Centenary knife.

Herder. Germany. Circa 1910/1917.

Handle made of blond buffalo antlers, metal and silver, with a groove that runs in the shape of a spiral, where a metal band is housed. Its leather scabbard, with the imprints of a print on the front, carries a smooth metal locket and frog stud, as well as the chape that ends in a ball. Measurements. Blade length: 16.8 cm / 6.61 in. Total length: 29.7 cm / 8.54 in.

Its stylized bowie-shaped blade is presented with the factory-polished edge and back edge and otherwise with an acid etching of grape leaves and bunches of grapes; the mark and in a circle, the sphinx of Liberty. Probably designed for sale in our country, in celebration of the Centennial of the May Revolution and the Declaration of Independence, given the allegorical figure included. In a catalog of the brand we find the design of the cape, scabbard and blade -model 1000-, but without the acid etching or the representation of the Liberty sphinx, a variant that was undoubtedly manufactured in a special production. Along the same lines, but with the representation of the national coat of arms, other variants of knives -called "daggers"- were also made to be sold in our country.

The origin of the firm Herder, from Solingen, Germany, dates back to the 17th century, when they began to forge swords and knives. In the following century -in 1727- they registered the ace of spade as the emblem of the house, and it was Friedrich Herder one of its most prominent owners, who placed his name in the company name in 1841, which continued after his death in 1887 already under the corporate control of his son-in-law, Gustav Weyersberg, another surname of old knife-smiths in Solingen. Robert Retamar in his recent book indicates that in 1908, Carl Weyersberg opened a headquarters in Buenos Aires, whose representative -R. Dudwing- was domiciled at 223-233 Florida Street. (1)

Note:

1. Robert Retamar: Sarandí 250. Cutlery and silverware in Uruguay in the 19th and 20th centuries. Author's Edition, 2020, p. 68.

S. On. 6. L19