Integral Damascus Cuchillo Gaucho with Blue Maple

Product Description for Integral Damascus Cuchillo Gaucho with Blue Maple

Maker: Mauricio Daletzky (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 102431
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 6.30 in.
Cutting edge length: 6.40 in.
Total length: 11.00 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.29 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.15 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.12 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.04 in.
Item weight: 6.20 oz.
Shipment weight: 11.4 oz.
Blade: Ladder pattern damascus forged to shape from 1070 and 15N20 carbon steels
Bolster: Integral damascus
Handle: Stabilized blue/purple maple
Sheath: Rawhide leather sheath by Horacio Marziali
Description: Mauricio Daletzky is a bladesmith living in the picturesque town of Sauce Viejo, Argentina. He has been working as a bladesmith for over 27 years and creates some of the most dramatic and elegant knives coming from the region. His skill and attention to detail are unrivaled.
Cuchillo gaucho is a generic term for a style of knife characteristic of the gauchos, horsemen of the plains of South America -- principally Argentina, of mestizo (mixed Spanish and Indian) heritage. Analogous to the cowboy of the American West and the Mexican vaquero, the gauchos were mounted cattlemen initially living and working in vast undeveloped areas at the fringes of "civilization". Aside from its obvious potential as a weapon in duels, which were to mark rather than kill an adversary the cuchillo gaucho has a reputation as a truly multi-purpose tool and was used for tasks as diverse as slaughtering and skinning cattle, working leather, cutting wood, and making adobe bricks. In the wilderness, the gaucho could listen for distant approaches by sticking his knife into the ground and pressing an ear against its hilt. The knife was the gaucho's primary eating utensil: a large chunk of meat would be placed in the mouth and the excess cut off with an upward stroke of the knife, stopping short of amputation of the nose. Afterwards, it would serve as a toothpick. And, of course, in the gaucho's twilight in the 20th century, its use as a can opener was inevitable.
This elegant cuchillo gaucho shows Daletzky's work at its best. The blade and integral bolster were forged from his own ladder pattern damascus, beginning with 1070 and 15N20 carbon steels. The undulating pattern is perfectly controlled and shows his considerable skills in the forge. The blade is heat treated to Hrc 58-59 for optimal edge holding. Creating an integral bolster shows tremendous skill. The blade is distal tapered for a perfect sense of balance.
The handle is presentation grade blue/purple dyed and stabilized maple. The handle is completed with a damascus pommel.
This exquisite knife is accompanied by a traditional Argentinian rawhide leather sheath.
Tremendous work throughout!


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