Integral Feather Damascus Engraved Cuchillo Gaucho with Curly Koa

Product Description for Integral Feather Damascus Engraved Cuchillo Gaucho with Curly Koa

Maker: Mauricio Daletzky (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 104304
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 7.50 in.
Cutting edge length: 7.50 in.
Total length: 12.20 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.32 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.20 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.16 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.03 in.
Item weight: 8.40 oz.
Shipment weight: 16.8 oz.
Blade: Feather pattern damascus forged from 1070 and 15n20 carbon steels
Bolster: Integral damascus
Handle: Stabilized exhibition grade curly koa with damascus fittings and heat colored zirconium spacers
Sheath: Matching stabilized curly koa with damascus fittings
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. His work has become widely popular here in the US. Daletzky had the honor of earning the Best Art Knife at the 2021 Blade Show (one of the most prestigious awards of the knife-year) which is a huge accomplishment and a testament to his skills!
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 feather pattern damascus, combining 1070 and 15n20 carbon steels. The complex damascus pattern moves seamlessly from the blade and into the carved integral bolster. The spine is inlaid with fine silver and meticulously engraved. The blade is heat treated to Hrc 58-59 for an optimal compromise between edge holding and toughness. Daletzy's maker's mark is inlaid in fine silver into the left side of the blade.
The handle is stabilized curly koa. This is as good as koa gets, with a tight, undulating curl. The handle is finished with a damascus pommel and heat colored zirconium spacers. The damascus frame in inlaid with fine silver and also meticulously engraved. The knife feels exceptional in hand and has perfect balance -- it is a knife you won't want to put down!
To protect the knife during storage, a sheath made from matching stabilized curly koa is included. Like the handle, it also features damascus and zirconium fittings.
Exceptional work throughout!


Availability: Not currently available