How to make a Maquahuitl, Part 3
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- This completes the series. The final blades removed from the core are shown, the blades are set into the Maquahuitl and secured with Pine pitch adhesive and the weapon is finished with linseed oil. For more about this weapon check out www.Maquahuitl.co.uk. Paul has done an incredible amount of research on Maquahuitl's and there are numerous pics of the various Meso American codex's showing the depictions of the weapon.
If you ever made these aztec swords I'd be a customer just as I know many others would.
Wow it looks great !, more realistic than others, I am Hispanic, I see other videos but this is one of these that you can feel the artisan magic, we believe that the Aztecs hit the shields with the part without obsidian, destabilizing the opponent, when the opponent lost the shield they hit with a hammer type mov and pulling back with the obsidian part.
and yes the weapons was two types one handed, and two handed.
Thanks
Aztecs were not Hispanic and the descendants aren't either they're still around
You have a very soothing voice, sir.
Thanks very much for this wonderful, Im an Archaeology major and was spellbound, keep up the great work, I think its great that you explained both modern and indigenous technique. You obviously have a great deal of appreciation for past cultures.
The way the light shines through the blades is beautiful. I wouldn't be surprised if there were poems about it.
It is an awesome weapon, thanks
Man, just because you want to be like everyone else and have a dull life with little excitement doesn't mean everyone has to be just like you.
It was a lot of fun to watch an artisan make an ancient weapon from start to finish using (mostly) traditional techniques. I really enjoyed the video. Those 50 minutes really flew by. Thanks for sharing.
Now that's a weapon! I can imagine that being unleashed on someone! Beautiful work of art Jim! Thanks for sharing with us!
incredible! im an archaeologist in Chihuahua and im a knapper too, but here we cant find good raw material here, ii amire your work, and your videos teach me a lot of new things, im a huge fan! keep knapping!
You sir.... ROCK! I stumbled onto your videos (I'm not sure how) and I am deeply impressed. A beautiful finished project that reflects all of your patience, care and hard work. WELL DONE.
very good. A lot of time and skill went into crafting this historical replica. The last one of these was destroyed in a fire at the Madrid museum in around 1821 at the time of Mexican independence from Spain. No examples exist but thanks to the passion of craftsmen like this man we can still imagine and remember the roots of mezoamerican history. Having seen how long this took and the skill required I would probably not attempt it. Its great that someone has. Thank you greatly.
It's such a fine weapon, I could have never imagined all the work that had to be put into making one.
Yes! I have made a lot of weapons but there is something really awesome about the Maquahuitl!
Just a quick note to say thanks again for the completely finished Maquahuitl. I guess the advantage of the longer weapons is if part of a blade was to snap there's still plenty to be able to continue to use it.
Take care and many thanks
mrbluenun
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with us, i have been trying to make a Maquahuitl for a long time, but even though I'm from Mexico, i didn't have the slightest idea of how to make the obsidian flakes or glued them in the traditional way.
I really appreciate your tutorial, and i would like to congratulate you for your work, your Maquahuitl is a beautiful piece of art.
Dvmah Saigo Thanks! The obsidian blade making is the most difficult part of the weapon to make, that is for sure. Some of the blades that the Mayans and central Americans made were of exceptional quality and must have been made by full time blade makers. Incredible skill they possessed!
probably the best three videos I've ever watched on UA-cam! this was seriously awesome
Thanks!!
I know an old video but still amazing work man, I may even decide to build my own after seeing your set of videos, truly a very unique weapon and I can only imagine very intimidating to see on a battlefield.
Unlike a sword that was used for stabbing, the Maquahuitl was swung more like an axe in a chopping motion. Also, as depicted in the Mayan Codex these weapons were used in conjunction with a shield. The end with no blades was probably used to push the shield away in an effort to get in a good swing. The blades are extremely sharp, but also very fragile, so the soldier had to protect the blades during battle.....
Wow. Amazing series. That looks like it could be part of a museum display.
I'm sure you know the episode where Bernal Diaz describes how a warrior of the Tlaxcalans almost chopping off the head of a horse. Archaeologists have not found a single one Macuahuitl. But you've take it out of the darkness of history, drawn out into the light. It is wonderful to see this legendary weapon. I am very happy!
Thanks, I had a lot of fun making them. I think the horse story is probably true, especially if the warrior was using one of the long types of Maquahuitl....
One of these weapons were found but sadly the last known one was destroyed in the Madrid fire many years ago.
Frankie Hernandez Very sad!
Thanks, I really like this weapon too....has a great feel in the hand
I think/thought that many of the Pacific Islander peoples also made, and used similar primitive weapons. (Hawaii, New Zealand, New Guinea, etc.) What an amazing weapon technology! = totally handmade, from naturally found local materials, and only requiring some knowledge, and skill in rendering the materials into the proper form. Another EXCELLENT Video!!! Thank You!!!
hey man ive been watching your videos and have learned alot! just wanted to take the time to thank you as you took the time to post the videos. i have been knapping for a few months and im hooked! ive got a good supply of Texas flint but the honey hole aint easy to get to, provides a good work out along with the hobby. anyway im having a good time with this hobby thanks for the influence.
Awesome tutorial , for a second there I thought you were going to decapitate that good looking cactus...lol....Thanks for sharing,beautiful work...Rich in Tx.
really great set of videos. It's great to see a practiced hand at work.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks
Very well done! I have to admit i'm very skeptical of Deadliest Warrior's test with this kind of weapon; in that test, the blades just seemed far too brittle to be of any use in a long campaign. I assume that the blades were knapped or sculpted with a very robust edge geometry to ensure practical usability. In addition, the lost Madrid specimen suggests a much more manageable and subtle weapon with a much finer point of balance, unlike the "sharpened baseball bat" we've come to expect from representational manuscripts. Once again, beautiful work!
Thanks! I saw the test done on Deadliest Warrior. The blades were not even close to being prismatic blades and not up to the standards of blade making that the Meso Americans utilized. I suspect the real Maquahuitl's were far better constructed than my replication as well. The authentic maquahuitl's were no doubt very effective weapons....
Maybe they had different fighting tactics to use the sword than to swing it full force
@@crazycaravan4773 Youre in oblivion. These puppies properly made would chop off a horses head with one clean swing. I never heard of any other sharp instrument capable of doing such clean decap.
@@c.c.c.7756 yeah you're right maybe there has to be a way to keep the obsidian shards still intact with one swing at a horses' neck
@@crazycaravan4773 medieval records exist from native an spanish cultures.
Very awesome its very neat to see the craftsmanship that went into making one of these.....your videos are always fun to watch ..... :)
That is one beautiful weapon simply a great job. I have seen them many places but have never seen one made. Great video thanks for sharing.
Smart and talented man. I found these videos really interesting. Thanks for sharing.
That was absolutely amazing, really impressive.
Awesome job! I was thinking your were gonna chop that cactus in half.
Traces of pine pitch, native bees wax, copal, and many ahesives made from orchids and other materials have been found on meso artifacts. I know the mountains of Mexico do have pine trees although I am not sure about further south. I spent a few days in Guatemala and dont recall seeing pine trees, not sure though....
I understand the obsessing over a project.. I hope we get to see the other ones you plan on making! Also, thanks for pronuncing the word maquahuitl. I would have never figured out how to say the word correctly. I forever would have said something close to "macaroni-el and my wife would be continually raising her eyebrows at me... even more then usual.
I get most of my obsidian from Oregon. The obsidian on this video came from Davis Creek rainbow pits. The rainbow obsidian works fairly well for blade making so long as you dont go against the grain or bands of the stone....
Good question. It is thought that they may have used some type of gum instead of resin as an adhesive to secure the blades. Pine pitch adhesive works ok and secures the blades very well, but it would be difficult to replace damaged blades. The soldiers must have replaced many broken blades after each battle. A good gum would seem to be preferable for easy blade changing and would probably be strong enough as well.....
Excellent videos! worth every minute. This was exactly was I was looking for. Currently making a 1/6th version but now will have to look into a 1:1 :D
Thank you very much for sharing this information sir.
Very nice work. Thanks for sharing. I find that using fire to burn of loose fibers from my cordage works best. It looks better and helps prevent tangling when wrapping something. Thanks for all the info videos!
I know this video is old, but I must say that your Macuahuitl has to be one of the most beautiful and accurate reproductions I've ever seen. Usually with reproductions you see ugly flint flint knapped squares being haphazardly glued to a plank of wood, making it look as tho the Mezo Americans were these barbaric tribes with crude weapons thrown together with whatever they could find, where as in reality they were a very intelligent people.
Absolutely, the people of the past were highly skilled and true masters of their crafts. The blades the Mezo Americans made were at a level of quality that I was never able to reach, it would take years of constant blade making to match them. The same goes for bifaces, some of them show incredible skill. The Macuahuitl project was a lot of fun and I learned a lot, thanks.
Beautiful work. I love all of your videos!
They came out beautiful
That looks great.I thought you were going to do a demo on one of your catus.Great project,Thanks for sharing.
Excellent! This is extremely well done.
Thanks, glad you liked it, I had a lot of fun making those and it was a learning experience for me as well
Dammit Jim! you're making me one!
Thanks Dan, I have really enjoyed watching your videos as well. Yeah, I spent quite a few nights dreaming about this weapon also, almost a Maquahuitl madness or something. I am planning on making at least 2 more, one I'll carve a design on and the other some sort of paint scheme. ....jim
Amazing! Did any other societies in history make these? I'm thinking of all the work that went into this weapon. You need a person to make the blades, the bat, the pitch, store the blades, carry them on a campaign, replace broken blades etc etc. These were expensive weapons. Proportionally more expensive then firearms.
this really does look more like the one in that "photograph" with the samurai armor absolutly brutal
Watch Jims beginning flintknapping vids. The best starter vids ever!
Yes. I cannot wear gloves and do quality work. Feeling the stone is essential to me for successful flake removals. When the stone is supported and help properly cuts are very rare, and usually limited to minor small finger cuts. I have never had a cut severe enough to require stitches....
Do the eyelets on the end serve any purpose during combat? That thing is beautiful and intimidating, i wouldn't want to get hit with it!
thanks for this series, i thoroughly enjoyed it.i would not want to be up against that in battle!
I collect my obsidian from Oregon and use a hammerstone to preform it into a core. Then I use a chest crutch I made to remove pressure blades from the core, as shown in part 2 of the series....
Great vids! I watched this before bed and I dreamed about maquahuitls all night. I dreamt I kept getting cut up just by touching the weapon. wierd... You are a true artist and craftsman! Couldnt like these vids enough! Thanks. Dan
Looks awesome man! :D I bet that thing looks great on display.
laucorn123 Thanks, I have them displayed on the walls, great home protection too!
It's an absolute beauty. Since I saw the video for the first time, I wanted to make my own. Mine would include carvings and I'm afrait this would take so much time I'll never do it. Nevertheless, great job!
It is a big job, took me around 40 hours to make each one, but a good journey
powerful, strong, simple and beauty weapon
Many thanks for the upload and the amazing number of 'knives' from the core. I have only tried this once but just could not get the 'trimmed knife blades' to go anything like the same snap and length. Guess it just takes years to practice and realise when you can or can't start to split multi edges?
le quedo muy bien el macahuitl con todo respeto un gringo muy azteca saludos desde mexico.......
That is one good-looking weapon.
They are awesome looking, Thanks,
It looks beautiful! hope the wife didn't caught you putting the pitch in the oven...
arnaldohanatarashi Nothing surprises her anymore!
The fine flint powder and chippings can be used for sandpaper and resin glue
Very clever blades. The blades would probably shatter when striking skin/flesh! mammal skin skin/flesh is incredibly strong, and surprisingly difficult to cut. I would like to see the weapon created without the use of modern tools (hot air gun, oven, vice, tin can !! etc)
I have been attempting to make Reindeer bone needles, using only flint tools! still working on one tine, three days later only just making headway !!! Aboriginal tools = way more skill/time... Nice one Jim; deadly weapon!
Sir I think this is a wonderful activity to do. I've seen adults with hobbies that would make the normal person shudder. At least this man likes wholesome fun. Don't complain at him. As I have heard so many times from so many people on youtube if this ain't your thing than don't watch the (optional: insert swear word) video!!!
The codex shows most Maquahuitl's with eyelets. My guess is that the eyelet was used to hang the weapon from when not in use, just a guess though. That is how I store my Maquahuitl's so as not to damage the blades. It they are leaned against something or flat on the ground the blades can easily be broken and sharp undamaged blades are critical for this weapon....
Beautiful maquahuitl !!!! I'm going to have to get a few pieces of that wood to make something with it awesome grain patterns.
Erik Lee Yes, Bocote is beautiful wood, extremely hard dense and strong too......You will enjoy working it!
hey jim, have you already made a video on how to find flint rocks? i live in the mid-atlantic region, and I wanted to know if I could find one.
Smaller one is nice too because once it's cut the skin you can grind it down and cut them open even more. That's the purpose of the weapon not to mention if it's wider you can use the blunt edge so that you can then take a captive and later sacrifice them. As you said too you can also throw it if it's shorter.
Laya Monarez Yes, the Codex depict this weapon in many sizes from small ones to some as large as the user, maybe 6' of more! I think each design had a specific function in battle.....
Awesome weapon, Thanks for the video.
Now that is cool, brutal but cool. you should make a video of you testing it out
Also, a question jim, have you ever built a example that uve used for cut testing or durability? Or are u only intrested in display creations? One again magnificent
ezzz42 I am sure it would cut well. My guess is that one heavy blow from this weapon would cut a small hog in half... bones and all. I believe this was used in a very specific way with a pulling action during the mighty swing so that it creating a sawing action allowing good penetration. I have never tested one, just way too much work invested in making each one. I believe the story of the Spaniard who reported that an Aztec severed the head of a Spanish soldiers horse with one blow....Some of the Maquahuitl's were 6' long.....
paleomanjim i understand that completely, Dont wreck your creations! lol, Reading the Spanish accounts is interesting to say the least. The shock that these men must have experienced when seeing them being used in battle must have been tremendous. Most of the Spaniards were expert swordsmen and they were all shocked that the Maquahuitl's cut better then their Toledo blades, which was some of the best sword steel of the time. Ive always wondered how the mesoamericans being such expert craftsmen never smelted iron or steel, they definitely had the furnace technology from there gold and platinum smelting to achieve the temperatures for it. they smelted a crude form of bronze i believe, but no iron or steel. I guess it comes down the the fact that with the abundance of obsidian around which is sharper then steel, they simply didn't need steel.
+ezzz42 they didn't need steel? Obsidian is very hard, much harder than steel, but it is EXTREMELY brittle.
Steel is hard AND very strong.
+The Sun Obsidian blades are also much finer - if you compare steel and obsidian blades under a microscope, the metal forged blades are riddled with pockmark-looking impurities to the grain, where obsidian is still perfectly smooth. No resistance whatsoever to a slice of the blade.
LovelyRising yes it may be true, but i would still take up a steel blade rather then an obsidian one due to its versatility and reuseablity.
you have inspired me to make a georgetown bladed osage orange maquahuitl.
Richard Grant That would be awesome! Georgetown flint is high quality flint but it will take considerable force to remove the blades from the core. Percussion blades might be the way to go with flint....
I do have a few questions though, regarding the glue you used to paste the blades: Is there any sources for the use of that specific glue, is that the one you found most suitable? and the second one is, if one of the blades were to chip, how difficult would it be to replace it? Lastly, how strong is that glue? would it resist a full blown impact to the neck of a horse, for example? Anxious for your response :D!!!
Thanks for the answer, It passed through my mind that this adhesive (Rabbit poop, resine and coal) could easily be replaced if put next to some heat source, but since I have not reached that stage in my Maquahuitl construccion, I cant confirm if it reaches a point were it cant melt again, or if its to prone to melting (campaigns in the arid part of the basin and the hotlands of Veracruz, anyone?). I remember hearing they may have used Guano, that mayhave different useful properties.
Have you ever tried using a newspaper's ring clamp to hold your thin blades for further working? I find the leather lined jaws and easily adjusted pressure of the grip handy for holding many small and/or delicate items securely and safely while I work on a part of them.
Not "newspaper's ring clamp", "jeweler's ring clamp". I've got to make a habit of reading my comments before hitting the post button; predictive text is making me sound like an idiot.
Thanks for the tip....
Thanks for posting. Very informative. Well done. I found a glassy black light-weight palm sized rock yesterday. Turned out to be Obsidian. Located close to an abandoned mine. I had no idea that Obsidian is sharper than surgical steel and is being used (or has been used) by Surgeons for micro surgery. This "sword" would inflict serious injury.
Obsidian blades removed by pressure from a core are the sharpest and most consistent for edge quality. Some surgeons have used them for surgery because the blades do less tissue damage than steel scapulas. Plastic surgeons have used them also because there is less scarring. Obsidian is just a cool rock!
paleomanjim what about glass? can you do pressure blades from a bloc of regular glass? It his hard to find obsidian where I live. I think the only sources in Europe are Sicilia and Canarias. My folks brought me a chunk from Sicilia but it is too small for blades, maybe it is large enough for bladelets...
Very few modern knappers have made blades or cores. My recent video series shows how to make blades and cores, including the core preform. Check out Blade Core Basics Part 1......
I curios what would happen to the blades after striking something. If they would break from the impact or not.
A really beautiful piece of work. Knowing how fragile those obsidian blades are, do you think the weapon was repaired or replaced when the obsidian broke? Can you reheat the pitch, pull a broken blade, and drop another piece of obsidian in? Or is it simpler to discard the weapon and get a new one?
aztecs replaced the blades often since they are brittle and break easily, but once they got the wood work right they dedicated a lot of time on making a lot of spare blades
batobatesco1 Maybe. Probably. But do we know? Has anyone tried replacing blades in these things? Have we ever found spare blades? Considering how fragile they are, I really doubt it.
Matthew Hooper it was accounted by the spanish that they were so cleverly crafted that the blades couldn’t have been removed easily or easily broken
would it make sense to ad an obsidian Speer at the end? I know this didn't exist but i wonder why nobody tried this... An other question i have is why are there two bladed sides? You could block an enemies weapon if you had one blunt side and one bladed. I hope you were able to understand my very bad English and you know an answer to my questions.
awesome brotha just awesome knowledge appreciate the video's keep it up
The Maquahuitl looks great Jim. I almost thought you were going to take a whack at your cactus for a minute.
Thanks, Roosevelt
enjoyed the video would like to see a video of you making a mineral springs type point out of some of that fine novaculite or texas flint
Great, glass is a great way to learn and available anywhere, have fun....jim
It's like a bat with volcanic glass glued to its sides.
It is a bat with volcanic glass glued to its sides.
Absoloutly magnifecent!, love grain of the wood
Yes. I have used the fine chert flakes on a stone metate to grind bifaces, great abrasive!
what do you think they used as glue or DO they have pine trees in central america ???
Looks very cool
I'm thinking the smaller weapon was designed to work in conjunction with a shield.
Great job!
I also just started. I'm only 10. I like knapping glass because there is a lot of it. You can order triangle shaped blanks on ebay.
Thanks, I did have fun making this one!
so i just Happened by these videos and was wondering how do you make that core you used for the blades or is that something you have to purchase im very much interested in making one of these because i have found my self in the hobbie of making all types of old weaponry and armor please get back to me sir
Edit: I just read the other post asking the same thing basically, so no need for a response* These seem to me to have been more of a psychological weapon; the first couple of hits would have been devastating to flesh and tendons of course, but they would also dull and break down very quickly due to the fragile nature of these blades, leaving the user with nothing but a stick after just a few hits. Maybe I'm totally wrong here and they lasted longer than I think. Have you ever experimented with one to assess their durability? It would be cool to find out.
Is that 235 degrees F or C?
I'm assuming F but I was just wondering.
have u consider selling these swords would really like to purchase one
Have you ever been cut with obsidian?
Would it be possible to set some yucca cord impregnated with pitch into the grooves holding the obsidian to act as a wedge to further secure the blades? I'd imagine that volcanic glass, whilst holding an extremely fine edge, would chip and shatter quite easily. The cord as a wedge could also absorb some of the shock of impact. One could imagine a dovetail into which the cord is set at first, followed by the blade. Then again, it would be difficult to machine such a groove with only stone age tools.
The Meso Americans are known to have made gums and adhesives from various plants that were probably superior to pine pitch. Your are right, the edge of the obsidian blade are very fragile and the warriors must have taken great care to protect them in battle. No one knows for sure how the blades were secured, they may have been wedged into place.....thanks for the ideas....jim
arma azteca, muy buen trabajo, felcidadez, maestro
i wonder how they used these things in a battle... given how fragile obsidian is, wouldn't the blades shatter with the first blow? You would still be left with a club afterwards, or perhaps with some blades still stuck on it, but i can't see this being used in a protracted fight.
Yeah, I think these things were used with a different strategy. The warrier was well aware of how fragile his sword was so he must have used it accordingly, waiting for the best opportunity to strike his opponent with minimal damage to his weapon. They were used with shields as shown in the codex. I imagine warriers practicing with this weapon without blades installed.
A beautiful piece, have you seen poor historians UA-cam channel. His "True Aztec Macuahuitl" series is very well researched from what I can tell. It deserves a look
Have not seen it, but will check it out, thanks
so where do you get your obsidian from ?