Mosaic Damascus Keyhole Gaucho Knife With River Red Gum

Product for Mosaic Damascus Keyhole Gaucho Knife with River Red Gum

Maker: Andrew Blomfield, J.S. (click to see more by this maker)

Price: $1,800.00

Item num: 108637

*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 7.70 in.
Cutting edge length: 7.70 in.
Total length: 13.10 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.70 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.18 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.14 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.03 in.
Item weight: 9.20 oz.
Shipment weight: 18.2 oz.
Blade: Mosaic damascus forged from 1084 and 15n20 carbon steels
Bolster: Integral mosaic damascus
Handle: River red gum
Sheath: Leather custom sheath with ostrich leather inlay

: This dramatic cuchillo gaucho is the work of Andrew Blomfield. Andrew hails from New South Wales, Australia and became an American Bladesmith Society Journeyman Smith in June 2022. I was tremendously excited when I was introduced to his work by fellow countryman Bruce Barnett. Blomfield brings a level of skill that is extremely rare, as shown in this sole-authorship Keyhole Gaucho knife.
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.
The blade and integral bolster are forged from Blomfield’s own mosaic damascus, combining 1084 and 15n20 carbon steels for excellent edge holding. The complex pattern is particularly dramatic and draws attention from afar. The blade is flat ground and razor sharp. Because this knife is forged from carbon steels, we recommend using camellia oil to protect the blade and natural wood handle.
The blade moves into an integral bolster, ensuring superior durability and strength. The bolster features a keyhole fitup to the wood handle. All fitting was done by hand, showing a tremendous amount of skill and precision (not to mention patience!). Creating a keyhole bolster is particularly difficult and leaves plenty of room for error and bad fittings.
The handle is stabilized river red gum wood. River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) is endemic to Australia and is highly sought after for its rich red tones and considerable durability. The contoured handle feels exceptional.
To keep the knife close at hand, a hand stitched leather custom sheath with a ostrich skin inlay is included.
Excellent work throughout!

Availability: In stock. Usually ships in 1-2 business days