Help with identification

[LokiFalkor]

Ok, I've searched and can't find a concrete answer. This was on my local craigslist advertised as a Mexican fighting knife from the 40's. It looked cool to me so I had to have it. The first thing that pops up is a worthpoint article with a similar one saying the same so that's probably where my seller got his story from. then you search some more on ebay sold and search tempest you find others that are similar.

Steel blade - roughly ground, like my bench grinder sharpens my mower better. Probably a car leaf spring. Etching on one side says 'Mexico' and on the other has an image I think of two trees with a house between them. The handle is aluminum (probably smelted beer cans - lol) and appears to be a snake eating it's tail - not an eagle eating a snake as I've seen on others. Probably some cow bone inserts.

So, I don't care what it's worth - I'd really like to know it's story. were these really fighting knives that people dueled with, or cheap roadside souvenirs sold across the border to unsuspecting tourists? If its the latter I might try to grind the blade better, replace the inserts, and polish the handle. It's still looks cool to me.

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[tltt]

Mexican tourist knife from Oaxaca region, circa mid 50's - 70's. These sold through men's magazines by importers, usually in California for $5-9 depending on the year. Seaport Traders of California was a major dealer in them for them, and the infamous lion's head kukries. The Mexican knives were available in the snake d-guard version, the eagle model, and a version with a really odd looking knight's helmet.

Just as an aside, Seaport Traders would become more famous for selling Oswald the cut down revolver he carried after he shot Kennedy.

Here's an old ad -

.

The Eagle Mexican Bowie version is shown there, and Oswald's revolver is right across from it.

 

[LokiFalkor]

Thank you so much - I appreciate it. I guess it's not a relic and now I'll have no guilt customizing it a bit.

 

[tltt]

A couple of other things on Mexican knives. If you ever see the 1974 Peckinpah film "Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia", there's a scene in it where the main character buys a machete in the market. If you slow the film down, you see lots of these aluminum tourist knives being sold.

Also there is a surprisingly mean film noir from 1949 called "Border Incident", where one of the bad guys carries a giant "Scorpion Tail / Tip" bowie which was one of more commoner Mexican knives just before these aluminum models came on the scene.

Just mentioning it because it's fresh in my head .

 

[LokiFalkor]

Damn - I've been googling for days finding the same 5 knives and you guys give me history and references in 5 minutes. Thank you.