Archaeologists are still finding prototypes of bladed weapons that served primitive people. Of course, they look primitive and far from the modern look, but in those distant times there was simply no other way. It was a means for hunting, butchering animal carcasses, and also for protection from attacks from other tribes and wild animals. Over time, it improved, and modern, familiar species appeared.

Before the development of firearms, cold was the main thing in defense, attack and simply helping a person. Now edged weapons serve as auxiliary, complementary capabilities small arms. Also, edged weapons can serve as equipment for a military uniform and national costume, or can be a reward.

Russian edged weapons

As long as humanity has existed, so many cold weapons have existed. Each century is marked by a certain type of weapon, a club, a club, spears, daggers made of stone and bones. A huge breakthrough in the development of edged weapons occurred after the discovery of copper. Thanks to the hardness, ductility and lightness of the metal, swords arose that became necessary in hand-to-hand combat. And in a fight with a beast, a sword was not at all superfluous. The spears now have metal tips.

Over time, the bow gained wide popularity, and the mace and club began to lose their positions. Under the Roman Empire, the bow was replaced by a crossbow, but with the use of armor, chain mail, and helmets, it also lost its effectiveness in use. Therefore, the iron sword becomes the main weapon for some time.

The emergence of small arms reduced its main role, and the primacy passed to sabers, as a complement to small arms. The encyclopedia of edged weapons describes in detail its varieties, starting with primitive clubs and ending with modern types.

I would like to pay special attention to Russian edged weapons.

From ancient times until the 14th century, they armed princely warriors and people's militias. In Rus' they used not only swords, spears, saber blades, but also widely used different types axes, striking weapons, such as:

• clubs;
• mints;
• six-feathers;
• pernachi;
• maces;
• flails.

The same Russian epics tell of heroes who were armed with heavy clubs. The work “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” describes the battle, “how sabers rattled against helmets, and Haraluz spears cracked.”

In a battle with the Swedes in 1240 on the Neva River, the Novgorod warrior used only an ax. Also used were konchars, thin, sharp boot knives that easily penetrated chain mail. Over time, konchars were replaced by swords, and boot knives were replaced by daggers.

Even after centuries, interest in edged weapons has not been lost; they are still relevant today.

Each type of edged weapon has gone through its own historical path in development. It was modified in conjunction with combat techniques and the improvement of firearms.

Some weapons turned out to be more durable, others were no longer used. For example, spears of the prehistoric era were an ordinary pointed stick, then a stick with a stone tip, and later an iron one. They reached the beginning of the twentieth century in the form of pikes, which were used by the lancers and Cossacks. The swords with which the princely warriors were armed eventually became broadswords and were used by heavy cavalry in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The saber turned out to be durable. It began to appear in Russian cavalry in the 10th-12th centuries. Subsequently, the saber came to the forefront in armament and, although it took on the appearance of a saber, it is still in combat service. Devices that deliver blows in battle were eliminated from weapons in the 17th century. Russian edged weapons are considered:

• sword, broadsword, konchar, epee, rapier, saber, half-saber, checker, cleaver, dirk, knives, dagger - these are the so-called “white weapons”;
• spear, pike, spear, axe, reed, halberd, protazan, esponton - these are polearms;
• club, oslop, shestoper, pernach, mace, flail, axes, klevtsy - these are shock weapons.

Since almost all of them went out of use, they naturally turned into antique edged weapons.

What is a bladed weapon and what is not?

The official definition of this type of weapon is given by legislation No. 150-FZ “On Weapons” dated December 13, 1996. However, some citizens, consciously or not, confuse household products with bladed weapons.

According to the law, a bladed weapon is a device that is designed to hit a target using human muscle power through direct contact with the target.

This includes:

1. Knife, dagger, Finnish knife.
2. Saber, dagger.
3. Swords.
4. Checkers.
5. Swords.
6. Brass knuckles.
7. Stylet.

The standard characteristics of edged weapons are indicators that are defined in special documents:

• blade with a length of at least 90 mm;
• butt thickness 2.6...6 mm;
• blade with a hardness of more than 42 units according to the Rockwell method;
• safety handle;
• double-edged blade.

There are also throwable bladed weapons, but they should not be confused with a throwing device, which cannot be classified as a bladed weapon.

Throwable products are designed to hit the enemy at long, ultra-long distances and in hand-to-hand combat. The most common of them are:

1. Sling.
2. Chakra.
3. Boomerang.
4. Shureken.
5. Dart.
6. Tomahawk.

According to the definition of legislation, the type of bladed weapon does not include household appliances, such as pen, garden, kitchen knives, however, they can also cause injury to humans.

Classification

Melee weapons have a variety of classifications, and there is no generally accepted order.

In common parlance, they often use definitions that apply law enforcement agencies in its activities:

• as intended. Divided into combat and civilian. In the first version, these weapons are used in military, combat, operational and service operations by state paramilitary organizations. In the second version, it is used by some subjects for self-defense, hunting, and while playing sports. Serves as an addition to the national costume of some nationalities of the Russian Federation;
• manufacturing method. It can be produced in several ways: at a factory - the product meets technical requirements, standards, a marking is applied to the product, by handicraft method - made by gunsmiths in accordance with a certain standard, sample, the manufacturer can put his own brand, homemade - people without special professional skills are engaged in production or, they remake the weapon by adding elements to it or eliminating existing ones;
• by location of production. These weapons are produced by domestic and foreign manufacturers;
• according to the established standard. There are standard and non-standard products;
• by damaging effect. There are chopping bladed weapons, piercing-cutting, piercing, piercing-cutting, impact-crushing, throwing weapons, combined action;
• according to the features of the structural device. There are non-bladed and bladed melee weapons;
• according to the design features of the blade. Weapons come with one blade or two blades.

Scientific literature uses other classifications of edged weapons. For example, famous weapons experts E.L. Smolin, A.I. Ustinov, K.V. Asmolov, the founder of the Israeli hand-to-hand combat I. Lichtenfeld proposed his own classifications of edged weapons. Most likely, the creation unified classification future generations will have to deal with this area.

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Some modern Cossacks claim that the “Cossack” saber has incomparably better fighting qualities than a saber, and even more so a broadsword. Although the Cossacks owe their glory to the saber.

During the reign of Ivan IV in the Prut campaign of 1711, the Persian campaign of 1722 - 1723, the Russian-Turkish wars, in the seven-year war (1756 - 1763) against the aggressive Prussian kingdom. Then the Cossacks first appeared in the center of Western Europe. The crowning glory of the Russian army's victories in this war was the capture of the capital of Prussia, Berlin. On the night of September 9-10, 1760, the Cossack regiments were the first to enter Berlin after the destruction of a twenty-thousand-strong German army near Potsdam.

In June 1812, the Cossacks were the first to meet the French invaders with gunfire and heroically fought against Napoleon's army until they were completely defeated. After the capture of Paris in 1814, one of the first to enter the city was the Life Guards Cossack Regiment, which was the convoy of Emperor Alexander I. The main deadly weapons in the hands of the Cossacks were the pike and saber.

The saber was used, like the pike, in motion; struck and left. An example can be found in the memoirs of General Marbot, when he described the battle near Polotsk: “Mr. Fontaine’s legs became entangled in the stirrups. He tried to free himself with the help of several huntsmen who came to his aid, when suddenly the damned Cossack officer, galloping past this group, deftly leaned in the saddle and dealt Fontaine a terrible blow with a saber, knocked out his eye, touched his other eye and cut his nose!

A.K. Denisov describes a clash between a Tatar warrior, a mullah, “as can be seen from his attire,” armed with a pike (dart), and a Cossack officer F.P. Denisov, the narrator’s uncle: “Without leaving Denisov in sight, the mullah galloped a little forward and set off towards him. Then Denisov, having parried the dart with his saber, raised it slightly higher than himself from below and with one swing cut down the Tatar to death.” That is, masterly possession of a saber is described, when a parrying blow turns into a striking one.

BROADLASH, SABER, CHECKER.

Often, at first glance, it is difficult to distinguish a broadsword from a saber, a saber from a saber, or a saber from a broadsword.

SWORD

Broadsword (Hungarian - pallos; backsword, broadsword) is a piercing and chopping bladed weapon with a complex hilt, with a handle and a straight or slightly curved blade, wide towards the end, one-and-a-half sharpened (less often double-edged). Often combines the qualities of a sword and a saber. The hilt of a broadsword consists of a handle with a head and a guard (usually including a cup and protective bows). Western European broadswords usually have an asymmetrical hilt with highly developed hand protection in the form of a cross or a bowl with a whole system of arches. The length of the blade is from 60 to 85 cm. The appearance of the broadsword as a military weapon dates back to the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries, when regular cavalry units appeared in Western Europe. Since the 18th century armed with heavy cavalry. The blade of a broadsword is much wider and heavier than that of a sword.

In England it is a broadsword - a basket sword, in Italy it is a spada schiavona - a Slavic sword, and in German countries in the period from the 16th to the 19th centuries, it had several names - reiterschwert - a horseman's sword; kurassierdegen, dragonerdegen, kavalleriedegen - cuirassier sword, dragoon sword and simply cavalry sword.

Western European broadswords usually have an asymmetrical hilt with highly developed hand protection in the form of a cross or a bowl with a whole system of arches. The length of the blade is from 60 to 85 cm. The appearance of the broadsword as a military weapon dates back to the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries, when regular cavalry units appeared in Western Europe. Since the 18th century armed with heavy cavalry.

European cavalry (especially heavy ones: cuirassiers and cavalry guards) always gravitated towards piercing weapons and were mainly armed with broadswords.

The impact energy of two oncoming horse lavas is quite high, so the rider simply needs to point the tip at the enemy to inflict a terrible wound on him. At the same time, it is much more difficult to hit an enemy with a blow - a slashing blow delivered a little earlier or later has neither the required accuracy nor strength. In addition, a strike requires two separate movements - a swing and a strike, while a thrust requires one. When struck, the rider opens himself, and holding the broadsword for the injection, on the contrary, closes himself.

The broadsword has been known in Russia since the 16th century. Since 1711, broadswords have completely replaced sabers in Russia (this is in the regular army, and Russian Cossacks, Caucasian highlanders, Tatars, Bashkirs and Kalmyks have always used chopping weapons). These weapons were produced not only in Russia, but also imported from abroad, mainly from Germany. The opinion that the cuirassiers, these “knights of the 19th century,” had very heavy broadswords is not entirely accurate. The Russian broadsword of the 19th century, as a rule, was even lighter than a cavalry saber.

A special cult of piercing blades existed in France, where they were used as dueling weapons and every self-respecting person was simply obliged to master the techniques of fencing with a sword.

SABER

A saber is a very diverse weapon; there is a truly gigantic number of types and types of sabers, since the saber, in its familiar form, has existed for at least thirteen centuries and has undergone no less changes than the sword.

The first argument for the advantage of a saber over a broadsword was the area of ​​destruction - for a broadsword this is a line described by the tip, for a saber it is a plane cut by the blade. The second argument is the advantage of the saber at low speed of the rider, when the broadsword becomes practically useless, and the speed of the saber does not decrease much. The third argument was that the curved blade was lighter, but at the same time caused deeper wounds due to the bending of the blade.

Saber (Hungarian - czablya, from szabni - to cut; sabre) - chopping, chopping-cutting or piercing-slashing-cutting (depending on the degree of curvature of the blade and the design of its end) edged weapon with a curved blade, which has a blade on the convex side , and the butt is on a concave one. Suspended from the belt with the blade down.

The weight and balance of different sabers varied noticeably and could be approximately similar to checkers parameters, or they could differ. Varieties of sabers differ in size, radius of curvature of the blade, and the design of the hilt (handle). A characteristic difference from other long-bladed weapons with a handle is that the center of gravity is located at a considerable distance from the hilt (usually at the level of the border of the first and second third from the tip of the blade), which causes an additional cutting action during chopping blows. The combination of the curvature of the blade with a significant distance from the center of gravity from the hilt increases the force of the blow and the area of ​​the affected space. The hilt has a handle with a lanyard and a cross with a crosshair (oriental sabers) or another guard (European sabers).

The saber appeared in the East and became widespread among the nomads of Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the 7th - 8th centuries. Mongol and Arab horsemen successfully fought with their crooked sabers against both light cavalry and heavily armored knights. Moreover, captured Asian sabers were worth their weight in gold, and not at all for their appearance, but just for fighting qualities. Not a single eastern warrior was seen with any two-handed sword, nor with a captured broadsword. “In the entire East, I don’t know a single people who would have anything similar to broadswords,” wrote the famous Russian military theorist of the 19th century, General Mikhail Ivanovich Dragomirov, “where the enemy did not refuse a dump, but looked for it for use on horseback - cutting weapons have always been preferred to piercing ones.”

In the XIV century. an elman appears on the saber (a thickening of the saber blade in the upper part of the blade, it could have been sharpened). The saber acquired the properties of a predominantly cutting weapon. The most characteristic sabers of this type were Turkish and Persian.

In European armies of the 18th - 19th centuries. sabers had blades of medium curvature (4.5 - 6.5 cm), hilts with bulky guards in the form of 1 - 3 arches or cup-shaped, scabbards from the 19th century. usually metal. The total length reached 1.1 m, blade length 90 cm, weight without sheath up to 1.1 kg, weight with metal sheath up to 2.3 kg. At the end of the 19th century. the curvature decreases to 3.5 - 4 cm and the saber again acquires piercing and chopping properties.

Due to the guard, the balance moved closer to the handle, due to the elmani - vice versa.

In Rus', the saber has been known since the 9th century; in the Novgorod land, the saber came into use later - from about the 13th century, and from the 14th century. became the dominant type of weapon (in Western Europe - from the end of the 16th century). In the XV - XVII centuries. Warriors of the Russian local cavalry, archers, and Cossacks were armed with sabers. Since the 18th century In European and Russian armies, the saber was in service with light cavalry personnel and officers in other branches of the military. In 1881, in the Russian army, the saber was replaced by a saber and was preserved only in the guard, as a ceremonial weapon, as well as among some categories of officers for wearing outside the ranks.

But in fact, the era of edged weapons ended much earlier - already in Crimean War 1853-1856, wounds with edged weapons accounted for only 1.5% -3% of the total. A little later, during the Russian-Turkish campaign, or more precisely, by 1877, when the battle of Plevna took place, this figure had already dropped to 0.99%. And so all over the world, with the exception of expeditionary colonial corps waging war on the native population: British losses from edged weapons in India reached 20%, and in Egypt - up to 15%. Nevertheless, this percentage was not discounted when planning the rearmament of the cavalry by the beginning of the First World War.

CHECKER

Checkers are more similar to each other. A checker is essentially a hybrid of a knife and a saber, the result of the desire to achieve maximum benefit from the blade in close combat. Shashka (Kabardian-Circassian - sa "shkho - (lit.) long knife) - a cutting-stabbing bladed weapon with a handle. With a single-edge (rarely one-and-a-half) sharpening. The blade can be curved, slightly curved, or can be straight. The total length is 95-110 cm, the length of the blades is 77-87 cm. Its peculiarity is the absence of a copper bow, which protects the hand. Initially, the Russian irregular cavalry was armed with a Caucasian type saber, which had a blade of slight curvature and a hilt consisting of one handle with a bifurcated head, without any protective devices. Such a typically Caucasian hilt can generally be considered one of the main distinguishing features of the saber as a type of bladed weapon.

Checkers appeared in the regular Russian army in 1834 (in the Nizhny Novgorod dragoon regiment)

Russian army samples of checkers (for example: dragoon model 1881) differed from the Caucasian type checkers in the design of the hilt and scabbard. The blades of the first army sabers had an average curvature, and their shape was close to that of a saber. In 1881, an armaments reform was carried out, the purpose of which was to establish a single model of edged weapons for all branches of the military. A Caucasian blade known as a “top” was taken as a model for the blade. The hilt was initially supposed to be of a single model, with protection by the front arch, but then it was decided to leave traditional hilts consisting of one handle for Cossack checkers. As a result, dragoon (officer and soldier) and Cossack (officer and soldier) sabers were adopted into service with the Russian army. The artillerymen received a shortened version of the dragoon saber. A characteristic difference between a checker and a saber has always been the presence of a wooden scabbard covered with leather, with a ring (less often with two rings) for the belt's passing belts on the convex side (that is, it was hung in the Caucasian style with the blade backwards), while the saber's rings are always on concave side of the scabbard, in the XIX - early. XX century, as a rule, steel. In addition, a saber was often worn on a shoulder belt, and a saber on a waist belt.

Historically, the saber was indeed first a knife - among the Russians in the 16th century, such a podsaadashny, “pinned” knife was common, which had a number of features that made it similar to the saber. It is noteworthy that initially the checker was used as an auxiliary weapon (always came after the saber), before the disappearance of armor and the need for such weapons, checkers only complemented swords and sabers. But even cuirasses disappear, and in the 19th century, the saber is the “main belt” bladed weapon, and this puts forward different requirements for it than for a knife. With distribution firearms and with the fall out of the use of armor, the saber replaced the saber, first in the Caucasus, and then in Russia, while the saber itself underwent significant changes: it became longer and more massive, and received a bend.

MAIN DIFFERENCES

So, if we take as a basis some average samples of a broadsword, a saber and a checker, the following conclusions follow:

The broadsword is a weapon ideal for piercing blows with the possibility of slashing. This is a weapon with a long straight (or slightly curved) blade. The center of gravity is shifted as far as possible to the hilt, for virtuoso fencing and precise thrusting. Maximum protection for the hand, the hilt of the broadsword consists of a handle with a head and a guard.

A saber is a piercing-cutting weapon. The center of gravity is located at a considerable distance from the hilt. Mandatory protection for the hand, the hilt has a handle with a lanyard and a cross with a crosshair (oriental sabers) or another guard (European sabers).

Often, in European sabers, to enhance the piercing properties, the middle line of the handle is directed towards the tip - the handle is slightly bent in the direction from the butt to the blade.

Checker - The weapon is ideal for slashing blows with the possibility of piercing. The center of gravity is shifted to the tip as much as possible. Hence the difference in techniques: with a saber they do not so much “feint” from the hand, but deliver powerful, strong blows “from the body”, which are extremely problematic to parry. With the help of a checker it was possible to deliver a good blow, reinforced by the inertia of the rider’s movement, which could “ruin” the adversary “to the saddle.” Moreover, it is extremely difficult to dodge or protect yourself from such a blow. Therefore, in the 19th century there was a saying: “They cut with sabers, but they cut with checkers.”

It is extremely inconvenient to deliver precise piercing blows with a saber due to the peculiarities of balancing, the lack of a rest for the hand and the weak point, which is often not sharpened at all.

The saber, as a rule, is noticeably lighter and slightly shorter than most sabers. It differs from a saber in that it has a slightly straighter blade. The hilt consists of one handle with a bifurcated head (there have been quite a few versions of the origin of this bifurcating head, including the use of a checker as a stand for a gun when shooting from the knee), without any protective devices.

The main difference from the saber is that the saber has a less curved blade (or even straight), does not have an elmani feather on the blade and is always hung vertically, with the blade up. Always without a guard (with rare exceptions, for example, the “dragoon saber”, which is essentially a saber suspended from the top by the blade).

The ability to strike first is one of the main advantages of a checker. The checker was worn with the blade up, thanks to which this weapon could be instantly removed from its sheath and in one movement, directly from the sheath, deal a full-fledged, disintegrating blow to the enemy. A checker that does not have a cross is quickly and reliably removed. Often the handle was positioned almost at chest level. The checker was pushed out with a straightened palm, then a confident grip of the handle with a full hand was used. When removed, the checker itself falls into the palm, while the saber is taken out with the hand overlapping. Moreover, a checker hanging on one side can be removed with both the left and right hand and immediately struck, which gives the effect of surprise. Convenient for unexpected attacks and self-defense.

Before us is a fairly typical example of a saber action (according to ethnographic records of the 19th century):

“...After some time, Pachabgozhev returned. The young man followed his wife and, hiding behind one half of the gate, as soon as Pachabgozhev appeared in it, rushed at him, but, missing, instead of Pachabgozhev, he hit the other half of the gate and cut it in two, like fresh, just squeezed cheese. Pachabgozhev, quickly turning around with the saber already snatched, cut the young man in half from the shoulder. Then, calmly wiping off the saber and putting it in its sheath, he put the horse in the stable...”

The saber, a traditional weapon of light irregular cavalry, was designed for a fleeting battle, practically for the first and only preemptive strike. The very form of the weapon suggested a battle pattern for its owner - a strike, a strike and a rebound in case of resistance. The skill of the attack, the accuracy and speed of the strike are extremely highly developed, but if it is still not crowned with success, then that’s the end of the attacker. It is unlikely to be possible to effectively defend yourself with a checker or carry out complex fencing feints, voltes and floss. Sometimes in the military manuals of Russia and the USSR until 1941, a description of combat techniques was given, based on saber fencing; but in relation to a checker, these possibilities are very limited.

The cavalry attack in those decades was scattered and fleeting. One hit. With a swing, with a quickdraw, at full gallop. And then - at full speed. And you still won’t have to fencing with the enemy, even if this blow did not reach the target (missing in those conditions with a saber or broadsword is certainly no more difficult than with a saber): he is already far away, you have already been separated by the flow of the battle...

Built on constant contact with enemy weapons, the European school (more precisely, schools, for there are many of them) in checker fencing has very limited applicability (due to the center of gravity shifted to the tip), although a fighter with a checker can compensate for this with active movements and deceptive techniques . For war and most battles, the damaging properties and protection of the hand holding the weapon are important, at least from accidental and aimless blows to the hand, which is protected at best by a glove. In terms of fencing, a fighter with a saber requires greater mobility than a saber fencer, who can afford to “knock” with the enemy without risking being left without fingers.

Some modern Cossacks claim that the “Cossack” saber has incomparably better fighting qualities than a saber, and even more so a broadsword. But the checker and the saber often had similar, and often identical, blades. Many checkers were made directly on imported European saber blades; sometimes the old handle and guard were removed from an old saber and a Caucasian checker blade was installed. Sometimes they made their own blades. Due to the absence of a guard, the balance moved closer to the tip.

In 1881, under the leadership of Lieutenant General A.P. Gorlov, an armament reform was carried out with the aim of establishing a uniform model of edged weapons for all branches of the military. A Caucasian blade was taken as a model for the blade, “which in the East, in Asia Minor, between the Caucasian peoples and our local Cossacks there is highly famous as a weapon that has extraordinary advantages when cutting.” Cavalry, dragoon and infantry sabers, as well as cuirassier broadswords, were then replaced by single dragoon and Cossack checkers model 1881. This was the first attempt to scientifically substantiate the choice of edged weapons. This checker had one problem - it was developed for two mutually exclusive purposes: for chopping and thrusting.

The new weapon almost immediately came under a barrage of criticism. As a result of the reform in 1881 Russian army received a strange hybrid of a broadsword and a saber. Essentially, it was an attempt to create a weapon that would allow both thrust and slashing to be used in combat. However, according to contemporaries, nothing good came of this. Our compatriot and great gunsmith of the last century, Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov, writes: “It must be admitted that our saber of the 1881 model both stabs and cuts poorly.

Our checker cuts poorly:

Due to the slight curvature, in which all the advantages of curved sabers are lost;

Due to improper fit of the handle. To give the saber piercing properties, the middle line of the handle is directed towards the tip - to do this, the handle had to be slightly bent in the direction from the butt to the blade. Which led to the loss of some good cutting properties of the weapon.

Our checker pierces unsatisfactorily:

To give it chopping properties, it is made curved, which delays its penetration;

Due to the significant weight and the distance of the center of gravity from the hilt.”

Almost simultaneously with the publication of the book “Edged Weapons” in 1905, Fedorov wrote a report to the artillery committee - “On changes to the 1881 sample checker.” In it, he put forward specific proposals for its improvement.

Based on these proposals, several versions of experimental checkers were made with different positions of the center of gravity and modified curvature of the handle. Soon, prototypes of these checkers were transferred for testing to military units, in particular to the Officer Cavalry School.

Knowing nothing about Fedorov's theoretical considerations, the cavalrymen had to choose the best example through practical testing on vines and stuffed animals of its cutting and piercing qualities.

Blades with a changed center of gravity were presented (20 cm, 17 cm and 15 cm instead of the existing 21.5 cm). At the same time, the blades were lightened by 200 g and shortened from 86 cm to 81 cm. Some of the blades were made with standard handles, some with a corrected slope.

All cavalrymen unanimously approved sample No. 6, with a center of gravity 15 cm from the hilt and a modified handle.

Another advantage of the checker was its relative cheapness, in contrast to the saber, which made it possible to make this weapon widespread. This was also facilitated by the ease of using checkers in battle. The usual technique of wielding a saber consisted of a good knowledge of a couple of simple but effective blows, which was very convenient for fast learning recruits.

In the drill manual of the Red Army cavalry, out of 248 pages, only four pages are devoted to cutting and thrusting techniques, half as many as to saluting techniques with a saber. Budennovites were given only three blows (to the right, down to the right and down to the left) and four injections (half a turn to the right, half a turn to the left, down to the right and down to the left).

The drill regulations of the Soviet Army of 1951 prescribed only a few strikes. From left to right: cutting down to the right, cutting to the right and thrusting with a saber half-turn to the right

To deliver blows, thrusts and repulses (defense), the rider had to stand on the stirrups and place the emphasis on his knees. It was possible to chop down an equestrian enemy with only one move using the command “Right - CUT!” 8-10 steps before the enemy, the right hand with the saber was retracted to the left shoulder, after which with a quick movement of the hand while turning the body in the direction of the blow, a blow should be struck at shoulder height from left to right. To introduce army order so that the strike was performed uniformly, all left-handers were retrained to right hand, and not only in the Russian and Red armies.

The other two strikes (down to the right and down to the left) were intended to defeat an enemy on foot. To do this, it was necessary to move the body to the right (left) forward 8-10 steps before the infantryman and at the same time raise the hand with the saber up above the head, and then deliver a strong blow, describing a circle with the saber.

To apply a thrust, it was necessary to extend the right hand with the saber in the direction of the enemy, turning the hand slightly to the left; the blade of the blade should be facing up to the right, and the tip should be at the point of injection. After applying the injection, moving the hand downward required releasing the blade.

All of the above is relevant only to conscript soldiers, who, over several years of service in the army, could only be taught to stay in the saddle and tolerably perform a couple of statutory blows. Cheap steel checkers were intended for them, designed for several successful blows, with hilts that allowed them to protect the hand, but did not allow them not only to throw the blade from hand to hand, but also to perform basic fencing techniques. It was not these cavalrymen that all of Europe feared like fire.

The signature blows of the Cossacks and Caucasians were delivered from the bottom up, for example, to the elbow of an attacking enemy. This was also facilitated by the special design of the harness of Cossack horses: for example, the stirrups were tied with a belt under the horse’s body, allowing the rider to hang sideways almost to the ground. When a horse lava approached, the infantryman was instructed to raise his rifle above his head with both hands, protecting himself from a statutory blow from above. The Cossack simulated the beginning of such a blow, then abruptly hung from his horse and with a strong blow the checkers from below literally broke the soldier into two parts. This technique alone is enough to fear the Cossacks like the plague.

There is one remarkable place in the novel “Quiet Don”, where the usual Cossack possession of a saber with both hands is described: “He led his horse towards the chosen enemy, as usual, going in from the left to chop with his right; The one who was supposed to collide with Gregory also strove in the same way. And so, when about a dozen fathoms remained before the enemy and he was already hanging to his side, raising his saber, Grigory made a sharp but gentle turn from the right, throwing the saber into his left hand. The discouraged enemy changes position, it is uncomfortable for him to cut from right to left, over the horse’s head, he loses confidence, death breathes in his face... Grigory destroys him with a terrible blow with a pull.” By the way, the real prototype of Grigory Melekhov, the Cossack of the village of Veshenskaya Kharlampy Ermakov, was a desperate swordsman who wielded a saber perfectly with both hands. The horse was controlled by his legs alone, crashing into the ranks of enemies with two checkers in each hand, wielding them right and left.

Unknown Rus'

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What is a “knife” and what is a “household knife” from the point of view of the law? What do you need to know and what conditions must be observed when purchasing a knife?

We answer!..

According to the law, whether a particular product belongs to a bladed weapon (hereinafter referred to as a weapon) is decided only by the Forensic Expert Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation after conducting appropriate research. However, any knowledgeable person at home, armed with an ordinary ruler, he can predict the result of these tests with a high degree of probability.

To begin with, we will present some terms used in GOSTs, since knowledge of them is necessary for an accurate perception of what is written. Steel arms This is a weapon designed to hit a living target using human muscle power.
Bladed bladed weapon a bladed weapon that has a warhead in the form of a blade, firmly and motionlessly connected to the handle.
Civilian edged weapons bladed weapons permitted by law for use by citizens.
Combat knife contact blade piercing-cutting weapon with a short single-edged blade.
Dagger contact blade piercing-cutting weapon with a short or medium straight or curved double-edged blade.
Hunting knife (dagger) a combat knife (dagger) designed to kill an animal while hunting.
Household knife a knife designed for performing household work.
Blade an extended metal part of a bladed weapon with a point and one or two blades, which is part of a strip.
Heel the unsharpened part of the blade located between the blade and the handle.
Blade spine unsharpened edge of a single-edged blade.
Butt bevel part of the butt, inclined towards the blade and forming with it the tip of the blade.
butt saw a row of sharpened teeth on the butt of the blade.
Blade the sharpened edge of the warhead of a bladed weapon, which is an edge with an acute angle of mating surface.
tip the end of the warhead of a bladed weapon, contracted into a point, short blade or edge with a maximum diameter of up to 3 mm.
Handle the part of a bladed weapon with which it is held by the hand and controlled when used.
Cheren the main part of the handle that is directly grasped by the hand.
Handle limiter (guard) the front extended part of the handle adjacent to the handle.
Sheath blade case.
Survival knife a knife whose handle contains structural elements that allow it to perform household functions (note: edged weapons include only those survival knives that correspond to the characteristics of a weapon).

The thickness of the butt is measured at the thickest point of the blade (for example, on the heel of the blade). The length of the blade is determined by the size from the tip to the stop, and in case of its absence - to the front end of the sleeve or the handle. Measurement accuracy according to GOST ±1 mm ±1 degree.

For people who are interested in making their own knives, the important fact is that “for products made in a homemade way, the design and technical requirements established by GOST, as well as the types and methods of control, apply only in terms of establishing and assessing their compliance with household knives when conducting forensic research and examinations.” Thus, it does not matter whether the knife was bought in a store, made independently, or found on the street - when examining it, ECC experts must be guided by uniform standards. And recognizing the product as an item of “household use” automatically allows everyone to use and carry it (although, according to statistics, the most common murder weapon with a blade is just a household knife, be it a kitchen knife or a folding pocket knife).

Here we should make a small digression. You need to know the GOST standards for your own peace of mind. The fact is that the carrying of household items is not limited by law. The exception is public events (concerts, football matches, etc.), but glass bottles are not allowed there either. The main condition is the safety of others (all sharp parts must be covered in such a way as not to cause accidental injury). However, not all employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs know the standards of GOSTs or the laws that they are called upon to protect. Usually, at the sight of something piercing and cutting, an unhealthy light lights up in the eyes of law enforcement officers, the phrases “cold steel”, “impossible”, “seizure” are asked on the tongue, and pleasant pictures of possessing a beautiful knife or, at worst, some the amount of compensation from the owner of the “forbidden” toy. If this happens, then you should not “download your rights.” You just need to politely and tactfully make it clear that this is not a weapon at all, and if for some reason it “didn’t come through” (you don’t always have a certificate of conformity for a given knife at hand), give the knife for examination, but only under protocol and in the presence of two witnesses. Keep in mind that the protocol must very accurately describe the sample being seized, otherwise a Chinese “kitchenware” may be returned from testing for 30 rubles. It should also be taken into account that existing methods do not imply destruction of the knife during testing. This is only possible in cases where he external signs fits the definition of a bladed weapon and they decide to test it for penetrating ability (blows are struck at a pine board). However, it is better to keep knives that fit the definition of a bladed weapon in external parameters away from prying eyes, and only carry with you something that is clearly not a weapon.

The Law “On Weapons” classifies as bladed weapons sabers, sabers, knives, daggers, Finnish knives, daggers, brass knuckles, stilettos and other objects specially designed or adapted to hit a living target. They can be piercing, piercing-cutting, chopping, crushing, etc. According to the same law, weapons do not include products certified as household and industrial products (penknives, kitchen knives, shoe knives, garden knives, etc.) that are structurally similar to weapons.

So, what “non-weapon” features should a knife have so that its owner can “sleep peacefully”? home distinguishing feature weapons - the possibility of inflicting deep penetrating wounds. Since this definition is very vague, GOST standards have been developed that make it possible to operate with specific categories - millimeters, degrees and Rockwell hardness. So, the following types of knives are not weapons:

Knives whose blades are not adapted for injection:

1. Knives without a point. The tip can be replaced with any tool (screwdriver, chisel with a width of more than 3 mm) or rounded. For example, the dagger of the SS medical service fits this definition. On his butt was cut with a saw, and the tip is replaced with a flat screwdriver. IN otherwise this is a normal knife with comfortable handle and developed limiter.
2. Knives, u which blade and the butts converge at an angle of more than 70 degrees.
3. Knives with thicker blades 5-6 mm. IN GOST defines this as “inflated thickness of the entire blade, its “combat” end or butt.”
4. Knives devoid of zatsharp blade (the triggers are drawn out, but there is no cutting edge).
5. It is assumed that this blade geometry (large angle at points, lack of a point or sharpened blade, excessive blade thickness) not will allow you to deliver an effective piercing blow.
6. Knives with tip, located above the butt line by more than 5 mm, with blade length up to 180 mm, or with tip located above the butt line by more than 10 mm, with blade length more than 180 mm.
7. Knives with concave more than 5 mm with a butt, with a blade length of up to 180 mm, or with concave more than 10 mm with a butt, with a blade length of more than 180 mm.
   
8. 7. Knives which the amount of deflection of the butt and the upper part of the knife handle, shaped like an arc in in the form of a “rocker arm”, up from straight line connecting the tip of the blade and upper limb of the handle, exceeds 15 mm.
9. The thing is that the geometry of the knives described in points 5, 6, and 7, not contributes to the delivery of a piercing blow, since the tip is removed from the longitudinal axis of the knife, which causes the effect of “falling over” when injecting. IN everyday life is not at all interferes and allows you to have a knife with relatively thick blade, comfortable handle and developed limiter, not being a weapon.
10. 8. Knives with blade shorter than 90 mm. It is difficult to inflict a mortal wound with such a short blade - as a rule, a longer blade length is required to reliably hit a person.
11. 9. Knives, on the butt of which, not then 1/3 point, there is a sharpened hook for ripping skins. Such a knife can inflict a fatal wound, but remove the knife from body is almost impossible, but the weapon must ensure repeatability of results, then There is, immediately after the first strike, the possibility of delivering subsequent ones must remain. If the configuration of the knife interferes with this, it must be recognized as a utility knife.
12. Knives with handles, not ensuring reliable retention during injection:
13. Knives with handle shorter than 70 mm.
14. Knives with handles of which the difference in maximum width is middle part and minimum width in pommel areas are not exceeds 8 mm.
15. Knives, u which single (one-sided or two-sided in amount) limiter or single finger notch less than 5 mm.
16. Knives, u which have more than one notch or stop, but their value less than 4 mm.
17. Everything is more or less clear here: it is assumed that knives with such handles are not will allow you to securely hold the knife when stabbing and the hand may fall off blade, which will cause dire consequences. IN In everyday life, such a risk of injury is somewhat arbitrary and often developed limiters only interfere with work. Most modern Russian-made knives have “traumatic” handles, which allows you to make a blade of almost any configuration. For example, Finnish-type handles are very common.- V in most cases they allow you to comfortably and hold the knife securely.
18. Knives, no providing the necessary strength of the blade or the entire structure:
19. Knives with blades whose hardness is less than 25HRC.
20. Knives with sawn blades.
21. Knives with a developed stop or finger groove with a blade length of 150 mm and thickness less than 2.5 mm. There are enough knives with safety handles and blade thickness 2.4 mm (in real life this is quite enough, although prying up sewer hatches and throw at such a knife is not a target recommended).
22. Knives with blades made of non-woven materials that provide sufficient strength for weapons (silumin, aluminum, plastic).
23. Knives with weak blade seal, not holding the blade in handle when using a knife in combat (the shank of the blade is loosely inserted into handle and filled with sealing wax).
24. In all with rays, one-and-a-half sharpening of the knife blade is allowed length no more than 2/3 of the butt and placement on mounting of additional tools (saws wood, metal, bone, sling cutter and etc.).

It is enough to comply with just one of the above points, and the knife is recognized as a household knife. The only exceptions are daggers - with a blade length of less than 50 mm, they are considered a souvenir.

It is difficult to measure such a parameter as the hardness of a blade at home, but this is not necessary. In real life, parameters that can be assessed by eye or measured with a ruler are more applicable. Although we must remember that the final verdict will still be made by experts.

Have you asked?

Which edged weapons are prohibited, and which ones are citizens of the Russian Federation entitled to acquire and possess? What is the liability for the illegal manufacture, storage, carrying and sale of bladed weapons?

We answer!

On the territory of the Russian Federation, the circulation as civilian and service weapons of flails, brass knuckles, shurikens, boomerangs and other items specially adapted for use as weapons, items with shock-crushing and throwing action is prohibited (Article 6 of the Law “On Weapons”).

Citizens who have permission to store and carry hunting firearms have the right to purchase hunting bladed weapons (Article 13 of the Law “On Weapons”). When selling this weapon in a hunting membership card citizen, the seller makes a corresponding entry, and the permit to carry this bladed weapon is a permit to carry a firearm.

Some citizens also have the right to purchase bladed weapons intended to be worn with a Cossack uniform, as well as with the national costumes of the peoples of the Russian Federation - these are sabers, sabers, knives and daggers (Article 3 of the Law “On Weapons”). The attributes of national costumes are determined by the Government of the Russian Federation. A license is required to store and carry such weapons (Article 13 of the Law “On Weapons”). Thus, if you are not a hunter, not a Cossack, and your national costume does not include a saber or dagger, you have no right to have or carry any bladed weapons.

For violating the rules for storing or carrying bladed weapons, it is possible to be held administratively liable, in accordance with Part 2 of Article 20.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in the form of a fine in the amount of 500 to 2000 rubles with or without the confiscation of weapons for a fee. Paid seizure means that the weapon will be seized and sold in the prescribed manner by the internal affairs bodies, and the proceeds minus the costs of sale will be returned to the former owner of the weapon.

Currently, criminal legislation establishes liability only for illegal sales: “Illegal sale of gas weapons, bladed weapons, including throwing weapons, is punishable by compulsory labor for a period of one hundred eighty to two hundred and forty hours, or correctional labor for a period of one to two years. , or arrest for a term of three to six months, or imprisonment for a term of up to two years with a fine in the amount of up to eighty thousand rubles or in the amount of wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to six months, or without it” (Part 4 of Art. .222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

So, as before, criminal liability is not provided for the illegal carrying of bladed weapons. However, it is provided for its illegal production: “Illegal production of gas weapons, edged weapons, including throwing weapons, is punishable by compulsory labor for a period of one hundred eighty to two hundred and forty hours, or correctional labor for a period of one to two years, or arrest for a term of four to six months, or imprisonment for a term of up to two years” (Part 4 of Article 223 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

An interesting fact is that in some European countries it is prohibited to carry any knives, including pocket and nail scissors.

It must be remembered that when purchasing any knife, you must obtain a copy of the certificate, or, as it is also called, an information sheet for the product. This document must contain the following information: an image of the knife, its characteristics, research results. It is worth noting that in our country there is a rather complicated system for determining whether a knife belongs to a bladed weapon or can be allowed for free circulation. You should refuse to purchase a knife if there is no certificate for it, otherwise the owner of the product may have problems with the law.

The article uses materials from the sites: http://www.aerston.ru, http://www.nvkz.net, http:// www.apox.ru, http://www.bladeist.ru, http:// www .wikipedia.org, as well as materials from Sergei Chikov’s article “What’s in my name for you” (NOZH magazine, No. 1, November 2003))

Bladed weapons are everything, weapons that have a blade. That is, a sufficiently long strip that is intended to prick and to chop and to cut. It does not fit into the category of a blade, since it has only one purpose - to chop. , can also hardly be classified as a bladed weapon, since its purpose is to deliver only piercing blows. Although, of course, in the Japanese weapons tradition, there were spears whose tips could be called a blade, because they essentially represented a short sword on a long handle. , which is intended both to prick and to chop and to cut. it was possible not only to stab, but also to chop and cut. Well, we have decided on a brief definition of bladed weapons, now let’s look at what the main types of bladed weapons are in the world.

Sword

The sword is directly related to bladed weapons. If we do not go into various nuances associated with the national sword, for example, a slightly curved Japanese sword, which is more like a saber, then a “normal” sword, in our understanding, is a straight strip of steel, coaxial with the handle, and sharpened with both sides. The length, width, thickness and weight of the blade can be different, and the handle is a classic cross.

In turn, swords are divided into the following types:

1. Two-handed swords are swords that have a long blade, about one and a half meters, and a long hilt. , holding it with both hands, hitting the enemy at a long distance. mainly against horsemen and spearmen. In front of the main large cross (on the blade side), part of the blade is not sharpened and has a small guard that separates it from the blade. This was done so that when performing combat techniques with a two-handed sword, the warrior could make a wide grip with his hands if the situation in battle required it.

1. Hand and a half swords are swords that were considered the most versatile representatives of their type. That is, with a fairly decent length of the blade (700 - 1000 mm) and a handle the size of which was two or three palm widths, this sword could be fought with one hand or with two. One-and-a-half-handed swords were the golden mean between long “field monsters” and too short swords, which will be discussed further.

1. One-handed swords are swords that have a small hilt. The warrior's palm fit tightly between the crosspiece and the pommel. The length of such a sword usually did not exceed 700 millimeters. One-handed swords were quite maneuverable and were intended mainly for narrow city streets.

1. And finally, which most often served as auxiliary weapons when striking long sword, could only become a hindrance in battle. Indoors, . Their total length with the handle did not exceed 600 millimeters. In the Bronze Age, swords were made exactly like this, since forging a larger length from bronze, for obvious reasons, did not make sense.

Sword

As time passed, traditional swords began to slowly become a thing of the past, gradually transforming into blades that had much less weight and shape. This is how broadswords and swords appeared. The broadsword had more than a sword and was usually sharpened on one side (accordingly, the sword had a narrow blade and a double-edged sharpening). The end of the broadsword handle was slightly bent towards the bottom. The guard formed a kind of bowl that protected the hand from all sides. The broadsword was mainly a weapon of horsemen and had a rather long blade (800-1000mm) to make it more convenient to cut down infantrymen from the height of a horse. The infantry also used broadswords, but they were somewhat shorter.

Saber

The saber has a curved blade with a one-sided sharpening. The width of the saber blade varied from 25 to 40 millimeters. The saber is intended primarily for slashing attacks. You can also stab with a saber, but the curvature of the saber plays a big role here. Too curved saber blades, such as, for example, Persian sabers, could not deliver a good piercing blow. They were convenient for cutting from a horse, but they were clearly not intended for poking movements. In the Caucasus, sabers underwent some changes, turning into checkers. , in principle, the same saber, only without a guard, like a Japanese katana. Unlike a saber, a saber was carried with its tip upward, and by snatching it from its sheath, the warrior could immediately deliver an oblique blow to the enemy. The saber, after it left, required an additional swing.

Scimitar

The scimitar is a classic representative of a blade with a reverse bend. That is, the scimitar has the same curvature as the saber, only the inner part of the parabola of the blade has been sharpened. The scimitar was the favorite weapon of the Janissaries and was used mainly as a cutting weapon in close combat. For some reason, the scimitar did not spread further than Turkey.

Swords and rapiers

When humanity was tired of carrying weights with itself, in the form of heavy armor (the invention of firearms negated their effectiveness) and powerful swords, which required remarkable strength and endurance to “work”, it invented lightweight versions of them, one of the representatives of which , and the sword appeared. The sword had a rather narrow diamond-shaped blade, and was intended purely for piercing blows, although it was capable of delivering cutting blows, since, despite its diamond shape, they were also sharpened. Thanks to its lightness and maneuverability, the sword quickly won the love of the aforementioned humanity, finally consigning noble swords to oblivion. the sword was entangled in a whole system of various rings and arcs, which, together with the cup-shaped guard, well protected the fencer’s hand, and to some extent, were used as a small sword.

Rapiers are essentially . They have a needle-shaped blade with three or four edges that do not have cutting edges. A rapier could deliver a lightning-fast stabbing blow. The brute strength of swords turned into the grace and speed of fencing with swords and rapiers.

Knives, cutlasses and daggers

Regardless of the purpose and shape, it is always sharpened on only one side. The blade, sharpened on both sides, is narrower. A dagger, unlike a knife, also has a small stop, like a saber guard, only smaller. and daggers served as auxiliary weapons. These short blades were used to finish off defeated enemies, destroy sentries, cut food; in general, knives and daggers had a fairly wide functionality. They were also often used in conjunction with a sword in battle and duels. The shape of the dagger blade could be straight, curved, or wavy.

It has a fairly wide blade, up to 500 millimeters long, and looks like a small sword. A good cleaver had, among other things, a clean practical purpose. Not only could they fight and kill, but they were also excellent at cutting down branches and small trees, trimming stakes, and even splitting logs.

The stiletto was originally intended for finishing off a warrior in armor, penetrating with a sharp narrow faceted needle between the plates of armor, or piercing. The stiletto usually had a round guard and a round pommel, similar to the head of a nail. This weapon had excellent piercing properties, and in capable hands was very dangerous.

That's probably all. We briefly reviewed all the main types of bladed weapons. Of course, there are many more varieties, types and subtypes of bladed weapons in the world, and to describe them all would require not one article, but whole volumes of thick books. There are many of these books. This article is written based on one of these books, called: “Reconstruction of Ancient Weapons.” If anyone is interested, you can search for it on the Internet.

A bladed weapon usually consists of a blade, a handle (hilt) and a guard (guard). Blade is an extended metal warhead of a bladed weapon with an edge (sword, stiletto oval or round in cross section, etc.) and one (hunting, army knives, etc.) or two (dagger, swords, etc.) blades.

The blade is the sharpened part of the blade. The part of the blade opposite the blade is called the butt. The bevel of the butt is a part of the butt, sharpened towards the blade and forming the tip of the blade with it. The unsharpened part of the blade between the blade and the tang is called the heel.

Blades in cross-section can be flat, multifaceted, round, or oval. The side surfaces of flat blades may have recesses (valleys) or stiffening ribs. The longitudinal line on the side surface of the blade, from which sharpening of the blade begins, is called the sharpening line.

The handle is attached by mounting, riveted (plated) methods or using threads on the shank. The handle of a bladed weapon usually consists of a handle, a sleeve (ring), and a pommel (tip). The handle is the main part of the handle, directly grasped by the hand. As a rule, the handle bushing is a metal part that encloses the handle at one or both ends. The tip secures the handle to the shank. The part installed between the handle and the base of the blade, with its parts protruding beyond the edge (edges) of the blade, protecting the hand from slipping onto the blade of the blade and serving to protect against blows, is called a limiter or cross (guard).

The ancestor of bladed weapons is the knife. The presence of a short blade with one blade along the longitudinal axis distinguishes it from other types of bladed weapons. Knives are divided into non-folding, folding and collapsible (Fig. 1, 2).

Rice. 1.

1 - knife length; 2 - blade length; 3 - length of the handle; 4 - limiter; 5 - heel; 6 - blade; 7 - butt; 8 - combat tip; 9 - butt bevel; 10 - sub-finger notches.

Rice. 2.

1 - blade; 2 - shank; 3 - rotary axis; 4 - clamp.

Throughout its existence, the knife has not undergone significant changes in its design features. Over time, all nations have developed their own forms of blade and handle in their various structural combinations. Hunting knives have become widespread among them (Fig. 3). Hunting knives must meet the requirements of GOST R 51500-99.

The characteristics of hunting knives include the following.

The blade of a knife with a single edge is formed by the meeting of the smooth rounding of the blade with the bevel of the butt or the butt at an angle usually less than 45°. In this case, the bevel of the butt can have a rectilinear or concave shape. Hunting knives must have a limiter (stop) or a one- or two-sided cross, or finger grooves on the handle, ensuring a strong and safe hold of the knife when stabbing. The length of the blade is at least 90 mm, the thickness of the butt is at least 2.6 mm at the thickest point of the blade. The hardness of the blade must be at least 42 HRC, regardless of what steel it is made of. Factory-made hunting knives must have a registration number and a manufacturer's mark.

Rice. 3.

The excess of the width of the one-sided or two-sided limiter over the width of the handle handle must be at least 5 mm. The depth of a single finger groove on the front bushing or handle shaft in the absence of a limiter is at least 5 mm. The depth of the finger groove on the handle shaft, which has more than one finger groove, is not less than 4 mm.

Folding hunting knives, related to cold piercing and cutting weapons, must necessarily have a mechanism that locks the blade both in open (combat) and in other positions. Collapsible hunting knives have a set of blades: knife and tool.

A bayonet-knife is a piercing-cutting edged weapon that is an accessory of combat hand-held firearms (carbines, machine guns). The blades are flat, at least 150 mm long, 4 mm thick and have devices for attaching to the barrel of a weapon. Army (military) knives are piercing-cutting edged weapons; the blade, as a rule, is formed by a double-sided sharpening, the convergence of which with the butt at an angle of 30-40° forms the tip. The blade length is more than 130 mm, thickness is more than 3.5 mm, handles can be wooden, metal, rubber, plastic.

The stiletto also belongs to short-bladed weapons, characteristic feature which is a straight or slightly curved pointed blade of round, oval, triangular or tetrahedral cross-section without pronounced cutting properties. The handle, which is comfortable to hold, almost always has a limiter.

It should be emphasized that the dagger also belongs to the short-bladed edged weapon. The blade of a dagger is usually 200-250 mm long, the length of the handle is approximately 100-120 mm, and there may be a shaped stop between the blade and the handle.

Particularly worth mentioning is the medium-bladed weapon, one of the types of which is the dagger. It has been known since Neolithic times as a hunting and military weapon, and later as a national weapon. The blade is straight or curved, with double-sharpened blades sharply tapering towards the tip.

Factory-made hunting daggers have a registration number and a manufacturer's mark, which are applied by stamping, engraving, etching, and burning. Basic specifications The blades of hunting daggers are as follows:

Length not less than 150 mm;

Thickness of at least 4 mm (at the thickest point);

Width at least 25 mm (at the widest point);

The ratio of the length of the blade to its width is no more than 6:1;

The width of the one-sided or two-sided limiter exceeds the width of the handle handle by at least 5 mm;

The hardness of the blades is not lower than 42 HBC.

In addition to hunting knives and daggers, civilian edged short-bladed weapons include survival knives. They are intended for use both in conditions of commercial or sport hunting as hunting knives, and in difficult (extreme) hiking conditions, travel and sports tourism, including its special types (mountain climbing and water tourism).

Survival knives and their accessories are also used for household purposes as a set of tools and accessories.

Fig 4.

A survival knife must meet the mandatory requirements of the current state standard. It also applies to imported products.

The design features and technical requirements for survival knives are practically no different from the requirements for hunting knives and daggers.

Survival knives are divided into two types according to their design:

Non-removable (including transformable);

Collapsible.

Survival knife designs are based on the designs of corresponding military combat knives and non-folding hunting knives.

A survival knife must consist of a blade and a handle, have a limiter or finger grooves on the handle, ensuring a strong hold of the knife when delivering damaging stabbing blows and the safety of using the weapon. The connection between the blade of a survival knife and the handle, including the hinge on a transforming knife, must be tight and durable. For a collapsible knife (with removable, replaceable blades), the strength of the attachment of the blade to the handle must be ensured by an appropriate connection.

The design of the blade (shape, weight, dimensions, etc.) of a survival knife, as well as the materials used for its manufacture, must have the strength and hardness necessary for a bladed weapon, provide sufficient destructive properties, the ability to use it when performing heavy household work and durability of operation .

The blade of a survival knife must be sharpened. Special types of sharpening are allowed both for the entire length of the blade and for part of it, and additional sharpening on the bevel and part of the butt for a length of up to 2/3 of the blade (from its tip), which improves its damaging properties.

The handle of a survival knife must be carefully processed and ensure safety when using the weapon.

The technical requirements for survival knives are as follows.

Blade length is not less than 90 mm (the length of the blade is determined by the size from the tip to the stop, and in the absence of it - to the front end of the sleeve or the handle handle), butt thickness is not less than 2.6 mm (measurement of butt thickness is made at the thickest point of the blade, for example on his heel); hardness should not be lower than 42 HBC.

Factory-made survival knives have a registration number and a manufacturer's mark (logo), which are applied to the heel of the blade. different ways(stamping, engraving, etching, burning). The method of applying the registration number and manufacturer's mark must ensure their safety for the entire period of operation of the weapon.

In addition to short-bladed ones, there are medium-bladed civilian edged weapons (hunting cleavers) and structurally similar medium-bladed products for household purposes, which are not related to edged weapons. All of them must comply with the GOST project “Hunting cutlasses, tourist machetes, cutting machetes and tools for restoration and rescue work (IVSR)” approved by TC 384 and Gosstandart.

The standard applies to all hunting cleavers, tourist machetes, cutting tools and tools for restoration and rescue work (IVSR), including imported ones.

According to their design, hunting cutlasses are divided into two types:

Non-folding (non-dismountable and collapsible with replaceable additional items or tools (shovel, ax, etc.);

Folding with lock.

The designs of hunting cleavers can be based on the designs of military models of edged weapons. The general layout and design features of blades and handles, in combination with strength characteristics, should ensure durability and safety of operation and destructive properties sufficient for civilian edged weapons. The connection between the blade and the handle must be tight and durable.

Blade blades can have single or double-sided sharpening. Special types of sharpening are allowed, but not more than 1/4 of the total length of the blade. Additional sharpening can be done on the bevel or part of the butt to a length of no more than 1/2 the length of the blade (from its tip or working end).

Blade blades can be equipped with narrow or wide fullers. A single- or double-row saw for wood or bone can also be placed on the butt of the blade.

The handle of a hunting cleaver must be carefully processed and ensure safety when using and wearing it. Handle designs may vary. The handle must be equipped with a cross, a protective bow or other protective device. It is not allowed to equip the handle with a shock cone, characteristic of military weapons.

Hunting cutlasses, which are civilian edged weapons, must meet the following technical requirements.

Limit dimensions for blades of hunting cleavers:

Length from 210 to 500 mm;

Blade thickness is at least 3 mm;

Width from 25 to 45 mm;

The tip angle is less than 70°;

Blade hardness is at least 40 HRC.

Blades must be strong, elastic and have a residual deformation during bending tests of no more than 1 mm. Hunting cleavers must be equipped with a safety handle (hilt).

The handle is considered injury-proof if:

The excess of one-sided or two-sided limiter (cross) above the handle handle is at least 5 mm;

The depth of a single finger groove on the front bushing or handle shaft is at least 5 mm;

The depth of the finger grooves on the front bushing or handle shaft, which has more than one finger groove, is not less than 4 mm;

The heel of the blade, which acts as a limiter, has a thickness of at least 3.5 mm (in the absence of a wedge-shaped bevel towards the blade);

The difference between the maximum diameter in the middle part of the barrel-shaped handle and the minimum diameter in the pommel area exceeds 8 mm;

The difference between the maximum diameter of the wedge-shaped handle stop and the minimum diameter in the pommel area exceeds 8 mm;

The handle is equipped with another protective device (for example, a protective shackle) or is made of materials with increased adhesive properties (for example, corrugated rubber).

It is mandatory to check hunting cutlasses for safety and ease of intended use as a bladed weapon, for which the ease of holding the weapon in the hand, the safety of delivering blows of varying strength and direction (the effectiveness of the protective devices of the handle) are checked.

Tourist and cutting machetes are household products and do not belong to bladed weapons.

The main purpose of tourist machetes is to use them to perform a wide range of household work in field conditions when engaging in health and sports tourism, as well as to use them in everyday life as household products.

Cutting machetes are intended for cutting carcasses and skinning, as well as for other economic purposes in commercial or sport hunting conditions and in everyday life.

Tourist and cutting machetes are of two types according to their design:

Non-folding (non-dismountable and collapsible with replaceable additional items or tools, such as a shovel, ax, etc.);

The damaging properties of tourist and cutting machetes should be absent or reduced due to their design features and technical characteristics.

The connection between the machete blade and the handle must be tight and durable.

The length of the blade of folding machetes necessarily exceeds the length of the handle.

It is allowed to manufacture machete blades using thermal or mechanical processing technologies, applying special coatings that provide an anti-reflective effect to their surface.

Machete blades have single- or double-sided sharpening. Special types of sharpening are allowed, for example serrated, on part of the blade from the handle side, but not more than 1/4 of the total length of the blade. It is possible to perform additional sharpening on the bevel or part of the butt for a length of no more than 1/2 the length of the blade.

The machete blade is not allowed to have special shock grooves, which are typical for combat cold medium-blade weapons and are intended for inflicting lacerations.

Various materials are used to make machete handles and their parts. Handle designs can be different (mounted, pressed, cast or with dies), with or without a lanyard attachment. Handles are made both with and without protective devices.

Machetes must be equipped with safety sheaths or cases, including artistic ones, made from natural, synthetic materials or combinations thereof, ensuring safe transportation and storage of products.

GOST establishes the following technical requirements for tourist and cutting machetes.

Tourist and cutting machetes, which are household products, are equipped with a blade with an edge that does not provide damaging properties when delivering targeted piercing and cutting blows.

Limit dimensions for machete blades:

Length from 175 to 500 mm (determined by the size from the tip to the protruding part of the handle);

Thickness of at least 1.5 mm (measurement is made at the thickest point of the blade);

Width (maximum) not less than 35 mm;

The tip angle is more than 70°.

It is allowed to reduce the angle of the tip to less than 70° in the presence of a safety handle in cases where:

The tip is excessively removed from the midline of the blade towards the butt or blade;

There is no wedge-shaped convergence of the blade towards the tip;

There is no additional sharpening or chamfer on the butt or its bevel;

The sharpening width directly at the tip is no more than 15 mm;

Excessive thickness of the blade, etc., does not allow the machete to be used for delivering targeted piercing and cutting blows (evaluated as a whole).

Blade hardness is at least 25 HRC.

Blades can be straight or curved (along the spine), with or without an extension from the tip.

The blades must be sufficiently strong and elastic, however, the amount of residual deformation during bending is not regulated and can exceed 1 mm.

The size of the tip angle is not regulated if there is:

Safety handle and blade thickness no more than 2.4 mm;

Traumatic handle.

The handle is considered hazardous (in the absence of a lanyard) if:

The excess of one-sided or two-sided limiter (cross) over the handle measurement is less than 5 mm;

The depth of a single finger groove on the front bushing or handle shaft is less than 5 mm;

The depth of the finger grooves on the front bushing or handle shaft, which has more than one finger groove, is less than 4 mm;

The heel of the blade, acting as a limiter, has a thickness of less than 3.5 mm;

The difference between the maximum diameter of the wedge-shaped handle stop and the minimum diameter in the pommel area does not exceed 8 mm;

The handle is not equipped with any other protective device (for example, a safety guard).

The largest group among bladed weapons is made up of long-bladed piercing, slashing and cutting weapons. It includes a saber, a checker, a sword, an epee, a rapier, etc. The main feature of a long-bladed weapon - its relevance only to a weapon - was initially incorporated into the design, which distinguishes it from a short-bladed weapon, which was also used in everyday life. Currently, the majority of long-bladed edged weapons are museum exhibits or exhibits in private collections.

Main technical characteristics of sabers and checkers:

Overall length from 730 to 1,150 mm;

Blade length from 650 to 900 mm (the length of the blade is determined by the size from the combat end (tip) to the guard, and in case of its absence, to the cross (stop) of the hilt);

Blade thickness is at least 4 mm;

Blade width from 23 to 55 mm;

The height of the blade curvature is from 42 to 73 mm;

Total weight from 1,000 to 2,000 g.

Main technical characteristics of daggers:

Total length from 400 to 600 mm;

Blade length from 300 to 440 mm;

Blade thickness is at least 5 mm;

Blade width from 25 to 45 mm;

Total weight from 450 to 750 g.

The hardness of the blades of sabers, checkers and daggers manufactured after 1994 must be at least 42 HRC. For blades manufactured before 1994 and belonging to national costumes and Cossack uniforms, as well as their antique samples, the hardness must be at least 40 HNS. In cases where the hardness is less than 40 HDC, the hardness data of the presented sample should be compared with the indicators of cold steel samples of the same period of time.

In expert practice, it is very common to encounter objects that are similar to bladed weapons, but are not them. Among them are cutting and skinning knives, intended both for use in commercial or sport hunting (including underwater) and for household needs. Skinning and cutting knives can have either original designs or be based on the designs of folding and non-folding hunting and survival knives, but their combat properties should be reduced due to design features and mechanical characteristics. Cutting and skinning knives are non-folding, collapsible and folding. The blade of a folding knife in the open state can be rigidly fixed (i.e., the presence of a latch is allowed). The blade can be equipped with additional elements for household and special purposes (bone saw, screwdriver-shaped tip, etc.), which are folded into the handle of the knife or placed in a sheath or sheath.

Technical characteristics of cutting and skinning knives (GOST R 51644-2000):

1. The length of the blade is up to 90 mm, the thickness of the butt of the knife and its hardness can be similar to cold bladed weapons.

2. The thickness of the blade spine is less than 2.4 mm, the length of the blade is up to 150 mm if the knife design has a one-sided or two-sided limiter or finger grooves on the handle.

3. The thickness of the blade spine is more than 2.6 mm and is independent of the length of the blade if:

The knife handle is dangerous, i.e. there are no protective devices;

The width of the one-sided or two-sided limiter exceeds the width of the handle handle by less than 5 mm;

The depth of a single finger groove on the front bushing or handle shaft in the absence of a limiter is less than 5 mm;

The depth of the finger groove on the handle shaft, which has more than one finger groove, is less than 4 mm;

The difference between the maximum diameter in the middle part of the barrel-shaped handle and the minimum diameter in the pommel area does not exceed 8 mm;

The length of the working part of the handle (from the stop to the pommel) does not exceed 70 mm;

The amount of deflection of the butt upward from the conventional straight line connecting the tip of the blade and the lower end of the handle exceeds 15 mm;

The amount by which the tip of the blade protrudes above the butt line exceeds 5 mm;

On the oblique butt of the knife blade, at a distance of no more than 1/3 from its tip, there is a special hook with a blade (hook) for cutting and removing the skin;

The blade of a folding cutting knife and a skinning knife does not have a rigid fixation;

The design of the blade does not provide for the possibility of delivering damaging piercing blows, characteristic of hunting knives;

Cutting and skinning knives, regardless of the thickness and length of the blade, include knives with a blade hardness below 25 HNS and intended for skinning and cutting carcasses of wild and domestic animals, fish and birds;

The length of the blades of cutting knives (for example, for cutting fish), regardless of their hardness, may exceed the above values ​​if the thickness of the blades is less than 2 mm;

The hardness of the blades of cutting and skinning knives has no restrictions.

Touring and special sports knives are items of tourist equipment. They are intended for use in camping conditions when engaging in health and sports tourism, as well as its special types and in certain sports. They consist of a blade, a handle, and have a stop or finger grooves on the handle, ensuring a strong hold and safe use of the knife.

Technical characteristics (GOST R 51501-99): 1. Maximum maximum dimensions for blades with a hardness above 25 HNS of tourist and special sports knives, which are household knives, structurally similar to cold short-bladed weapons:

Length up to 150 mm if the knife design has a one-sided or two-sided limiter or finger grooves on the handle;

Length up to 220 mm in the absence of a one-sided or double-sided limiter or finger grooves on the handle in the knife design;

The thickness of the butt is no more than 2.4 mm.

2. The thickness of the butt of blades with a hardness above 25 NPO of tourist and special sports knives can be more than 2.4 mm in cases where the length of their blades is less than 90 mm.

3. The length of the blades of special sports knives (for example, sling cutters) with an automatic spring or other design that ensures quick removal of the blade with the movement of one hand and fixing it in the working position can be more than 90 mm if they do not have a blade tip.

4. Tourist and special sports knives, regardless of the thickness and length of the blades, include knives with a blade hardness below 25 HNS and intended for use in camping conditions and when practicing special sports.

5. Tourist and special sports knives, regardless of the thickness and length of the blades, include folding knives that do not have rigid fixation of the blades in the working position and are intended for use in camping conditions and when practicing special sports.

6. Tourist knives, regardless of the hardness of the blades, also include folding knives (with the exception of dagger and stiletto types) with a blade length of no more than 105 mm and a spine thickness of up to 3.5 mm, having handles whose design does not ensure the safety of using the knife as a weapon due to:

The arc-shaped side concave along the entire length of the handle, opposite the straight back (the so-called “pump-type” handle);

The width in the middle part of the “pump” type handle, which should be no more than 20 mm;

Absence of restraints and pronounced sub-finger grooves;

Applications in the manufacture of materials and processing technologies that reduce the frictional properties of a “pump” type handle (metal, wood, plastic, etc., subjected to grinding, polishing, etc.).

7. The length of the blades of special sports knives for climbers, regardless of their hardness, may exceed the values ​​​​specified in paragraph 1 if the thickness of the blades is less than 2 mm.

8. The length and thickness of the butt of the blades of special sports knives intended for scuba diving (scuba diver knives) and water tourism, regardless of the hardness of the blade, may exceed the values ​​​​specified in paragraph 1, if the design of the tip of their blades does not provide for the possibility of delivering damaging piercing blows, characteristic of hunting knives intended for underwater hunting. In these cases, in place of the tip of the knife blade, working parts of additional tools or devices, for example, screwdrivers, chisels, spatulas, wrench and etc.

9. The hardness of the blades of tourist and special sports knives has no restrictions.

Souvenir items similar in external structure with edged (bladed, impact-crushing) weapons, are manufactured according to certain models of edged weapons, correspond to the types of specific simulated samples, but do not fully possess their combat properties. Features souvenir blade products:

The attachment of the blade's shank to the handle has been significantly weakened in various ways for the purpose of destruction when attempting to use it as a weapon;

The hardness of the blade must be below 25 HBC;

Long-bladed souvenir products should not withstand more than one or two impacts on a log with a diameter of more than 150-200 mm during strength tests.

Tools for restoration and rescue work (IVSR) are household products and do not belong to bladed weapons.

The main purpose of IVSR is to use it as an entrenching and chopping tool in eliminating the consequences of natural disasters and catastrophes.

By design, IVSR are of two types:

Non-folding (non-dismountable and collapsible with replaceable additional items or tools - shovel, ax, etc.);

Folding (with or without a lock).

The connection of the IVSR cloths with the handles must be tight and durable.