home Medicines from A to Z Uzbek knife drawings and sizes. Uzbek knife pchak (history of origin, working hypothesis)

Uzbek knife drawings and sizes. Uzbek knife pchak (history of origin, working hypothesis)

Uzbek knife pchak (history of origin, working hypothesis).

Once upon a time in 1991, as a student at the Department of Archeology at Moscow State University, I went on an archaeological expedition organized by the Museum of Oriental Peoples to Samarkand. One of the first impressions that struck me then in the village near Samarkand was the constant presence on the street of old men (babais) in cotton robes (chapans), belted with a belt, on which one could often see a knife hanging in a sheath. As the “senior comrades” explained to me then, old people are allowed to walk the streets with a knife, because the knife is considered an element of the national costume. Plucking up courage, I asked one old man to show me his knife. Not without pride, he took it out of its sheath and demonstrated it (in the village they knew that I was from an archaeological expedition and treated me with respect). I had never seen such a specimen before. It was very unusual - a handle thin at the base of the blade, widening towards the pommel (as if ending with a “head”), made of horn, and a straight, wide blade with a smooth rise towards the back, forming a fairly sharp tip. The knife was polished so that I could see my reflection in it, and on its blade, closer to the handle, there was an ornament made " Arabic script"The old man called it a "pichok" (knife) and said that I could buy the same one at the bazaar on the outskirts of the city.

On the next day off, I went to the market and, after a long bargain with the seller, became the owner of the largest specimen that he had on the counter that day. Returning from the expedition, for many years I became the owner of a knife that was the envy of all my friends.

Illustration 1. Pchak from Samarkand, 1991.

Today, of course, everything is different. Buying pchak in Moscow is not a problem. But when buying pchak, many people do not know what they are getting.

The history and origins of pchak are vague and confusing.

Today the pchak is called the traditional national knife of the peoples living in Central Asia- Uzbeks and Uighurs.

The specimens of the 19th-20th centuries closest to modern ones (ethnographic material that became known modern science after the entry of Central Asia into the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century, obtained as a result of various expeditions), which today are presented in museums, show us a completely different type of knife - with a narrow blade and a long and smooth rise to the tip. This blade shape is explained simply. These pchak blades are sharpened to the limit, and the change in shape occurred as a result of long-term practical use.

Archaeological data also does not give us a clear answer to the question of the origin of the pchak: in Sogdiana (the territory covering modern Uzbekistan) in the 5th-8th centuries, two types of knives were common: 1. With a straight blade; 2.With a curved blade. The maximum width of the blades of the discovered specimens is 1.8 cm, the handle is lamellar with a narrowing from the blade to the tip (from 3 mm to 1 mm). All knives were of different sizes, with a total length of up to 14.5 cm, the length of the handle being up to 3.5 cm. Both types were widespread in large quantities found in Penjikent, Kayragach, and Shakhristan. (Yakubov Yu. "Early medieval settlements of mountainous Sogd. Dushanbe, 1988, p. 235).

It is worth noting the extremely poor preservation of the finds (the climate and layers of Central Asia are merciless to iron), which makes typology extremely difficult.

Illustration 2. Images of found knives that date back to the 5th-8th centuries (numbers 4-6).

There is also archaeological evidence of knives found in the burials of nomads in Central Asia, dating back to the last quarter of the 14th century. These "standard utility knife designs" knives represent a remarkably durable, consistent series. They have the following characteristic features. The back of the blades forms a weakly defined arc, gradually descending towards the nose. The cutting edge is arched, but steeper than the back. Central axis the blade and handle are shifted towards the back. The length of the blades ranges from 6 to 14 cm. The thickness is 1.5 mm, the width of the blade at the base is 1-1.5 cm (depending on the length). The handle is subtriangular in shape, 2-4 cm long. The width of the handle at the base is about half the width of the blade. The ratio of blade length to handle length is slightly more than 3:1.

The handle is always separated from the blade by strictly perpendicular ledges, which are design features. A narrow iron frame, 1.5-2 mm wide and thick, was welded onto the base of the blade, which was a kind of lock that locked the knife in the sheath. This is a very fragile part, often not preserved. Its presence is evidenced by the strict perpendicularity of the ledges and the traces imprinted by it, which can be seen on unrestored metal.

The knives also had wooden sheaths, which is recorded by traces of wood on the blades.
This type of knife was widespread among nomads already at the end of the first millennium AD.

Illustration 3. Illustration of nomadic knives in the last quarter of the 1st millennium, type 3 according to Minasyan.

All the types of knives mentioned have nothing in common with the current form of pchak. When and under what circumstances the “lifting” of the handle handle to the line of the back of the blade occurred so that the handle handle is located in the upper third of the blade, and what this was connected with is not yet possible to answer.
That is, ancient examples of knives show us a completely different design type. Emergence modern type pchak can be explained by the fact that it was introduced from outside or existed in the region, but such knives are still unknown and not described.

On the Internet, there is an opinion about the appearance of knives of a similar shape in Central Asia in the 14th-15th centuries. Their appearance is partly associated with the conquest of Asia by Tamerlane and the “indirect ban for local men to carry weapons/daggers.” The authorities could not deprive Uzbeks of the right to bear arms, and the most common type of weapon, due to their availability, was knives or daggers. This is a centuries-old tradition, sacredly revered in the East. And then they turned to the pichakchik artisans (knife artisans), who were “convinced” to change the design of the knife for the population, turning it into a household item. To compensate for the loss of the fighting qualities of the knife, Uzbek craftsmen turned to external form. This is how a new form of handle arose, very reminiscent of the handle of a saber or card.

Changing the form simultaneously solved another problem - in the knife fights that happened (in Uzbek “pichakbozlik”), the opponents tried not to kill, but only to wound, otherwise for the murder the relatives of the victim had to pay a large “khun” - a blood ransom. The new shape of the knife reduced the likelihood of death in such knife fights.

But given point vision does not have full-fledged substantiated sources, transitional/early forms of pchak are unknown.

One can consider the hypothesis about independent development pchak, which was originally an exclusively household (kitchen, cook, table) item and appeared in Central Asia under external influence, but so far its early finds are unknown.

It is worth saying right away that the typological form of the pchak (one line of the back and handle) is found in different cultures, in different eras and refers, first of all, to knives for household (kitchen) purposes. For example, bronze knives of the Karasuk type.

Illustration 4. Karasuk knives. (D.A. Avdusin, “Fundamentals of Archeology”)

Another example is the knives of the first millennium of Eastern Europe, which are characterized by a smooth transition line between the back and the stalk with a slight “top” in the central part. The cutting is in the shape of a narrow triangle, 4-5 cm long, usually separated from the cutting edge by a smooth ledge. The cutting edge of entire copies of such knives is straight and only curves sharply upward towards the end.

Illustration 5. Knives with “the back of the blade turning into a handle without ledges,” type 1 according to Minasyan.

Direct transitions of the line of the back of the blade (butt) into the handle are also found on Russian “table/kitchen” knives of the 15th-16th centuries from Zaryadye (Moscow).

Illustration 6. Knives from Zaryadye, dating back to the 16th-17th centuries.

A typologically similar form of knife is found even on the other side of the globe - gaucho knives in Argentina.

Illustration 7. Gaucho knife from Argentina.

Finally, if we turn to modern times, we immediately remember Japanese kitchen/chef knives that also have a similar configuration to the pchak with thin handles and a direct transition of the back of the blade (butt) into the handle.

It is impossible not to say that Central Asia is a huge territory through which the “Great Great Patriotic War” ran in ancient times. silk road"from China, trade relations were carried out with India and the Mediterranean countries. This land is full of historical events. Today we learn about them from the writings of ancient Greek and Roman authors, medieval manuscripts of Arab scribes, and discovered archaeological sites.
At the dawn of human history, until the 4th century AD, empires were created and collapsed in Central Asia: the Persian, Alexander the Great and Seleucids. The Greco-Bactrian, Krishan and Parthian kingdoms existed and disappeared. Later, part of these lands was part of the Sassanid state, in Arab Caliphate. In the XI-XIII centuries. no less powerful states arose on these lands: the Ghaznavids, Karakhnids, Ghurids and Khorezmshahs.

After the conquest of this territory by the Mongols, the Chagatai Khanate was formed, and then the huge power of Timur and his descendants.

The lands of Central Asia became the homeland of many Turkic nomadic tribes engaged in cattle breeding. But this is also the place where the most ancient agricultural cultures appeared.
Located at the intersection of trade and migration routes, there has always been cultural influence from the outside: the influence of nomads from the Eastern Degree, the influence of Iranian (Persian) culture from Asia Minor (Persia), Hellenistic influence, the influence of the cultures of India and China.

Undoubtedly, the appearance of pchak among the Uzbeks was influenced by similar forms/types of knives of Indo-Iranian and Turkic origin - Iranian kard, Turkish bichag, Indo-Iranian peshkabz, chura, karud and khyber, Indian kirpan. All these knives most often date back no earlier than the 16th, or even the 17th-18th centuries, only the peshkabz is sometimes attributed to the 15th century.
At the end of the “historical review”, we can make an assumption about the emergence of pchaks after the 15th century under the influence of the Indo-Iranian tradition with a “strict functional purpose” - a kitchen/chef’s knife. Owners of pchaks are well aware of how great they are for slicing meat and vegetables.
But for Uzbeks it’s not just good kitchen knife, but also a wonderful gift for a man who has sacred meaning. Cold steel is an indispensable attribute national clothes among many peoples of the East. Even those who, due to their social status, do not have the right to own long-bladed weapons (farmers and artisans), carry a sheathed knife on their belt.

In contrast to the superstition that exists in our country that knives should not be given as a gift (this supposedly brings bad luck), in Central Asia such a gift is still considered prestigious and desirable. According to the ideas of the peoples of Central Asia, sharp and pointed objects acquire the power of protective amulets that ward off misfortune and illness. And the pchak is also credited with a similar amulet power. A knife placed under the pillow, in the baby's head, is considered a means of protecting his health. If an adult is sick, a knife can be placed on his head instead of a compress, thereby protecting him from the action of evil forces.

A pchak given by a son to his father demonstrates great attention and love, and for the father such a gift is considered a great honor.

A knife is also given to a “real horseman,” every potential warrior - a young man who has reached the age of 18.
Most often, knives (household knives, not weapons), as elements of national clothing, are found among nomadic pastoralists and hunters - North American Indians, the Argentine gaucho people, Yakuts, Buryats, and Laplanders.

And in the case of Pchak, the direct influence of the Turkic-speaking nomadic peoples who came to the territory of settled farmers - the Uzbeks - in the Middle Ages can be traced.
In this part of the review, some aspects of the origin and purpose of pchak were considered. In the second part we’ll talk about the design and common types of modern pchak knives.

Of great interest to collectors is the Uzbek knife, which is distinguished by its versatility in use, has a richly decorated handle and good quality manufacturing. Such a chic blade will be an excellent gift for anyone who appreciates edged weapons. Today, many varieties of pchak are known - from knives for use in the kitchen, to richly decorated models for collectors.

Description of the knife

An Uzbek knife or as it is also called pchak is traditional weapons Central Asian peoples, with a wide blade of unusual shape and one-sided sharpening. Such blades are made of high-strength carbon steel; the handle can be made of wood, metal, horn or bones of exotic animals. The pchak is worn in a straight, wide leather sheath and is popular in the countries of Central Asia, where there are numerous variations of this weapon, differing in the proportion of the blade and the ornament.

The features of the blade include the following:

Unusual shape blades.
One-sided sharpening.
Wooden and bone handle.
Richly decorated handle.

The length of the Uzbek pchak is usually 12−27 cm. The thickness of the handle is 6−7 mm. The cross-section of the blade usually narrows from the butt to the blade. The original geometry of the blade allows you to cut food with ease, while the blade is perfectly balanced. It has optimal weight characteristics, fits comfortably in the hand, and thanks to the extended handle, it is suitable for people with large and medium-sized palms.

History of creation

Uzbek pchak is a modified Asian knife, which was known back in the 4th century BC. Subsequently, several varieties of such weapons became widespread, the most popular of which was the pchak. This blade is extremely effective, versatile in use and at the same time has an attractive appearance. With equal success, this weapon can be used both in everyday life in the kitchen and considered as a combat weapon.

According to one version, such a weapon with an original blade shape appeared during the conquest Russian Empire Uzbekistan and all of Central Asia. The new authorities, fearing unrest and riots among the local population, forbade them different kinds edged weapons. The unusual shape of the blade made it possible to use the knife exclusively for cooking or at home, but such a blade was not suitable for use for combat purposes; it was allowed only in Asia and the Caucasus.

Today, the most popular are decorative models that have rich carvings on the blade and original handles made of bone or the horns of exotic animals. Previously, Uzbek knives that were handmade by craftsmen were considered the highest quality and most expensive. Such weapons are manufactured by the largest weapons workshops, which follow a centuries-old tradition, observing all the proportions and features of the classic pchak.

Advantages and disadvantages

Collectors value Uzbek knives for their incredible beauty and energy. The best examples can cost several thousand dollars, are made by famous craftsmen and are true works of art.

The advantages of these knives include the following:

Versatility of use.
Stylish appearance.
Durability and strength.

The disadvantage of such blades is the difficulty of sharpening, as well as the need for proper care of the weapon. Thus, pchak does not tolerate water well, so the surface of the blade should be wiped dry, which prevents the formation of rust. It is also necessary to take into account high cost such knives, which can reach 50,000 rubles or more.

Design Features

A special feature of this knife is the handle and the method of attaching decorative trims to the blade. It is on making the handle that craftsmen spend the most effort and time. A real Uzbek knife is made exclusively with a handle made of wood or bone. Models made from the horns of rare animals are also prized. Various inlays of expensive materials, precious metals and jewelry stones can be used as decoration. The cost of such a knife will directly depend on the complexity of the handle and the materials used for decoration.

The classic drawing of a pchak knife includes the following elements:

Today, several varieties of Uzbek knives are known, which have wide and medium-sized blades. Universal working varieties are made with a blade length of 8-9 cm, are distinguished by the quality of sharpening, and thanks to their original shape they are characterized by excellent cutting ability. Massive varieties will be an excellent option for chopping vegetables. They are balanced, fit well in the hand, and their use is not particularly difficult.

Collectible and working options

It is customary to divide the Uzbek knife pchak depending on its purpose. Beautifully decorated models, which are made of stainless steel, are intended primarily for decoration and are especially sought after by collectors. If you choose a knife for work and use on the farm, then preference is given to weapons made of heavy-duty carbon steel. In the latter case, hardening can be performed by zone hardening, exclusively at the cutting edge of the blade.

For standard working models, the strength index is usually 50-54 units, therefore, even despite the use of high-carbon steels and the presence of hardening at the blade, it is possible to hold long time sharpness of the cutting edge is often not possible. To sharpen pchak, special stones and scissors are used to straighten the shape, which makes it easier to use such weapons. To increase the strength of carbon steel, it can be oxidized, for which it is immersed in a solution of iron sulfate or Naukat clay.

Collectible models have a handle richly decorated with engraving, which is coated with transparent enamel paint on top. Also appreciated are options in which the handles are decorated with birch and mother-of-pearl inserts. The best masters Those who work on such weapons manually leave a so-called tamgo on the blade. This is the signature-engraving of the master who made a specific model. Experienced collectors who are well versed in such weapons will be able to identify the area where a particular knife was made and the craftsman who worked on such a weapon based on one engraved signature.

It is necessary to choose a blade taking into account what the pchak knife is intended for and how it will be used. If you need a weapon for working in the kitchen, then it is preferable to use classic Uzbek pchaks, the blade shape of which is ideal for cutting meat, fruits and vegetables. But collectors choose Old Akkadian varieties and Uyghur pchak knives self made, which have an original appearance, have rich inlay on the blade and handle. They are highly prized by gun enthusiasts.

When purchasing such a knife, it is best to refrain from ordering from various online stores. Otherwise, you can buy a low-quality weapon, which not only does not meet all the classical requirements for an Uzbek pchak, but will quickly fail and require sharpening after just a few months of use.

It is best to buy knives in specialized stores where you can be completely confident in the quality of the offer. Collectors purchase them at special auctions and thematic forums. Everyone has such blades Required documents and certificates to confirm their originality and origin.

Cost of the best models

The cost of an Uzbek knife will depend on the specific model, the material from which it is made, as well as the manufacturer’s brand. The simplest clinics can have a price of 500-1000 rubles. Knives from Uzbekistan, made according to all canons, will already cost 2-3 thousand rubles.

Models made by famous gunsmiths who worked on such blades for many days are estimated at 20-30 thousand rubles or more. Collectors also value weapons that are 100 years old or more. The knives are made exclusively by hand and have an attractive appearance, which allows them to become a diamond in the collection of every bladed weapon lover.

When purchasing knives, you should remember that some models have blade lengths exceeding 90 mm. Such blades already belong to the category of edged weapons with all the ensuing restrictions. Their use will be somewhat difficult, so they are in demand only among collectors or buyers who have the appropriate permits to carry bladed weapons.

Uzbek national pchaks are universal weapons, which is valued by collectors and used in everyday life in cooking. It is important to choose the right knife, which is made in compliance with all the requirements for classic models, made of durable carbon steel, which greatly simplifies its subsequent use. It is necessary to take into account all recommendations for selection, including refraining from buying Uzbek pchak in stores that do not guarantee the high quality of weapons.

Uzbek, Uyghur knives (Pchak)

Pchak is traditional, national knife Uzbeks and Uighurs. Distributed throughout Central Asia and beyond. Its appearance is unique and easily recognizable, and its shape has remained unchanged over the years. Uyghur craftsmen have a wider range and more variety in the shape of blades. In the standard version, Uzbek and Uyghur pchaks with a raised blade (Kayik) and a straight butt (Tugri) are no different from each other. The only difference is in the handle and inlay.

The wide blade of the pchak was forged from steel of various qualities. Low quality steel was used in the manufacture of knives for the poor. Highly skilled craftsmen preferred to work to order and made blades only from high-quality hardened steel. The pchak blade was made in different options, according to its purpose.
Option 1 is the most common, when the tip of the blade is raised above the butt of the blade by more than 5 mm - “Kayik”.

The 2nd option is a knife with a blade with a smooth and straight spine - “Tughri pchak” or, as it is also called, “Kassob pchak”. This option was intended mainly for butchers.

A feature of the Uzbek and Uyghur knife is a thin rounded handle, which is attached at the level of the butt, expanding towards the end. Sometimes the handle ends in a hook-shaped bend. In ancient times, the handle of a pchak was made from materials available at that time: wood, bone, horn. These days the variety of materials is much wider. In addition to traditional materials, handles are made of plexiglass, PCB, brass, copper, and so on.

There are two types of handle shape:
1) Yerma - this means pads on both sides of the shank. It consists of two dies that are attached to the shank.
Before attaching the dies that form the handle, the guard is soldered and a strip of copper, brass or silver is soldered to the shank around the perimeter. The dies are fastened with metal or copper rivets. Also, the handle can be inlaid, made of colored, precious or semi-precious stones(for example from sadaf (perelamutr).

2) Sukhma - i.e. Full-mounted handle. It consists of a solid material that can be inserted into the shank and thereby form into the handle classic shape, which fits almost any hand. A variant of the sukhma handle shape is made from the horns of various animals, plexiglass, textolite, brass, copper and other materials. Materials made from colored, precious or semi-precious stones can also be used in inlay.

In the old days and to this day, every respected master always put his own mark, the so-called “tamga”, on a high-quality knife he made. The main elements of the mark were Islamic attributes - the image of stars and a crescent. Modern masters who make knives also mark their unique products with symbols of Islam or put a cotton stamp, the name of the town where these knives are made or the number of the house where the master himself lives. But there are masters who do not put a mark, since the work of these masters can be recognized by unique, clear drawings on the guard or amazing, quality work. The master, if desired, can engrave his personal data on the other side of the blade or on the handle of the knife.

The blade of an expensive pchak is decorated with a national ornament, and the handle is decorated with round decorative elements called “köz” or in Persian “chashmak” - this means “eye, eyes”, which are made either from non-ferrous or precious metals, or from bone or mother-of-pearl, which are pressed into into the handle dies.

Sheaths for pchak are sewn from genuine leather or thick material and decorated with precious or semi-precious materials (for example: brass, copper, silver). There are special wooden inserts inside them so that when the knife is pulled out, the sheath remains intact. The sheath is quite deep, since the pchak is inserted there without additional fixation. Like the handle, they are decorated with decorative colored circles, often simply painted on. More expensive products use applique. They also have a loop that goes through the belt.
According to its purpose, pchak is a household accessory. The most ideal knife for home cooking. The pchak with a curved tip "Kayik" is mostly used by hunters, as it is very convenient for skinning, and butchers for the most part choose the "Tugri pchak" for cutting carcasses. Pchak is not a combat knife, since the hardness of the blade and the sharpness of the butt, reduced to zero, do not allow such serious work as, for example, planing metal or opening cans or chopping bones. It remains a mystery to historians even now what caused the need for the appearance of a knife with a blade shape convenient only for economic activity. Uzbek and Uyghur pchaks will definitely become indispensable helpers in the kitchen. Or would be suitable as a gift for someone knowledgeable about history: after all, every time we touch a pchak, we become familiar with the history of the Ancient East.

Each nation, depending on the characteristic geographical, climatic and socio-cultural conditions of life, adopted and received the greatest use of its own type of knife, which has distinctive features from similar weapons of other nationalities. Among them is national Uzbek knife “pchak”. Appearing, according to various sources, among the Central Asian peoples at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries, it has retained its form almost unchanged to this day.

General description of the Uzbek knife “pchak”

The name of the product comes from the Uzbek word “pechak”, which literally means “knife”. Pchak knives distributed throughout Central Asia with minor differences in proportions and decoration. Their characteristic features are a wide straight blade with one-sided sharpening and a thin (narrower than a blade) handle, which is attached flush with the butt.

The knife blade can be up to 50 mm wide. Its length is usually 16-22 cm. The cross-section of the metal part is wedge-shaped, tapering from the butt to the blade. From the handle to the tip, the thickness of the knife gradually decreases: from 4-5 mm to zero. The slopes are most often straight, less often convex or concave. This geometry provides the product with excellent cutting properties.

Traditionally, carbon steel is used to make the blade. As a result of bluing with iron sulfate, ferric chloride, or local varieties of clay, the metal surface acquires a specific dark color with a bluish or yellowish tint. Blades are often hardened and decorated with engraving or stamped marks. It does Uzbek knife not only a necessary element of everyday life, but also distinguishes it as an object that characterizes the culture and life of an entire people.

The history of the distribution of “pchak” knives since the times of the USSR

During times Soviet Union Uzbek knives pchak could be found in the European part of the country in single copies, brought as souvenirs from tourist trips or expeditions in Central Asia. The most common products were the products of the only knife factory in Uzbekistan in the city of Chust. To date pchak knives are manufactured in semi-handicraft industries. The bulk of them are produced by craftsmen from the city of Shahrikhan, Andijan region. There is a whole craft district where dynasties of blacksmiths and cutlers work.

Regular deliveries national uzbek knives began to occur in Russia by the end of the 90s of the last century. There is an opportunity to purchase them at retail trade: in specialized stores and oriental culinary shops. At the same time, specialized online stores, guided by increased demand, began to offer for sale pchak knives: their photo have been added to many electronic catalogues. Nowadays, it is not factory stamped products that are in special demand, but the products of specific craftsmen. Author's works are marked with engraved emblems of the manufacturer who produced DIY pchak knife, featuring stars and crescents in Islamic tradition.

Popular varieties of pchak knives: charhon and old Bukhara

On practice Uzbek knife pchak Designed for household needs: cutting meat products, cleaning and cutting vegetables. Depending on the type of operations performed, knives of various shapes are used. Therefore, to complete the collection, it makes sense to purchase the main types of Uzbek knives most common forms:

kaike - with the tip of the blade raised upward;
tugri - with a straight blade and an even spine;
kushkamalak - with a double fuller along the butt.

The most versatile in use are samples with a blade length of over 14 cm. Such models are called “charhon”. They are very convenient for professional cutting of various products: without knocking on a cutting board, but in a push-cut manner, as on video culinary forums.

Along with the most popular Chust and the most common Andijan (Shakhrikhan) bees, you can find varieties called “Old Bukhara” in online catalogs. Their characteristic feature is an arched blade, uniformly tapering towards the tip. Their second frequently used name is “Afghan women”.

National traditions of decorating gift samples “pchak”

For souvenirs and collectibles, it is preferable to choose from one-piece items from famous artists. Everyone is like that pchak knife, photo which can be seen on thematic websites and forums, is a masterpiece of a particular master. At the same time, knives made individually undergo all the necessary stages of hardening and sharpening, allowing them to be used in practice.

In addition to providing practical functions, gift items are decorated in the best traditions of oriental flavor. To a large extent, this relates to the decoration of the handle, which Uzbek knives rather narrow in cross-section, with a characteristic beak-shaped bend at the end. Valuable specimens are made from various types of wood, ungulate horns or metal. They are often inlaid with mother-of-pearl or semi-precious stones.

Sharpening knives and care rules

The craftsman sharpens the DIY Uzbek knife pchak on a corundum circle. The end of sharpening is determined by the tone of the sound it makes. pchak knife, A video the Internet can clearly demonstrate this. You can adjust the sharpness of the blade from time to time simply by touching the bottom of a ceramic plate.

Subject to corrosion, the metal of the blade requires careful handling. Knives should not be left wet after use. They should be stored hanging or on a stand and wiped dry.

Talking about Uzbekistan, I cannot help but talk about the Uzbek national knife - pchak. Pchak or Pechak (Uzbek Pichoq - “knife”) is the national knife of the Central Asian peoples - Uzbeks and Uyghurs. Traditionally, it has a straight, wide carbon steel blade of wedge-shaped cross-section with one-sided sharpening, sometimes with a narrow fuller along the butt. A thin, round handle is attached at the level of the butt, slightly widens towards the head, and sometimes ends in a beak-shaped pommel. It can be made of horn, bone or wood, or inlaid with colored stone. The pchak is worn in a wide, straight leather sheath. Distributed throughout Central Asia with slight differences in ornamentation and proportions.

In Uzbekistan, they are made mainly in the eastern and central parts of the country - in Khiva there were no such knives anymore, only imported ones. In Bukhara, in the very center of the city, there are several workshops where pchaks are made, but the prices here are somehow prohibitive, apparently calculated for tourists who come for the day.

Tools in the workshop

The main blank for a knife is a car valve, but it is also made from some cheap stainless steel, but it is carbon steel knives that are most valued. There is better steel, there is Damascus, but the prices for such knives are appropriate.