Mexican knife

[Walhalark]

I'm going to travel to mexico this summer i'd like to know if there is a typical mexican knife to buy.
If yes, any good adress wherever in mexico?

 

[oldgranpa]

I picked up a nice Italian made switchblade (for souvenier use only) when I was in Nogales several years ago. Many stores had them plus all kinds of other knives. Probably any place you go will be the same along the border. They love the American tourist money. Just keep the knife in your pocket when you come back across the border and don't mention it.
Good luck,
og

 

[Jeff Clark]

I would not try and bring a switchblade into the USA. Back when they caught me doing it all the members of my group got strip searched. They got sort of mad at me. If you travel by airplane and bypass the USA your problem would be air travel regulations.

The best Mexican knives that I have bought were Mexican Bowie knives. There are a lot of cheap ones out there so you have to avoid the regular tourist shops. I got a nice one from a knifemaker with a stall in the primary mercado in Guadalajara, but that was many years ago. If Don Luis reads this thread he could probably make a much better suggestion. Mexican Bowie knives typically have an eagle head on the pommel and horn or stone grips. The blade is likely to have more curves than a US made style.

 

[Don Luis]

The best Mexican knives that I have bought were Mexican Bowie knives. There are a lot of cheap ones out there so you have to avoid the regular tourist shops. I got a nice one from a knifemaker with a stall in the primary mercado in Guadalajara, but that was many years ago. If Don Luis reads this thread he could probably make a much better suggestion. Mexican Bowie knives typically have an eagle head on the pommel and horn or stone grips. The blade is likely to have more curves than a US made style.

Like Jeff said, the Mexican Bowie with convex grind forged from automotive springs, stacked horn handle with a brass pommel, usualy in an eagle shape, often with some phrase acid etched, I have one that reads "por la buena seré noble" (something like "if I am treated nice I will be noble").

A good place to get this typical knives is Oaxaca city, as Oaxaca has a long time tradition in forging knives and machetes.

Another place with knife forging tradition is Sayula in Jalisco, these are the knives that you could get in Guadalajara and may be more modern in style, check this link to see some knives made there by José Ojeda:

http://cultura.iteso.mx/c3/03a/metalisteria.html