Hi, I am from Uruguay, and also here being neighbors with Argentina, Uruguayan gauchos still use the Facon to this day. In fact all over the region is still used, that includes the south of Brazil too. I would recomend a book named “Del facon al bowie” by Abel Domenech. Even though it is in Spanish, provides a good look at Facones and knives in general. Cheers
Little known fact, even North American Bowie fighting historically had influences from fencing. Gaucho facón, caronero, etc, were made in the same spirit as Bowie, but also hundreds of years of fighting knives that doubled as kitchen knives. For much of human history, civilians in Europe could not own weapons, but everyone uses a knife for cooking Gaucho fighting, however, does not only draw from earlier knife fencing, but also sword fencing techniques, like using a cloth, cape, poncho, in one's off hand to blind or grab the weapon of your opponent. Probably one of the best martial arts to learn in the modern world.
Well said! I'm fascinated seeing these cross-cultural evolutions of martial systems over the centuries, but here we have live pragmatic application of a fighting system using common implements! It's something I've been looking for.
I am a little surprised that no one has said this yet, but the purpose of the Facon, is to get others to Facoff. Really enjoy your channel, you really manage to fill a niche in the sword community with your discussions of functional self defense!
To this day, many facón blades are made in Solingen Germany. Many Facón and Caronero blades would look like German messer, hangers and hunting swords because of this. Many Facón were also made from scraps of broken swords or machetes, much like American bowies
I've never seen one of your videos before, I was just looking for something about the facon in general - but this was a surprisingly excellent presentation! So informative! Thanks!
Thanks! Definitely check out Jorge Prina's channel. Esgrima Criolla is pretty impressive from a pragmatic standpoint, as is North American Bowie. I'm currently working on my "Big Martial Knife" series, comparing North and South American knife arts with HEMA and East Asian knife and sword arts.
Hi Michael, great video and interesting analysis, that knife is specifically called "macho" or "cuchillo de cintura" (waist knife), usually called facon being a creole knife. Greetings!!!
Thanks for the good information! And thanks especially for all you do to preserve and promote Esgrima Criolla! The best thing buying this knife did was to introduce me to traditional Argentine martial arts, which are very practical, intelligent and impressive. (Your book and channel are also excellent!) Thanks for reaching out!
It's a unique blade wit the design have a lot of history and I like unique blade , especially larger fighting style blade ,once it has the right blade edge it will be a formidable knive with out a question. ⚔️🐊⚔️🐊⚔️
You could make a big kitchen knife work if it was what you had handy or you were in a particularly restrictive place. Very popular weapon-of-opportunity. Hmmm... Should I start evaluating kitchen cutlery as weapons?
I found this blade a bit too wide. Probably similar to trade knives or scalp knives oversize. The real ones can be from 8 to 35 cm of blade. About the caronero knife Jorge Prina compared the one of a famous bandit from old times with the sword of the spanish Cid and was almost the same . My geandfather witnessed the last duel at the frontier between Uruguay and Brasil, may be 1930.
I think Cold Steel did their thing and made it very oversized. The real ones I've seen since are indeed a lot more compact and utility useful, where the big fighting Facon Jorge uses looks like it was converted out of a big bayonet, like a bladed Sai.
@@michaelrizzo5523 I don't know if you can buy online, but here in Uruguay these knives still being made in Solingen steel with different handle materials. You can search Franz Wenk wich are the best or Fanacu from here. Argentinians shines forging in 5160. Just saying if some collectors have interest. Received a big argentinian facon as a gift when married and then give it to a friend in New Zealand. My edc is a Cold Steel voyager now, the smaller
It is a shame that cold steel makes such a nice design but then puts such a bad edge on it. I have the bark river edwin forest which seems like a similar design done in A2 steel and has a very nice convex grind.
I know this is an older video but I have been watching the back catalog since I only discovered your channel recently. One thought I had is that the use of a poncho in conjunction with the knife seems very relevant in a modern context just substituting a jacket for the poncho.
Absolutely! They basically evolved this from older European Sword and Cape, but a jacket or coat would work fine (maybe better if there are hard buttons, zippers, pull beads or objects in pockets). I may need to get a wool poncho and do comparisons with different outerwear.
Thats more of a Dayak people (of Indonesia) thing. They also made trophies of human skulls. Lots of swords made with human bone and hair parts, as well as other exotic animals
Gauchos weren't cannibals. Most or all of them were Christians, and of mixed European and Native Argentinian descent. They generally worked as cattle drivers or farmhands. The facón looks like a cooking knife because that was its most common use in everyday life.
Yes! There is a short-ish straight-bladed sword called a Caronero carried on the saddle, and Jorge Prina uses a big Facon that looks like a bayonet with a crescent guard, like a bladed sai.
@@michaelrizzo5523 I guess I will have to check out Jorge. I was for years into different martial arts until old age and arthritis has taken it's toll on me. But I still have a huge collection of arms from around the world, but mostly for looking and talking about and remembering. Thanks for getting back to me. I'm gonna subscribe now and then go find this Jorge fella.
@@JamesThomas-gg6il Here's a link to his book on Amazon, definitely worth the read, has a lot that will be familiar to the student of HEMA and other blade arts: www.amazon.com/dp/B099C47LW4?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Good question! So far I've only heard that the CS Laredo and Natchez have this "shock absorbing feature". I'm still not sure how terrified I should be of it. I haven't tried to take this one apart or done any serious chopping with it yet.
I was a romur saying that but no one has made any real claims of it to be a fact as of yet and if it isn't there never will be. I hope it's not a cable tang because I think it is a very good looking wedding cake cutting blade and defense tool 🔥🔥🔥⚔️🔥🔥🔥
The real gaucho knife is rat tail full tang but the power is bring by the bolster. And having the stronger point in the bolster or button wich most times is another metal added, the blade flexes about the middle and the handle absorbs shock. Used by the gauchos to chop and breaking is not known
Hi, I am from Uruguay, and also here being neighbors with Argentina, Uruguayan gauchos still use the Facon to this day. In fact all over the region is still used, that includes the south of Brazil too. I would recomend a book named “Del facon al bowie” by Abel Domenech. Even though it is in Spanish, provides a good look at Facones and knives in general.
Cheers
Super Präsentation 👌😁Grüße aus Germany 🇩🇪
Little known fact, even North American Bowie fighting historically had influences from fencing.
Gaucho facón, caronero, etc, were made in the same spirit as Bowie, but also hundreds of years of fighting knives that doubled as kitchen knives. For much of human history, civilians in Europe could not own weapons, but everyone uses a knife for cooking
Gaucho fighting, however, does not only draw from earlier knife fencing, but also sword fencing techniques, like using a cloth, cape, poncho, in one's off hand to blind or grab the weapon of your opponent.
Probably one of the best martial arts to learn in the modern world.
Well said! I'm fascinated seeing these cross-cultural evolutions of martial systems over the centuries, but here we have live pragmatic application of a fighting system using common implements! It's something I've been looking for.
I am a little surprised that no one has said this yet, but the purpose of the Facon, is to get others to Facoff.
Really enjoy your channel, you really manage to fill a niche in the sword community with your discussions of functional self defense!
To this day, many facón blades are made in Solingen Germany. Many Facón and Caronero blades would look like German messer, hangers and hunting swords because of this.
Many Facón were also made from scraps of broken swords or machetes, much like American bowies
I've never seen one of your videos before, I was just looking for something about the facon in general - but this was a surprisingly excellent presentation! So informative! Thanks!
Thanks! Definitely check out Jorge Prina's channel. Esgrima Criolla is pretty impressive from a pragmatic standpoint, as is North American Bowie. I'm currently working on my "Big Martial Knife" series, comparing North and South American knife arts with HEMA and East Asian knife and sword arts.
Great review 👍
Thanks!
You might find the saca trepas interesting.
Similar to the Alfajor. I should probably look for one for my exploration of Esgrima Criolla
Hi Michael, great video and interesting analysis, that knife is specifically called "macho" or "cuchillo de cintura" (waist knife), usually called facon being a creole knife. Greetings!!!
Thanks for the good information! And thanks especially for all you do to preserve and promote Esgrima Criolla! The best thing buying this knife did was to introduce me to traditional Argentine martial arts, which are very practical, intelligent and impressive. (Your book and channel are also excellent!) Thanks for reaching out!
It's a unique blade wit the design have a lot of history and I like unique blade , especially larger fighting style blade ,once it has the right blade edge it will be a formidable knive with out a question. ⚔️🐊⚔️🐊⚔️
0:11 insert Michal Myers reference here lol 🤣
You could make a big kitchen knife work if it was what you had handy or you were in a particularly restrictive place. Very popular weapon-of-opportunity. Hmmm... Should I start evaluating kitchen cutlery as weapons?
@@michaelrizzo5523 you should
@@outlawsamurai47 The wheels are turning...
I found this blade a bit too wide. Probably similar to trade knives or scalp knives oversize. The real ones can be from 8 to 35 cm of blade. About the caronero knife Jorge Prina compared the one of a famous bandit from old times with the sword of the spanish Cid and was almost the same . My geandfather witnessed the last duel at the frontier between Uruguay and Brasil, may be 1930.
I think Cold Steel did their thing and made it very oversized. The real ones I've seen since are indeed a lot more compact and utility useful, where the big fighting Facon Jorge uses looks like it was converted out of a big bayonet, like a bladed Sai.
@@michaelrizzo5523 I don't know if you can buy online, but here in Uruguay these knives still being made in Solingen steel with different handle materials. You can search Franz Wenk wich are the best or Fanacu from here. Argentinians shines forging in 5160. Just saying if some collectors have interest. Received a big argentinian facon as a gift when married and then give it to a friend in New Zealand. My edc is a Cold Steel voyager now, the smaller
It is a shame that cold steel makes such a nice design but then puts such a bad edge on it. I have the bark river edwin forest which seems like a similar design done in A2 steel and has a very nice convex grind.
I've heard that one is very good.
outstanding bark river is top notch although a little over $300
@@michaelrizzo5523
I know this is an older video but I have been watching the back catalog since I only discovered your channel recently.
One thought I had is that the use of a poncho in conjunction with the knife seems very relevant in a modern context just substituting a jacket for the poncho.
Absolutely! They basically evolved this from older European Sword and Cape, but a jacket or coat would work fine (maybe better if there are hard buttons, zippers, pull beads or objects in pockets). I may need to get a wool poncho and do comparisons with different outerwear.
I wonder if cannibalism lends to it looking like a cooking knife 😅🔪
Thats more of a Dayak people (of Indonesia) thing. They also made trophies of human skulls. Lots of swords made with human bone and hair parts, as well as other exotic animals
I've found the few Argentinians I've met over the years to be far more civilized than that, but definitely an LOL here 😊
Gauchos weren't cannibals. Most or all of them were Christians, and of mixed European and Native Argentinian descent. They generally worked as cattle drivers or farmhands. The facón looks like a cooking knife because that was its most common use in everyday life.
£200 in Britain for what is little more than a carving knife, I can buy 5 Sabattiers for that
Yup, that's pretty outrageous. I'd be really selective if I had to deal with that kind of inflation, and there certainly are more practical choices.
Here is probably a stupid question, but wouldnt gauchos probably have had espadas also?
Yes! There is a short-ish straight-bladed sword called a Caronero carried on the saddle, and Jorge Prina uses a big Facon that looks like a bayonet with a crescent guard, like a bladed sai.
@@michaelrizzo5523 I guess I will have to check out Jorge. I was for years into different martial arts until old age and arthritis has taken it's toll on me. But I still have a huge collection of arms from around the world, but mostly for looking and talking about and remembering. Thanks for getting back to me. I'm gonna subscribe now and then go find this Jorge fella.
@@JamesThomas-gg6il Here's a link to his book on Amazon, definitely worth the read, has a lot that will be familiar to the student of HEMA and other blade arts: www.amazon.com/dp/B099C47LW4?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
@@michaelrizzo5523 thanks man, I'm binging your videos now.
I think Jorge Prina Channel is Esgrima Criolla
My edge was junky to , they should do better !
They've been a gamble edge-wise: sometimes great, sometimes awful.
Messer Facon
Cable Tang❓
Good question! So far I've only heard that the CS Laredo and Natchez have this "shock absorbing feature". I'm still not sure how terrified I should be of it. I haven't tried to take this one apart or done any serious chopping with it yet.
I was a romur saying that but no one has made any real claims of it to be a fact as of yet and if it isn't there never will be.
I hope it's not a cable tang because I think it is a very good looking wedding cake cutting blade and defense tool 🔥🔥🔥⚔️🔥🔥🔥
The real gaucho knife is rat tail full tang but the power is bring by the bolster. And having the stronger point in the bolster or button wich most times is another metal added, the blade flexes about the middle and the handle absorbs shock. Used by the gauchos to chop and breaking is not known
@@wavepropulsion1 Thank You for The Information. I did not know that.
@@powerplay4real174 Fear The Cake that You Cannot Cut With It.