Uzbek pchak (saiga horn handle, chased sheath)

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. Today, many pchaks are made of stainless steel, primarily Russian 40x13 stainless steel hardened within the range of 54-56 HRC.

This particular Kayke-type pchak, where the tip of the knife is raised above the spine line, belongs precisely to this group of stainless steel pchaks. Apart from lower hardness, Uzbek pchaks differ from Russian ones in that the vast majority of them are forged. In Russia, even when speaking of handcrafted knives, only harder stainless steels like 95x18 or H12MF are forged. Uzbek craftsmen source the material for their knives from scrap parts such as engine valves, tools, etc., which means it must be forged down. Sukma-type handle (meaning push-tang construction) made of the horn of the steppe saiga, an antelope species found in the dry steppes and semi-deserts of Central Asia. A bolster made of melchior, typical for pchaks. Metal sheath decorated with hand-engraved, black-tinted chasing (chikan work).

Overall length: 215 mm

Blade length: 117 mm

Blade width (max.): 25 mm

Blade thickness (max.): 2 mm

Steel (according to Russian nomenclature): 40X13