Good day to all,
I wanted to recomend a book by an argentinean author Abel Domenech about criollo knives.
The book is "Dagas de Plata" and is the most comprehensive and complete work about gaucho knives I know.
If you what to know about gauchos and their knives this is THE book.
http://www.domenech.com.ar/anuanciodagas.htm
Hope you find it usefull,
Regards,
Manuel QG
Manuel,
Excellent pointer, I'll look to obtain a copy to add to my library.
I've done a bit of research on the categories and would like for you to confirm some of the basic terminology. I'm far from the point of being to understand the differences in style based on the location of manufacture or the school behind the stylist queues.
Facón - dedicated fighting knife, term sometimes used interchangeably with "daga" though generally different by virtue of Facón generally being single edged, sometimes with a false edge or swedge and daga, which are nearly always double edged ("true" daggers). Blade lengths of 15-18" blade most common, sometimes made from a sword or bayonet blade. Typically constructed with Empatilladura, a reinforcement soldered to the handle cross-guard assembly to strengthen the union of hilt and blade, present on most long bladed facones and dagas. S and U shaped guards common.
Daga - nearly always a double edged fighting knife, with U and S type guards. Blade length of 15-18" common. Term sometimes used interchangeably with Facón.
Caronero - considered a subtype of facón. Almost as long as a full sword, carried between the caronas (part of the saddle), thus the name for the weapon. Very short guards or does not any guards, unlike those featured on facón, presumed to be to avoid getting entangled with the saddle upon reaching for the weapon in a hurry. This type of knife/short sword was never popular among gauchos in general, more commonly used by criminals, militia and only infrequently by ordinary gauchos.
Cuchilla - A kind of utility butchers knife with a curving edge and a straight back. Full tang construction typical, rivets but no bolsters. Still in common use at the present time. Some are quite ornate, but for the most part this is a very plain, simple design.
Cuchillo de campo (country knife) - subtype of cuchilla, also full tang construction with slab handles, attached by rivets, wood or antler with a false bolster of brass or nickel silver. Shape of the blade is slimmer to that of cuchilla and similar to puñal.
Puñal Criollo - Also called just "criollo" or "puñal," a general purpose utility tool, some ornate, but most quite simple and sturdy. Slim and elegant spear pointed blade, the presence of an integrally forged bolster or "button" reinforces and divides the blade from it's tang, the use of "cuts" or file marks on the back of the blade and presence of some kind of "notch" in the ricasso of the blade differentiate this style from all others. In Argentina the forged bolster is square, whereas it is more commonly round on Uraguayan and Brazilian puñal criollo.
Gauchos called their knives by different names, paying little attention to their true characteristics but using the names they would have heard from their elders. Thus, a knife was a facón for one person, but the same knife may have been called a daga by another. It is also worth noting that the features which must be present in a specific specimen in order to classify it as a particular type are subject to debate, as there is no definite or rigid pattern or list of characteristics which exactly define each one.
Does the above, which seems fairly basic, appear correct to you?
I'll post some images of examples I've located. The book you pointed me to should perhaps identify the more specific aspects of regional styles and design features unique to specific schools or centers of manufacture.
Warm regards,
-E
