You are here:
Briefly about pchaks (or pichaks, or pichoqs)
Briefly about Soviet knives.
Briefly about Russian knives.
Description
Pchak (from the Uzbek word Pichoq – knife) is a traditional knife of the Uzbeks and Uyghurs, widespread with slight variations in detail throughout Central Asia. Pchaks traditionally feature a single-edged blade with a full flat grind, set into a narrow handle with a round cross-section. A narrow tang extends from the blade at the spine level. These are utility knives meant for kitchen work, although among the Uyghurs, the pchak was a male attribute, so it must have also been used as a weapon. Pchaks were made from various materials; for the wealthy, they could feature high-quality steel with lavishly decorated elements, though such pieces were rare. Wootz and Damascus steel were mostly reserved for sabers, while mass-produced pchaks were made from carbon steels of lower hardness.
This particular piece is a classic Kayke-type pchak, where the tip of the knife is raised above the spine line. The blade is a rather rare and labor-intensive laminate: the core layer is a forged file, which means an R12-type steel (nothing more specific can be said because the Uzbek blacksmith did not know the exact grade himself - after all, a file is a file), clad on both sides with layers of Uzbek, low-hardened (40-45 HRC) Damascus steel. Here, the information about the billet components is limited to the statement "rail" (meaning R260 steel or its local analogue) and "hand saw" (meaning high-carbon tool steel). The silver threads are nickel. Such a blade is prone to corrosion, so remember to wipe the knife dry after use and store it in a dry place. Push-tang handle made of the horn of the steppe saiga, an antelope species found in the dry steppes and semi-deserts of Central Asia. The gyulband (a bolster characteristic of pchaks) is decorated with mother of pearl (sadaf). The sheath, featuring a form traditional to knives from this region, is made of thin leather with an embossed decorative ornament.
Overall length: 266 mm
Blade length: 142 mm
Blade width (max.): 30 mm
Blade thickness (max.): 3.2 mm
