Pchak kajke (stabilized karelian birch handle violet)

Pchak (from the Uzbek word

Pichoq– knife)is a traditional knife of the Uzbeks and Uighurs, widespread with minor differences in detail throughout Central Asia. Pchaks traditionally have a single-edged blade with a full flat grind, set in a narrow handle with a round cross-section. A narrow tang extends from the blade at the level of the spine. These are utility knives, for kitchen work, although among the Uighurs the pchak was a man's attribute, so it must also have been used as a weapon. Pchaks were made from various materials; for the wealthy, these could be high-quality steels with richly decorated handles, but such specimens were rare. Damascus and bulat steel were more likely to be used for sabers, and mass-produced pchaks were made of low-hardness carbon steels. Today, Uzbek pchaks made of 90% industrial tool steel ШХ15 (Polish analogue LH15) are widely available in Russia. However, the growing fashion for exotic blades unusual for Europe (Yakut knives, Nepalese kukris, karambits) means that pchaks produced by hand in the European part of the former USSR, in regions where blacksmithing traditions have been preserved, are appearing on the market.

This pchak belongs to the typekajke. Its distinguishing feature is the point turned upwards. The blade is made of very good quality forged Damascus steel, a bolster (called giulband) typical for pchaks made of nickel silver, the handle is made of stabilized Karelian birch – one of the more expensive types of stabilized wood. Full flat grind. Under the handle on the blade, the manufacturer's monogram and inscription are engraved:"ОКСКИЕ НОЖИ ДАМАССКАЯ СТАЛЬ",but the whole thing is poorly visible against the background of the Damascus pattern. Leather sheath.

Total length: 278 mm

Blade length: 147 mm

Blade width (max.): 33 mm

Blade thickness (max.): 3.6 mm

Manufacturer: Okskiye Nozhi company, Pavlovo, Russian Federation