Hello! The topic of our conversation today is Uzbek national knives, namely - pchaks. One of the main features of these knives is that all of them not only have the status of household purposes, but are also widely used in the household, and often as kitchen knives. But have pchaks always had only household purposes? And what are their varieties? You will learn about this and much more by reading the article to the end.

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Pchaki: national pride and utility knife

Pchaki knives have Uzbek origin. None of the researchers of edged weapons doubts this. This traditional and very distinctive Uzbek knife, which has a special decor, has been intensively cultivated in Uzbekistan for many hundreds of years.

Modern legislation has translated pchak from the category edged weapons into the category of knives household purposes. It is recognized that stabbing with a blade of this type is ineffective. To some extent, the creation of such a blade in antiquity, which could be a great look, remains a mystery. piercing bladed weapons, but was intended solely for business purposes.

Design features of the pchak

The appearance of the pchak is easily recognizable due to its unique structure and decorative ornament. The knife consists of a blade, handle and sheath. Pchak Blades usually have a dark color, usually gray, with a blue or yellow tint. In previous centuries, to achieve this effect, they were processed in a liquid solution of clay of a special composition.

Nowadays, for many pchak became nothing more than a household item. For many centuries, he was the subject of male and family pride, protector and helper. Pchaks were created by artisan cutlers, who were highly valued and traditionally lived in central regions cities of Asia.

The masters forged the blade of the pchak from steel, as a rule, of not very high quality. This was due to the massive demand for knives. Expensive ones were beyond the means of most townspeople. The master always put on high-quality blades seal — « tamga«.

A fairly wide pchak blade has a traditional wedge-shaped cross section. The butt tapers towards the tip. The width of the blade is emphasized by a thin handle, shifted upwards so that its upper side serves as a continuation of the butt line.

The blade of the Uzbek pchak is of three types. This is due to its economic purpose. The most common kaike form universal and used by everyone. kaike point located on the butt line or slightly elevated above it.

Tolbarga shape resembles a willow leaf. This is how the Uzbek word is translated into Russian. In this type of blade, the butt slightly drops down when approaching the tip, i.e. the tip is located below the butt line. Such a knife is used by butchers when cutting carcasses.

third form blade, Kazakh preferred by fishermen. The line of the butt of the Kazakh from the middle of the length forms a smooth notch, rising to the point. Turning the knife over, it is convenient to remove the scales with this part of the blade with a notch.

Variety of pchak

The handle for knives is made of wood and is not decorated. Sometimes they put a colored ornament on " gulband". This pchak element is cast from tin directly on the knife during manufacture. Gulband serves as a section between the blade and the handle.

sop, pchak shank, repeats the shape of the handle, expanding towards the pommel - chakmok. At the end, a hook-shaped bend goes down. The shank breaks through several teshikov. These are the holes through which the rivets pass. They firmly fix the dice of the handle on both sides.

Before attaching the dies, a special narrow strip of copper or brass is soldered around the entire shank - brinch. On the handle pchaka always equipped with a small recess under the little finger. Small notches are also marked on the shank, near the blade, above and below, in order to gulband held on to the metal of the blade.

Hin, pchak sheath, usually performed from a piece of leather or sewn from dense matter. The seam was placed with back side along the axial line. The knife was deeply inserted into the sheath without additional fixation. To prevent cutting the scabbard, the craftsmen made wooden, internal safety inserts.

The history of the origin of pchak

Uzbek pchak knives occupy a special niche in modern world cold weapons. It means that they theoretically and historically relate to it, but this is not confirmed by law. At the same time, the history of the Pchaks is much older than some of their "relatives" of other nationalities.

The first examples of Uzbek pchakov belong to the 4th century BC. They are exhibited in museums as artifacts. The narrow blade of these ancient pchaks with a long and smooth rise to the point is striking. Scientists explain this by the fact that knives made of low-quality metal were actively used and worn off during use.

Volumetric archaeological material was found in the sands, during excavations of destroyed old cities or burial places of nomads. These finds date back to the 14th century and differ significantly from the first ancient pchaks. Their blades are versatile. They were ideal for use in the economy, and for use in combat. Since this period, the shape of the knife has not changed.

Pchak - symbol and ritual

Unlike our Russian superstitions, in the East it is customary to give knives for good luck. Sharp objects acquire the power of protective amulets in families, which will drive away misfortunes and illnesses. - not an exception. He was always credited with the power of a talisman. It is both an accessory used in national dances and an element social status. By the type of blade and the richness of the external decoration, one can accurately determine the position of the owner in the social hierarchy. The debate about the origin of the term and the sword itself is still ongoing among researchers.

Article for the weekly Darakchi.

The news that the famous craftsman from Shakhrikhan, Khairullo Abdurahimov, exhibits his works in Tashkent quickly spread to all fans of the art of creating Uzbek national knives. Even those who were not going to buy a new knife just went to admire the steel blades of a great master. We also met with the master in order to tell you about the choice of the Uzbek pichak.

Pichak is our everything

Pichaki, Uzbek knives self made have long become a national brand known all over the world. For the people of Uzbekistan, pichak has been more than just a working tool or weapon since ancient times. Pichak is a sacred gift, a great value and a powerful amulet. The largest handicraft centers are still operating in Shakhrikhan, Chust, Bukhara, Tashkent and Samarkand.

Is it possible to buy a good pichak in Tashkent?

Certainly you can. For example, in the Chorsu or Alai bazaars. However, it is worth considering that behind the counter in the bazaar is not a master, but at best one who simply understands the craftsmanship of creating an Uzbek knife. The master has no time to engage in sales, he works tirelessly in the workshop, and, he delivers finished products for sale to resellers. Taking into account the interest of the latter, the prices for national knives are 20-30 percent higher than directly from the master pichokchi or in traditional centers for hand-made knives.

The best option for buying a pichak is to buy it from the hands of the master himself, at exhibitions-fairs, which are held weekly in various halls of Tashkent.

From hand to hand

When you go to choose a knife from a good master, you will not just buy. Ahead of you is a creative meeting with questions and answers, stories, legends and a unique master class on choosing a knife. This meeting brings great joy to both the master and you. The master is pleased to see admiration in your eyes, he wants to tell you about his work. You become richer for the whole world. You discover this wonderful world Uzbek knives, one of which will definitely find a place of honor in your home.

When choosing a pichak, you need to remember that no one will tell you about the properties of a knife like the person who created it. Therefore, when meeting with the master, sorting through the knives on his counter, be sure to ask questions in detail about each pichak. The master will gladly tell you everything.

Ask, ask!

We are going with you to the master Khairullo to learn how to choose the Uzbek pichak correctly. There are dozens of luxury knives on the counter. Different sizes, different forms, different metal shiny blades, different handles. How to get oriented?

For starters, just look. Pick up each knife in turn, on which the eye stops. Ask the master questions:

What is the name of such a pichak?

What is the shape of the blade called?

What metal are the blades? Than blades out different metals different from each other?

What is the handle made of?

What is gulband made of? (the junction of the blade and handle)

What do the patterns on the handle mean?

How to care for a knife? How to sharpen it?

You will be amazed by the master's story. You will learn that knives have personalities and names. And there are many of these names: osh pichak, kassob pichak, chust pichak, arabcha pichak, sherkhan pichak, bola-pichak, Kazakh-pichak...

After you first immerse yourself in this many-sided world of Uzbek knives, start choosing your pichak. To do this, tell the master in detail why you need a knife. For work in the kitchen: as a main working knife, or a meat knife, a fruit knife, a shredding knife. Or maybe you need a knife in order to take it on hikes, or to make a gift to a friend? Or maybe the gift is intended for a foreign guest? Then specify if your guest is a connoisseur of knives, a collector, or just a lover of oriental exotics.

From now on, you need to trust the master. He will lay out several knives in front of you according to your requirements. Take each one again in your hands, and again ask questions about each. Do you think this will end your knife selection process? No no! The most important thing follows...

Find "your" pichak out of ten identical ones!

A young man stands in front of the counter of the master Khairullo and chooses a working knife for the kitchen - osh pichak. The master has already laid out in front of him 10 identical-looking pichaks with white bone handles. With the approval of the master, we offer the young man our help in choosing. The young man happily agrees.

Take any? They are identical? he asks

They are different

But do they look the same?

Looks identical. But you understand, this is not factory stamping, these knives were made by hand. They only appear to be the same, in fact they are different.

How then to choose? Where to look? - the young man sorts out knives in confusion

You don't have to look. Need to feel. Connoisseurs say that the Uzbek pichak is an animated thing, and he himself chooses his owner. Therefore, you now have a special task - to "hear" your knife.

The young man looks at us with disbelief. But we keep on learning.

Take the knives in hand, one by one. Squeeze the handle. Swing your hand, feel the movement of the blade, feel how the handle fits into your hand. You will feel "your" knife immediately. He will call back to you. We don't know how he will do it. Respond definitely and strongly. Maybe it will be like a push or the handle will instantly heat up in the hand.

The young man picks up knife after knife. Master Hyrulla smiles as he watches us. He watches his face young man. He appreciated our way of choosing.

Here the young man froze with another knife in his hand. The movements of his hand became more confident, he seemed to be listening to something.

"Aha! He found it!" - we rejoice

But the young man puts down the knife and takes on the next one. That's right, you need to make sure! Moreover, he chooses a man-made knife for the first time in his life.

We follow him through the knives, completely confusing them. But remember where THAT knife went.

The young man, having gone through all the knives, starts the search again.

Not him... Not him... - he mutters, putting down knife after knife.

This! Exactly this one! - the guy exclaims, reaching the very knife marked by us. So he responded, so he felt and understood.

You see, we said that he would certainly respond! We are happy for the young man. - Now be sure to ask the master Khairullo about what kind of metal, bone it is, how to care for the knife and how to sharpen it.

On the issue of sharpening Uzbek knives.

Watch any Uzbek oshpoz. Before starting work, he automatically makes several movements of the knife along the bottom of the bowl or cash desk, tucking the blade. This process is akin to meditation or attunement musical instrument. It's like you tune into the same frequency with your pichak and resonate. The fact is that inexpensive knives need to be refueled constantly. Their steel is such that once properly sharpened, it requires periodic refueling.

For good pichaks it is enough to take them to the grinder once every one or two years. However, the sharpener here needs a knowledgeable one, because sharpening handmade knives is different from sharpening factory kitchen knives. And inept actions can ruin a great blade.

Talking about Uzbekistan, I cannot but tell about the Uzbek national knife - pchak. Pchak or pechak (uzb. Pichoq - “knife”) is the national knife of the Central Asian peoples - Uzbeks and Uighurs. Traditionally, it has a straight wide blade made of carbon steel with a wedge-shaped section with one-sided sharpening, sometimes with a narrow fuller along the butt. A thin handle, round in cross section, is attached at the level of the butt, slightly widens towards the head, sometimes ending in a beak-shaped pommel. It can be made of horn, bone or wood, also inlaid with colored stone. Pchak is worn in a wide straight leather scabbard. Distributed throughout Central Asia with slight differences in ornament and proportions.

In Uzbekistan, they are made mainly in the eastern and central parts of the country - there were no such knives in Khiva, only imported ones. In Bukhara, in the very center of the city, there are several workshops where pchaks are made, but the prices here are somehow exorbitant, apparently calculated for tourists who come for a day.

Tools in the workshop

The main blank for a knife is an automobile valve, but they are also made from some cheap stainless steel, but it is carbon steel knives that are most valued. There is better steel, there is Damascus, but the prices for such knives are appropriate.

After forging, the knives receive a handle made of fiberglass, plexiglass, metal, horn, bone, and then they are roughly sharpened on a grinding wheel.

After polishing, they are often applied with a pattern or inscriptions.

I still don’t understand why the knife is covered with a thin layer of hot paraffin (?)

Let him cool down

Apparently in order to then draw a sketch with a special brush, which in the future will be a drawing or an inscription

The final sharpening is done on such a grindstone

Sometimes, at the request of the client, a gift inscription is applied

Workshop

Well, the knives themselves

I bought one for myself in the market in Tashkent - an excellent knife in the household! Sharpening on a fork

Uzbek knife pchak (history of origin, working hypothesis).

Once upon a time in 1991, as a student at the Department of Archeology of Moscow State University, I went on an archaeological expedition organized by the Museum of Oriental Peoples to Samarkand. One of the first impressions that struck me then in the village near Samarkand were old people (babais) constantly meeting on the street in wadded robes (chapans), belted with a belt, on which one could often see a knife hanging in a sheath. As the "senior comrades" explained to me at the time, old people are allowed to walk the streets with a knife, because the knife is considered an element of the national costume. I gathered my courage and asked an old man to show me his knife. Not without pride, he took it out of its scabbard and showed it (in the village they knew that I was from an archaeological expedition and were treated with respect). I had never seen such an instance before. It was very unusual - a thin hilt at the base of the blade, expanding to the pommel (as if ending with a "head"), made of horn, and a straight wide blade with a smooth rise to the back, forming a rather sharp tip. The knife was polished so that I could see my reflection in it, and on its blade, closer to the handle, there was an ornament made in "Arabic script". The old man called it a pichok (knife) and said that I could buy the same one at the market on the outskirts of the city.

On the next weekend, I went to the market and after a long bargain with the seller, I became the owner of the largest copy of those that he had on the counter that day. Returning from an expedition long years I became the owner of a knife, which was the envy of all my friends.

Figure 1. Pchak from Samarkand, 1991.

Today, of course, things are different. Buying a pchak in Moscow is not a problem. But when buying pchak, many do not know what they are buying.

The history and origin of the pchak is hazy and confused.

Today, pchak is called the traditional national knife of the peoples living in Central Asia - Uzbeks and Uyghurs.

The specimens of the 19th-20th centuries closest to modern ones in time (ethnographic material that became known modern science after the entry of Central Asia into the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century, obtained as a result of various expeditions), which are now presented in museums, show us a completely different type of knife - with a narrow blade and its long and smooth rise to the tip. Explain this shape of the blade simply. The blades of these pchaks are sharpened to the limit, and the change in shape occurred as a result of long-term practical use.

Archaeological data also do not give us an unambiguous answer to the question of the origin of the pchak: in Sogdiana (the territory covering modern Uzbekistan) in the 5th-8th centuries, two types of knives were common: 1. With a straight blade; 2.With curved blade. The maximum width of the blades of the found specimens is 1.8 cm, the stalk is lamellar with a narrowing from the blade to the tip (from 3 mm to 1 mm). All knives were of different sizes, with a total length of up to 14.5 cm, while the length of the handle, at the same time, was up to 3.5 cm. Both types were widespread in in large numbers found in Penjikent, Kairagach, in Shahristan. (Yakubov Yu. "Early medieval settlements of the mountainous Sogd. Dushanbe, 1988, p. 235).

It is worth noting the extremely poor preservation of the finds (the climate and layers of Central Asia are merciless to iron), which makes typology extremely difficult.

Figure 2. Images of found knives that date back to the 5th-8th centuries (numbers 4-6).

There are also archaeological data on knives found in the burials of nomads in Central Asia, dating back to the last quarter of the 14th century. These "Standard Utility Blade Design" knives represent a remarkably durable, consistent series. They have the following characteristics. The back of the blades forms a weakly pronounced arc, smoothly descending towards the nose. The cutting edge is arcuate, but steeper than the back. The central axis of the blade and handle is shifted towards the back. The length of the blades ranges from 6 to 14 cm. The thickness is 1.5 mm, the width of the blade at the base is 1-1.5 cm (depending on the length). The handle is subtriangular in shape, 2-4 cm long. The width of the handle at the base is about half the width of the blade. The ratio of the length of the blade to the length of the handle is slightly more than 3:1.

The handle is always separated from the blade by strictly perpendicular ledges, which are structural features. A narrow - 1.5-2 mm wide and thick iron clip was welded to the base of the blade, which is a kind of lock that locks the knife in the sheath. This is a very fragile, often unpreserved part. Its presence is evidenced by the strict perpendicularity of the ledges and the traces imprinted by it, which can be seen on the unrestored metal.

The knives also had a wooden scabbard, which is fixed by traces of wood on the blades.
This type The knife was widely distributed among nomads already at the end of the first millennium AD.

Illustration 3. Image of nomad knives in the last quarter of the 1st millennium, type 3 according to Minasyan.

All mentioned types of knives have nothing to do with the current form of pchak. It is not yet possible to answer when and under what circumstances the hilt shank rose to the line of the back of the blade so that the hilt stalk is located in the upper third of the blade, and what it was connected with.
That is, ancient copies of knives show us a completely different structural type. The emergence of the modern type of pchak can be explained by the fact that it was introduced from outside or existed in the region, but such knives are still unknown and not described.

On the Internet there is an opinion about the appearance of knives similar shape in Central Asia in the XIV-XV centuries. Their appearance is partly associated with the conquest of Asia by Tamerlane and "an indirect ban on local men to carry weapons / daggers." The authorities could not deprive the Uzbeks of the right to carry weapons, and the most common type of weapons, due to their availability, were knives or daggers. This is an age-old tradition, sacredly revered in the East. And then they turned to the pichakchik artisans (knife artisans), who were "convinced" to change the design of the knife for the population, turning it into a household item. To compensate for the loss of the combat qualities of the knife, Uzbek craftsmen turned to the external form. This is how new form hilt, very reminiscent of the hilt of a saber or card.

Changing the form simultaneously solved another problem - in the fights with knives (in Uzbek "pichakbozlik"), the opponents tried not to kill, but only to injure, otherwise it was supposed to pay the relatives of the victim a large "khun" for the murder - a ransom for blood. The emerging shape of the knife reduced the likelihood lethal outcome in such knife fights.

But given point of vision does not have full-fledged reasonable sources, transitional/early forms of pchaks are unknown.

It is possible to consider a hypothesis about the independent development of the pchak, which was originally an exclusively household (kitchen, cook, table) item and appeared in Central Asia under external influence, but so far its early finds are unknown.

It should be said right away that the typological form of the pchak (one line of the back and the handle) is found in different cultures, in different eras and refers, first of all, to knives for household (kitchen) purposes. For example, bronze knives of the Karasuk type.

Figure 4. Karasuk knives. (D.A. Avdusin, "Fundamentals of archeology")

Another example is the knives of the first millennium. of Eastern Europe, which are characterized by a smooth line of transition from the back to the stalk with a slight "top" in the central part. A stalk in the form of a narrow triangle 4-5 cm long, as a rule, is separated from the side of the cutting edge by a smooth ledge. The cutting edge of whole specimens of such knives is straight and only towards the end is bent upwards.

Figure 5. Knives with a "blade back turning into a stalk without ledges", type 1 according to Minasyan.

Direct transitions of the line of the back of the blade (butt) into the handle are also found on Russian "table / kitchen" knives of the XV-XVI centuries from Zaryadye (Moscow).

Illustration 6. Knives from Zaryadye, dating back to the 16th-17th centuries.

A typologically similar knife shape is found even on the other side the globe- Gaucho knives in Argentina.

Figure 7. Gaucho knife from Argentina.

Finally, if we turn to the present, we immediately recall Japanese kitchen / chef's knives, which also have a configuration similar to the pchak, with thin handles and a direct transition from the back of the blade (butt) to the handle.

One cannot fail to say that Central Asia is a vast territory through which in ancient times the “Great silk road”from China, trade relations were carried out with India and the countries of the Mediterranean. This land is saturated historical events. Today we learn about them from the writings of ancient Greek and Roman authors, medieval manuscripts of Arab scribes, discovered archaeological sites.
At the dawn of human history, until the 4th century AD, empires were created and collapsed on the territory of Central Asia: Persian, Alexander the Great and the Seleucids. The Greco-Bactrian, Krishan and Parthian kingdoms existed and disappeared. Later, part of these lands was part of the Sassanid state, in the Arab Caliphate. In the XI-XIII centuries. no less powerful states arose on these lands: the Ghaznavids, Karahnids, Ghurids and Khorezmshahs.

After the conquest of this territory by the Mongols, the Chagatai Khanate was formed, and then the huge power of Timur and his descendants.

The lands of Central Asia became the homeland of many Turkic nomadic tribes engaged in cattle breeding. But this is also the place where the most ancient agricultural cultures appeared.
Located at the crossroads of trade and migration routes, there has always been a cultural influence from the outside: the influence of nomads from the eastern degrees, the influence of Iranian (Persian) culture from Asia Minor (Persia), the Hellenistic influence, the influence of the cultures of India and China.

Undoubtedly, similar forms/types of knives of Indo-Iranian and Turkic origin - Iranian kard, Turkish bichag, Indo-Iranian peshkabz, chura, karud and khayber, Indian kirpan - influenced the appearance of the pchak among the Uzbeks. All these knives are more often dated no earlier than the 16th, or even the 17th-18th centuries, only peshkabs are sometimes attributed to the 15th century.
At the end of the "historical review", one can make an assumption about the emergence of pchaks already after the 15th century under the influence of the Indo-Iranian tradition with a "hard functional purpose" - a kitchen/chef's knife. The owners of pchaks are well aware of how great they are for cutting meat and vegetables.
But for the Uzbeks, this is not just a good kitchen knife, but also a wonderful gift for a man, which has a sacred meaning. Edged weapons are an indispensable attribute of national clothing among many peoples of the East. Even those who, due to their social status, do not have the right to own long-bladed weapons (farmers and artisans), wear a knife in a sheath on their belt.

In contrast to the superstition that prevails among us that it is impossible to give knives (it supposedly brings misfortune), in Central Asia such a gift is still considered prestigious and desirable. According to the ideas of the peoples of Central Asia, sharp and pointed objects acquire the power of protective amulets that drive away misfortune and disease. And the pchak is also credited with a similar power of a talisman. A knife placed under the pillow in the head of an infant is considered a means of protecting his health. If an adult falls ill, a knife can be put on his head instead of a compress, thus protecting him from the action of evil forces.

A pchak presented by a son to his father demonstrates great attention and love, and such a gift is considered a great honor for the father.

The knife is also given to a “real dzhigit”, to each potential warrior - a young man who has reached the age of 18.
Most often, knives (household, not weapons), as elements of national clothing, are found among nomadic cattle breeders and hunters - North American Indians, the Argentine people of Gaucho, Yakuts, Buryats, Laplanders.

And in the case of pchak, there is a direct influence of the Turkic-speaking nomadic peoples who came in the Middle Ages to the territory of settled farmers - the Uzbeks.
In this part of the review, some aspects of the origin and purpose of the pchak were considered. In the second part, we will talk about the design and types of the modern pchak knife.

Talking about Uzbekistan, I cannot but tell about the Uzbek national knife - pchak. Pchak or pechak (uzb. Pichoq - “knife”) is the national knife of the Central Asian peoples - Uzbeks and Uighurs. Traditionally, it has a straight wide blade made of carbon steel with a wedge-shaped section with one-sided sharpening, sometimes with a narrow fuller along the butt. A thin handle, round in cross section, is attached at the level of the butt, slightly widens towards the head, sometimes ending in a beak-shaped pommel. It can be made of horn, bone or wood, also inlaid with colored stone. Pchak is worn in a wide straight leather scabbard. Distributed throughout Central Asia with slight differences in ornament and proportions.

In Uzbekistan, they are made mainly in the eastern and central parts of the country - there were no such knives in Khiva, only imported ones. In Bukhara, in the very center of the city, there are several workshops where pchaks are made, but the prices here are somehow exorbitant, apparently calculated for tourists who come for a day.

Tools in the workshop

The main blank for a knife is an automobile valve, but they are also made from some cheap stainless steel, but it is carbon steel knives that are most valued. There is better steel, there is Damascus, but the prices for such knives are appropriate.

After forging, the knives receive a handle made of fiberglass, plexiglass, metal, horn, bone, and then they are roughly sharpened on a grinding wheel.

After polishing, they are often applied with a pattern or inscriptions.

I still don’t understand why the knife is covered with a thin layer of hot paraffin (?)

Let him cool down

Apparently in order to then draw a sketch with a special brush, which in the future will be a drawing or an inscription

The final sharpening is done on such a grindstone

Sometimes, at the request of the client, a gift inscription is applied

Workshop

Well, the knives themselves

I bought one for myself in the market in Tashkent - an excellent knife in the household! Sharpening on a fork