Pchak tugri (stabilized karelian birch handle grey)

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. Bułat and Damascus steel were rather used for sabers, and mass-produced pchaks were made from low-hardness carbon steels. Today, Uzbek pchaks are widely available in Russia, made in 90% from industrial tool steel ШХ15 (Polish analogue LH15). However, the growing fashion for exotic blades atypical for Europe (Yakut knives, Nepalese kukris, kerambits) 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 typetugri. Its distinguishing feature is the straight back of the knife. 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 is poorly visible against the background of the Damascus pattern. Leather sheath.

Total length: 277 mm

Blade length: 145 mm

Blade width (max.): 34 mm

Blade thickness (max.): 3.7 mm

Manufacturer: Okskije nozhi company, Pavlovo, Russian Federation