be backwards from the punal.

 

[CelloDan]

Sorry. It's just that I like to watch TV with a knife, and put myself into the story

I’ll try it lol
I am afraid thoug that I will end up stabbing my big screen TV

6mm.

Wow 6 mm !!!

That’s a real “ lomo gordo” ( fat shoulders/ back)

A big, long and hefty chunk of carbon steel, a design evolved for the hard work in the Pampas.

My big criollo is only 3 mm.

Thank Heavens the Nieto Criollo Gaucho is out of stock everywhere!

Lol Jer
Thanks for another good chuckle this morning!
Isn’t that one the one that got lost in transit only to be delivered weeks later?

I thought they'd put my whoca into the sheath backwards, but if a verijero is worn in front with the edge up, it should be backwards from the punal.

Whoca sounds cool

Good observation Jer !
Your comment had me running to my Verijero and my Big “Martin Fierro” criollo.

The big one appears to be oriented wrong in the sheath as the edge faces up when carried in the back ( the only way a gaucho would carry a big puñal)
Something is not right

Your Whoca looks big enough to be carried in the back.

I am feeling lazy this morning to start the traditional Yerba Mate ritual

A modern gaucho is allowed to take shortcuts

A French Press yerba mate kinda morning

 

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I am afraid thoug that I will end up stabbing my big screen TV

I would cool off by the time I crawled out of my chair and hobbled over to the TV.

Wow 6 mm !!!

Maybe 5mm. 6mm on a cheap caliper, 5mm or 3/16" (=4.78mm) squinting at a ruler.

Isn’t that one the one that got lost in transit only to be delivered weeks later?

Yes it is! I had to look back and check.

The big one appears to be oriented wrong in the sheath as the edge faces up when carried in the back

I think edge up is right for the big ones, isn't it?

Your Whoca looks big enough to be carried in the back.

5.5"/ 14cm. Definitely long enough to not be carried pointed at one's cruxial vitals.

A French Press yerba mate kinda morning

It has occurred to me that yerba mate could be steeped in a teapot with a filter basket, but I fear that would be going too far.

Old pic of big Juca and Atahualpa:

With the little ones:

I admire your black leather sheath.

 

[CelloDan]

I think edge up is right for the big ones, isn't it?

Yes , you may be right
I just checked your picture above and your big puñales are oriented just like mine in their sheaths

It has occurred to me that yerba mate could be steeped in a teapot with a filter basket,

I think it would work just fine Jer . The Argentine Yerba may be better just because it is chopped in larger pieces and has less leaf “dust”.

My big 9.5 inch criollo had never been sharpened before.

I took care of it last evening

It took a while to reprofile that thick chunck of carbon steel even though I was using my 1x30 belt sander with premium belts.

My respect to the gauchos of old that did this on simple stones.

I had some issues removing a stubborn burr but in the end it all worked out and I am quite happy with the results.

Maintenance from now on should be a breeze

 

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I can't leave well enough alone, so I've noticed that Muela has a line of criollos.
Criollo 14 and 17.5 are ground like my long Nieto to narrow flats at the back. The Criollo 18 and Gaucho 20 are flat ground all the way. The three smaller ones have full flat tangs like my smaller Nieto, and international-type choils.
The two bigger ones have the heel choil, and the Gaucho 20 has a through tang in an antler handle. "Some" have leather sheathes, of robust-looking leather in a more north American tradition.

The littlest one costs about 3 times as much as I paid for my smaller Nieto.
When Publishers Clearing House comes through, I'll get the gaucho 20. Meanwhile I'm fine. And I have all those metal handled ones waiting for warmer weather.

I'm going to experiment with frogs to hang these sheathes from a belt.

 

[black mamba]

I am sorry Dan if this has been asked before, but why does your knife have a split in the blade? Is that just cosmetic, or is it actually two pieces welded together?

 

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I am sorry Dan if this has been asked before, but why does your knife have a split in the blade? Is that just cosmetic, or is it actually two pieces welded together?

It's ground in two directions, my guess because they want to grind near the button but not into it. My larger Juca has it too.
Though I'm not Dan.

 

[black mamba]

Thanks, Jer, I now see that your Juca has the same look. So it is a one-piece blade, just the finish sanding is in two different directions?

 

[screened porch]

Thanks, Jer, I now see that your Juca has the same look. So it is a one-piece blade, just the finish sanding is in two different directions?

Yup. They did that crosswise finish in the old days, and people have speculated as to why. I believe Dan's is actually a new one that is reproducing the old look.
I got that Juca cheap, in part perhaps because the describer thought the picture showed an utterly filthy back half of the blade.

 

[CelloDan]

I am sorry Dan if this has been asked before, but why does your knife have a split in the blade? Is that just cosmetic, or is it actually two pieces welded together?

It's ground in two directions, my guess because they want to grind near the button but not into it. My larger Juca has it too.
Though I'm not Dan.

Hi Jeff, I think is just cosmetic.
As Jer pointed out the blade is ground in two directions.
Some of the old criollo knives were done this way and it sort of became a tradition.

There is some speculation as to the reason behind this "differential polishing" exhibited on some traditional gaucho knives.

Some people theorize that the blade had two different levels of harness. A tougher ( not as hard ) portion of the blade and a harder portion with more edge retention ( but less tough ). The contrast in the polishing delineante the two areas.
I think this is mostly a myth.

I consulted an expert and author on criollo knives from Argentina an he does not believe the above to be the case at all.

He believes it was simply because the grinding wheels were not large enough so they did it in two steps.
Also as Jer suggested it makes sense that they would not want to grind into the bolster ( button ).

Here is a couple of old gaucho knives where this "differential polishing" can be seen

My "Pampa", made in Tandil Buenos Aires dated 1963

 

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Maybe someday I'll grow up, but today isn't the day.

Even though the fat heel is more jagdnicker than gaucho, and the pinned bolster isn't either.
Maybe made by Boker?

 

[CelloDan]

Maybe someday I'll grow up, but today isn't the day.

I once tried to grow up but it was no fun at all so I quit
You are doing good Jer

 

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I'm trying mate instead of morning coffee. My stomache is fed up with something, and I think it's coffee.

 

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Maybe caffeine does affect me. I found my synapses a little slow after having two cups of mate instead of five cups of coffee. Research continues.
Sorry, this is a reused pic:

I've ordered a couple of BPS sheathes for the Who-ca and the Nieto, just in case I'm feeling insecure with the original sheathes. Anyway, you can't have too many BPS sheathes.
It's still too cold for the metal handles.

 

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My Chinese Browning gaucho arrived. I didn't know it was going to be Chinese, but it's a good and attractive knife.

The BPS sheathes arrived, too.

The original sheathes are fine for around the house, certainly. When I'm thundering across the Pampas, we'll see how I feel.

 

[kamagong]

Nice. Now I want to see a picture of you wearing all your gaucho knives at once screened porch .

 

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Nice. Now I want to see a picture of you wearing all your gaucho knives at once screened porch .

It might have to be a panorama.
At least most of the Brazilian ones are narrow.

 

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A little old time stuff before I get back to the new one:

I just assumed the Browning handle was plastic, but up close it looks like wood to me. (And antler)

Both Atahualpas, to get us back to Argentina:

 

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And now to Brazil, if CelloDan permits. It's an Eberle, with a 1946 coin worked into the handle. 1946 was the year of their new constitution.
It looks like fancy leather work, but I suspect the handle was cast or pressed, and maybe that isn't a real coin, either.

 

[CelloDan]

Nice Jer !
Share by all means my friend !
I only started this thread. that's all
I am hoping to learn more about criollo and South American knives from the BF community.

Share more pics when you can and any other details you find about it.