Sorocaban knife
| Sorocaban knife | |
|---|---|
Sorocaban knife, early 20th century | |
| Type | Knife or short sword |
| Place of origin | São Paulo, Brazil |
| Service history | |
| In service | Empire of Brazil, First Brazilian Republic |
| Used by | Tropeiros, rural workers, militias, civilian self-defense |
| Wars | 19th and 20th century conflicts in Brazil |
| Production history | |
| Designed | Late 18th century |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | avg. 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) |
| Length | avg. 49 cm (19 in), up to 86 cm (34 in) |
| Width | avg. 4 cm (1.6 in) at ricasso |
| Blade type | Single edged, slightly curved blade |
| Hilt type | Simple with rounded pommel |
The Sorocaban knife (Portuguese: faca Sorocabana) is a type of knife or short sword developed in Brazil, more precisely the state of São Paulo, around the turn of 18th to the 19th century. Its defining characteristics are the long and slender single-edged blade (frequently curved slightly upwards), the distinctive handle profile, tapering to a rounded pommel, and the enterçado construction technique, in which the blade is inserted into a slit opened in the ricasso and then fixed in place by three rivets.