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Originally Posted by Aries Walker
... which was overstating it just a bit. It has to be a small, placid horse, a powerful dude, and a perfect swing, if it's possible at all.
And it will cut through the flesh of the first guy. The problem with obsidian (besides how super-easy it is to cut yourself on it) is that it loses its edge immediately, and then chips and flakes all over the place so that after a few swings, that fearsome macuahuitl might as well be studded with pebbles.
And, the Spanish had, y'know, armor.
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Yes, that is why cultures that discovered metallurgy switched to bronze as while it was less sharp, it was much more durable and held an edge much longer. Not all the Spanish wore armor or even had complete set of armor. The macuahuitl was also a pretty solid wooden club if the obsidian had flaked to pebbles.
Not a placid horse at all as the reports we have are from battle and that the macuahuitl was stunningly effective in opening up flesh and producing very deep cuts, so much so that horses usually went into shock almost immediately and bleed out very quickly even when hit in places that would injure but not kill with say a steel sword. It is due to the design as the macuahuitl is deeply serrated by design so it cuts in and then cuts deeper when it is pulled out.