Gaucho Knife is popularly used in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. It is considered to be an essential weapon and tool of the Gaucho. It is normally combined with a metal casing and handgrip. Gaucho knife consists of a huge, heavy, and strong blade that falls between the lengths of 25cm to 51 cm.

Background of Gaucho Knife

The gaucho knife is used as both a utility and a fighting knife. Without permission to carry swords around, the Spanish Caballeros decided to use the gaucho knives, especially in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, to protect themselves. Eventually, the gaucho knife was taken up by the rural men in Uruguay and Argentina. It later was used in numerous fights, and it also led to murders. Since these knives were included in awful crimes and bloody wars, they were gradually forbidden in Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina.

After the changes made in the 19th century, the demand for handguns increased exponentially. Since then, the use of the gaucho knives has declined completely in close-ranged fights. However, many people, or commonly referred to as Gaucho, kept continuing to wear these gaucho knives. However, most of them used it for cutting meat or as a utility knife. Sometimes it was still used to settle a score or for fights of honour.

Overview

The Gaucho was referred to as the free people or men that travelled freely and without any personal place to settle down, no personal things, and no limits or boundaries. As an incredible hunter, wild cattle hunter, no owner, and no permanent job, he favoured being a sinful rider traveling through the huge and silent plains. The appearance of the Gaucho first occurred in the regions of Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina.

The Gauchos never recognized the law or the king or the patron. They were committed to a life filled with crimes like robberies and other felonies. Sometimes, their need was also needed for hunting wild cows and getting their skin. It helped in putting on hold on the pursuit of the law. However, they started to hunt wild cattle without any permission solely for their gain. It was also noticed that the Gaucho normally used a weapon which was then called the “big knife” since they had a long knife but were too short to be referred to as sword and too big to be referred to as knives. So, they were eventually referred to as Gaucho knives.

Around the 1890s, the image of the Gaucho was recreated. This time a positive image was created that replaced the bad image of the earlier ages. The use of the gaucho knives also declined over the ages for any fights or a sinful act.

Types of Gaucho Knives

In the early times, the Gaucho used several different types of knives, including the gaucho knives. Since the gauchos were not literate, they gave different names to their knives depending on the length, shape, design, and the customer. The original characteristics of the knives were not taken into consideration. Therefore, these knives might have been Gaucho for one person, but the same knife might have been referred to as falcon for another. Besides, these knives normally have no permanent or distinctive features.

The four types of knives include facon, daga, punal, and cuchilla. In ancient times, the weapon originally used for fighting were the facon and data. At the same time, the cuchilla and the punal were used for numerous purposes. These knives also have subtypes based on the differences between the delicate designs, size, and so on. The Gauchos, despite their Spanish originality, they never liked the folding blades. Instead, they preferred the knives with fixed long blades.

Eventually, the usage of the silver and gold decorated knives increased. It normally belonged to the ranch and the landowners since these knives were comparatively expensive back then. The demand for these stylish silvers designed knives spread rapidly amongst the gauchos. These decorated and expensive knives represented power and rank.

The falcon is a type of gaucho knives that is solely used as a fighting weapon. The length of the blade ranges between 15 to 18 inches. This blade is normally created or built using a part of an original sword or bayonet. The data is similar to that of the falcon. The characteristic that distinguishes it from a falcon is its slim and long blade that is double-edged.

Whereas, the cuchilla is a knife that is used as a butcher’s knife. It has a long and straight back along with a curvy edge.

Also, the integrally Forged Bolster is the blades that have a unique type of tang that stays coupled with the knife’s handle. The bolster comes in many shapes as well.