Uygur Pchak 3 (silver, horn, bone)

Pchak (from the Uzbek word "Pichoq" – knife) is a traditional knife of Uzbeks and Uyghurs, widespread with minor differences in details throughout Central Asia. Pchaks traditionally have a single-edged blade with a full flat grind, set into a narrow, round-cross-section handle. A narrow tang extends from the blade at the level of the spine. These are utility knives for kitchen work, although among Uyghurs, the pchak was an attribute of a man, so it also had to be used as a weapon. Pchaks were made from various materials; for the wealthy, they could be made from high-quality steels with richly decorated handles, but such specimens were rare. Bulat steel and Damascus steel were more often used for sabers, while mass-produced pchaks were made from carbon steels of low hardness.

Today, Uzbek pchaks available in Russia are 90% made from widely available industrial tool steel ШХ15 (Russian nomenclature, Polish analog LH15), hardened to 40-45 HRC. ШХ15 is used for manufacturing rings, rolling bearings, and other components requiring high hardness and wear resistance, operating in non-corrosive conditions. It is an excellent material for knife making, with the caveat that it is not corrosion-resistant – after use, the knife must be wiped dry. Pchaks have excellent cutting ability.

This particular pchak belongs to the "kayke" type – the tip of the knife is raised above the spine line. It features an ornate handle with a bolster and guard made of silver. The tang overlays are made of horn with a lighter bone inlay. The sheath, with a traditional shape for knives from this region, is made of artificial leather with a plastic insert and decorative embossing. The blade has a typical dark gray hue for pchaks; this effect was once achieved by subjecting the blade to clay with a special chemical composition. It's uncertain whether the same method is used today.

Overall length: 267 mm

Blade length: 160 mm

Blade width (max): 22 mm

Blade thickness (max): 3 mm

Steel (according to Russian nomenclature): ШХ15