Slavic combat knives. Knife in the Slavic tradition. Cossack boot knife

The history of blacksmithing among the Slavs, reconstructed based on archaeological data, goes back centuries, appearing long before chronicle times. In order not to get into such a jungle, let’s better turn to the times of the chronicles and move to Ancient Rus'. Unusual national knives are more typical for small nations living in any specific natural conditions. Such, for example, is the traditional multifunctional Eskimo ulu knife, originally made of stone (usually slate) or the large Malay parang knife, necessary for cutting a path in the jungle. Our Slavic ancestors, who lived in mid-latitudes, preferred to have multifunctional knives of simple design and medium size on hand.

Knives of Novgorod masters

If we recall the main historical events that took place at the turn of the 10th-13th centuries, it is not surprising that the flourishing of crafts (including blacksmithing) is associated primarily with the northern lands of Rus'. With the development of arable farming, which replaced fire or slash farming, the importance of blacksmithing sharply increased.
Here it is appropriate to recall how iron forging and all the operations preceding it were carried out in those distant times. The process of transforming the brown mass of bog iron into knives, axes and swords is covered in myths and legends from the first to the last step. Find a cluster iron ores it wasn't easy. First, they drove a stake into the swamp swell and determined their luck by the specific sound. The mass stuck to the stake was tested on the tongue. The presence of a sour taste confirmed the find. Having torn off the moss, they removed the ore-bearing layer and loaded it into shoulder baskets to transfer it to a dry place. Then the mass, oozing a rusty liquid, was dried, crushed, sifted, enriched and loaded into a firebox with charcoal. This is how we got kritsa. The blacksmith forged the iron repeatedly, squeezing out the slag from it and compacting its internal structure. By saturating the iron with carbon it was turned into steel.

The study of forged items from Novgorod excavations allows us to conclude about a high technological level of metal processing. There is a hypothesis according to which these technologies were mastered by Novgorod masters with the help of the Scandinavians. But this is only a hypothesis, and the indisputable fact remains that it was Novgorod Rus' that became the largest metal processing center, the influence of which then spread to all surrounding regions, including the Volga-Kama interfluve.
The leading technological scheme for processing blades can be considered a three-layer package, when three strips of metal were welded - two (iron) on the sides and one (steel) in the center. Repeated sharpening always produces a harder steel on the tip. Novgorod craftsmen skillfully used forge welding and heat treatment (that is, hardening). The vast majority of welding seams are thin and free of slag inclusions. In order to qualitatively weld iron and steel with different carbon contents, knowledge is required temperature conditions welding Until now, welding a blade, when steel is forged in a package, is considered one of the most complex technological operations.
Externally, the knives of Novgorod masters were simple and recognizable. However, their shape was perfected over a long period of time, which made it possible to create an almost universal tool for any household work. Most of the knives found in Novgorod have a blade about 70-80 mm long and 18-25 mm wide, with a spine thickness of 3-4 mm. IN cross section the blade has the shape of a straight wedge (hence the word “blade”). The butt of the blade is maintained either in a straight line or lowered to the tip. The handle, as a rule, is made of wood or bone; fastening of the handle through the handle was widely used.

Old Russian knife

A typical ancient Russian knife of the 10th-11th centuries looked something like this. The length of the blades of such knives ranged from 4 to 20 centimeters. The handle is wooden, somewhat less often - bone, very rarely - metal.

The Old Russian combat knife of the same period differed from the usual Old Russian knife by a longer blade, a longer bone handle and a sharpening of the blade, which, according to modern knife terminology, is very close to “one-and-a-half sharpening.” This sharpening significantly increases the penetrating ability of the knife.

There are two more types of ancient Russian combat knives that deserve mention:

Firstly, a boot knife (zazapozhnik), mentioned in Russian chronicles since the 12th century. This is a narrow and curved knife that ancient Russian foot soldiers and cavalrymen supposedly carried in their boots as a bladed weapon of last resort. An alternative version is that boot knives were fastened in sheaths on the saddle (behind the cavalryman's boot).

Secondly, of interest is the podsaadachny knife (podsaidashny knife), which Russian warriors wore under the saydak (cases for bows and arrows), that is, on the side of the belt. IN historical sources these knives have been mentioned since the 16th century, but it is possible this term was in use already in the 15th century. With the shape of the bait knives, things are ambiguous. The most convincing version seems to be that, according to the place where they were worn, they generally called large combat knives, worn on the belt. And, accordingly, combat knives, both with curved and straight blades, could be called dagger knives - everything depended on the personal tastes and financial capabilities of the owner.

Mower

A mower, sometimes also called a “woman’s axe,” is a large utility knife with a wide and thick blade. It was usually made from a piece of a scythe (hence the name), and when the scythes stubbornly refused to break, from any scrap metal that came to hand.

The mower can safely be called the Russian analogue of the machete - this huge, rough knife is successfully used for cutting branches from felled trees, clearing overgrowth from the fields, chopping bones and even scraping the floor in the house.

Hunting "Samsonov's Bear Knife" ( late XIX century)

The author of the design of “Samsonov’s bear knife” is the famous bear hunter (lived in St. Petersburg) Andrievsky Mikhail Vladimirovich (1849-1903), huntsman of the Highest Court (Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Younger). In 1894, in the journal Nature and Hunting, he published an article “On the newly invented mechanical spear,” in which he described in detail the history of the creation of the bear knife: “I consider the most convenient knife to be the knife of the American system with minor changes made by me personally in the shape of. This knife has a double-edged blade that is pointed at the end. With grooves on the sides, six inches long (26.7 cm), one wide (4.45 cm) and eight millimeters thick. The blade of the knife is separated from the handle by a steel crossbar; the handle is made of hardwood and is held on the blade by a wide screw. This knife is worn on a black belt in a wooden sheath covered with black leather, the ends of which are lined with blued steel. The dimensions of the knife and its balance are designed so that it fits comfortably in the hand and can perfectly chop, cut, stab and rip open the belly with an upward or downward pressure. The first such knife was perfectly made for me by the Tula master Egor Samsonov, and then such knives began to be made at the Zlatoust state-owned plant.” In the diary for April 1887 there is an entry about the knife that served Andreevsky as a model: “I always carry with me an American hunting knife, which can be used to chop and stab, they used it to make a raft.”

Yegor Samsonov made his knives from “English carriage springs” - the same steel. Description known technological process production of this steel. “Spring steel was heated in a forge where oak or birch coal burned. The air was pumped by hand bellows. After this, the hot sheets were straightened on the anvil. Then blades were made from them using a metalworking method; everything was done by hand. After this, the blades were subjected to a series of processes: carburization, regeneration, then hardening and tempering, and finally aging. Blade blanks were placed into a groove made in the corner of the forge. They were filled with catalyst and charcoal from above and below. This was heated to 900-925 degrees Celsius and kept in that heat for 4-5 hours. This time is determined by the calculation that carbon penetrates 0.1 mm into steel in 1 hour. Then the workpieces were cooled and heated again, but without the presence of a catalyst. This process took 3 hours, and it was carried out for uniform distribution carbon on steel. After three hours, the workpieces were immersed in oil. Half-cooled pieces in oil were kept in air until cooled to 300-325 degrees ( of blue color steel), after which they were finally cooled in oil. Once the workpiece was completely cooled, it was heated to 175-150 degrees and allowed to cool again in the oil. This process lasted for 12 hours. After which the workpieces were wiped dry and underwent final sharpening.

Guy's knife

Its name corresponds to its place of origin - the Kamchatka village of Paren. The design of the paren knife is very similar to the products common in Finland. Currently, the term “parensky knife” means a hand-forged knife with a blade made of heterogeneous composite material - they say that with parensky knives it was even possible to remove shavings from the blades of ordinary table knives.

Today, the village of Paren has become a remote village, and the technology for making knives is considered lost - so those same Paren knives remain in people’s memory only in the form of legends. The knives now manufactured under this name have little in common with these legends.

Bogorodsky knife

The name of this carving tool comes from the village of Bogorodskoye - the center of traditional wood carving, whose symbol is the well-known toy - “Blacksmiths”, depicting a man and a bear who take turns hitting an anvil with hammers, you just have to pull the movable bar.

The Bogorodsky knife has a straight short blade. Successfully used for both coarse and fine carvings. It is often made by carvers for themselves, so the design, shape of the handle and the cost of such knives can vary greatly.

Yakut knife

Without the traditional Yakut knife - bykhakha, the design of which has not changed for many centuries, not a single sphere of economic activity of the Sakha people can do. Its shape is ideal for long, painstaking work, allowing it to be done with minimal energy consumption. The blade profile is asymmetrical.

The slightly convex left (if you hold the handle towards you) side of the blade is sharpened, unlike other knives with an asymmetrical profile, which, as a rule, are sharpened on the right side. There is a logical explanation for this: the convexity on the blade makes it easier to process wood, cutting meat and fish (including frozen fish), and skinning animals.

Finka

In Russia, a knife that came to us from Finland for a long time It was considered exclusively a weapon of criminal elements and was even banned until 1996. However, its true purpose is completely different. The Finnish knife is multifunctional, it is perfect for cutting meat, cleaning fish, and is indispensable when camping and for household needs. The Finnish blade is characterized by a short straight blade, a bevel of the butt like a clip-point or “pike” in Russian, and a mounted handle.

Of course, not all traditional knives, the design of which was formed in Russia, are Russian knives. In my opinion, for the sake of fairness, we should put traditional Caucasian knives out of brackets ( North Caucasus), Yakut knives, Buryat knives, and other ethnic types of knives formed among indigenous peoples living in Russia. There is at least one serious exception, namely the Finnish knife (finka), which became so widespread in Russia/USSR in the first half of the 20th century that it truly became the Russian national knife. However, many Russian models of Finnish knives have significant design differences from traditional Finnish knives (puukko) found in Finland.

1. Russian and other national knives of ancient types
A knife in the most general sense of the word, that is, simply as a plate with a pointed edge, appeared at an early stage in the development of human society and had a multi-purpose, or universal purpose. Ancient tools, wrote F. Engels, “are tools of hunting and fishing: the former are also weapons.” The earliest knives were made of stone and bone. Then these materials were replaced by metal.
The Bronze Age, Iron Age and subsequent stages of human development made it possible to create more reliable and more advanced tools, necessary for a person in everyday life, work and military affairs. However, it is very difficult to trace the specifics of these objects and to separate the tools of labor from the weapons of war of that time. It is characteristic that even archaeologists studying the history of material culture are in no hurry to divide the knives they find into tools and weapons. At the same time, it was knives, especially for a relatively late time from the point of view of archeology, i.e. for the X-XIII centuries, are one of the most common archaeological finds. During excavations in ancient Novgorod alone, about 8,000 knife blades were found.
Judging by the available finds, the knives of that time were not much different in shape from modern kitchen knives. They were made mainly of two types - a blade with a blade curving towards the tip and a straight spine, or a blade with the same blade and a spine curving towards the tip. The handles of the knives were wooden or bone, less often metal. The length of the blades is 4 - 20 cm (Fig. 1). A characteristic difference between these knives was that their spine was always thicker than the rest of the blade. In cross section, the blades of these knives were wedge-shaped. The angle of the blade, and therefore the sharpening of the blade, was 15-25°.

Fig.1 Old Russian knife

It is interesting to note that ancient Russian blacksmiths, when making knives, used five technological techniques:
1. Welding a blade of three strips in such a way that there is a strip of harder metal in the middle, and strips of softer metal at the edges.
2: Welding a steel blade onto a metal strip.
3. Combined welding with the production of a patterned butt.
4. Cementation of an iron knife blade.
5. Manufacturing of all-steel knives.
It is known from archaeological sources that knives found in burial mounds and burial grounds are found with male and female remains. It follows that they were a necessary accessory for men and women equally and were not divided according to their purpose into household and military. At the same time, many historical documents allow us to conclude that among the knives there were also those that were intended specifically for military purposes. One of the oldest historical documents"The Tale of Igor's Campaign", referring to XII century, contains direct instructions for use certain group knives in combat: “...but without shields with boot knives, they conquer the regiments with a shout, ringing with their great-grandfather’s glory.” There are quite a lot of similar indications about the use of knives as weapons. However, trying not to load the text of the work with numerous literary and historical digressions, we will limit ourselves here to only the following evidence. One of the oldest Russian researchers of the history of material culture, P. Savaitov, wrote: “In battles, during fights with the enemy, knives were used.” In this work, the author gives the name of boot knives. This name referred to knives of a special shape, worn behind the tops of boots, onuchas, etc.
The external difference of such knives was mainly reduced to a slightly curved blade with fullers, a thickened spine and an elongated handle. So, if for ordinary knives the ratio of the blade width to the thickness of the butt fluctuated by 4-6 times, then for knives of this group it was reduced to 2.0-2.5 times. The handle, like other types of knives, was solid, mounted on the shank of the blade, or stacked, consisting of a series of alternating plates mounted on the shank, or from a wide shank with two cheeks attached to it on the sides.
If you pay attention to the order in which types of knives are listed in Savaitov’s work, it should be noted that boot knife not the first, but only the third place is given, after the belt (waist) and podsaadach (podsaadash) knives. Describing the belt knives, the author writes that they had a short blade with two blades. Such knives are quite well known from archaeological finds in Moscow, Novgorod and other places. The blades of these knives are up to 9-15 cm long with a width at the heel of 20-2.5 cm. The handle is of the same design as the other types. Usually such a knife was worn in a sheath at the belt, hence
where its name comes from. If we take into account the number of archaeological finds of knives of this type and compare it with the order in which knives are listed in the named work, we can come to the conclusion that, in terms of frequency of occurrence, belt knives were apparently the most common.
The saadash knife got its name from a set of weapons called a saadak, which consisted of a bow with a bow and arrows carried in a quiver. The combat purpose of this knife follows from its very belonging to a set of weapons: it was located in a special socket in the quiver. The design of this type of knife differed from the others in that its single-edged blade was longer - about 40 cm - and wide, and the end of the blade curved slightly upward. This blade shape was most effective at piercing chain mail.
The fourth type of knife - a field knife - had a single-edged blade 20-25 cm long with a smooth transition from the blade to the tip. The cross-section of the blade was wedge-shaped. The handle of the knife was flat, tapering towards the blade, and ended with a metal cap. If the three types of knives discussed above were used equally as combat and hunting weapons, then the fourth type of knife had primarily a hunting purpose.
A number of authors express a negative opinion about combat purposes the knives in question. A. N. Kirpichnikov supports the opinion of A. V. Artsikhovsky, who, referring to documents, argues that the chronicle testifies to the use of knives only in “showing the unheard-of ferocity of the battle,” which, according to the chronicle, the use of knives, as a rule, is not associated with the struggle of organized masses of people, but with the combat of heroes, the murder or mutilation of a defeated and unarmed person.
In our opinion, the above arguments testify not so much against, but in favor of the combat use of knives. The knife, neither at that time nor subsequently, was the main weapon used in mass battles. The main weapon of a professional warrior - a warrior of ancient Rus' - was a sword and arrows. The most common weapons that the ordinary Smerd warrior armed himself with for battle were the spear and the axe. However, this does not mean that the knife was not included among the weapons at all. Even in later times, with the advent of weapons of much greater power, the knife in one or another modification continued to remain a means of attack and active defense in cases where other types of weapons were not effective enough: in single combat, fights in close quarters, sudden and silent attacks and etc. During the Great Patriotic War the knife was also never mentioned in official reports about weapons, equipment, or trophies, although in known modifications it was in service with all armies. The same thing, apparently, was the case in former times. The census book of 1638, compiled for the sole purpose of finding out how many people and with what weapons could come to defend Moscow in the event of an enemy attack, indicates that the owners of 75 households “did not have any weapons.” This is all the more interesting because all 75 households belonged to blacksmiths, that is, people directly involved in the manufacture of metal products.
Based on the frequency of occurrence of knives as archaeological finds, it is difficult to assume that none of these householders or their relatives had a single belt, boot, or other knife at the time of the census. It remains to be assumed that the presence of such a knife was so commonplace that they simply did not pay attention to it. In the same work, the author specifically draws the reader’s attention to the fact that knives “were always carried with them, usually on a belt in a leather sheath, and were used for various needs, including cutting food.”
A similar attitude towards the knife took place among other peoples. A multi-purpose knife was most often worn on a belt and used as needed during all activities.

2. NATIONAL KNIVES AND DAGGERS

Due to geographical, climatic conditions and national traditions, each nation over time has developed its own type of knife, different from the knives of other nations. In accordance with national traditions, such knives are called national. These include Abkhaz knives (Fig. 2), Azerbaijani (Fig. 3), Buryat (Fig. 4), Karyak (Fig. 5), Lapland (Fig. 6), Nanai (Fig. 7), Nenets (Fig. 8), Tajik (Fig. 9), Turkmen (Fig. 10), Uzbek (Fig. 11), Finnish (Fig. 12), Yakut (Fig. 13), Japanese (Fig. 14), etc.

The difference between such knives lies not only in their shape, the ratio of structural elements and sizes, but also in the material from which the parts of the same name are made, in the methods and nature of decoration, wearing, etc. If, for example, Yakut or Finnish knives usually have wooden handles, then Nenets knives, like the sheath, are made of bone; Lapland knives are usually decorated with images of northern landscapes, Japanese knives are usually decorated with images of Mount Fuji or a monkey, which is considered a sacred animal. In addition, since shark fishing has been developed in Japan since ancient times, knife handles and sheaths are often covered with shark skin. At the same time, this particular material, naturally, is not typical for the national knives of continental peoples.

National knives within the same type are not exactly the same. They differ in time and place of manufacture. For example, among Uzbek national knives one can distinguish between old and modern knives, straight, which is most typical, and curved. Some differences in design are also observed in knives made at the same time, but in different geographical locations located on the territory of Uzbekistan (Chuet, Kara-Suv, etc.). Features of the place of manufacture can manifest themselves not only in the shape of the blades, but also in some other details. Among the same Tajik knives, Dushanbe knives, for example, differ in that the handle widens at the top and is slightly curved towards the blade. In addition, decorations are applied to it in the form of regularly alternating rings and eyes. In Uratyubinsk knives, the alternation of similar rings and eyes is less regular.

National knives, being one of the objects of material culture of the people, existed and developed, naturally, with the development of other objects of material culture of the same people, in particular clothing. And since both knives and clothes were constantly with a person, knives are often considered part of the national costume. In our opinion, it would be more correct to associate the presence of such knives not with people’s clothing, but in general with the CONDITIONS of their existence. This, apparently, can explain the fact that external features national knives in some cases became widespread among people of other nationalities living in similar climatic conditions, at practically achievable distances and leading approximately the same way of life (knives of the Buryats and Mongols, Finns, Karelians and Estonians, Chukchi and Karyaks, Nenets and Khanty-Mansi ). In some cases, for certain historical reasons, the same type of knife spread among many peoples. Thus, a knife with a total length of more than 400 mm (Fig. 15) was manufactured in many countries of South America.

The division of labor also required specialization of its tools. Therefore, along with the considered group of knives, another group arose - knives used only for certain purposes, primarily for household purposes. For example, fishing sea ​​beast among the peoples inhabiting the coastal territory, he required a special tool for cutting up harvested carcasses. These requirements were met by large massive knives 400-500 mm long, which the Chukchi and Karyak began to use (Fig. 16). Among the same peoples, women used knives with a total length of approximately 100 mm when doing needlework (Fig. 17). Specific knives appeared in household. These include the so-called women's knives, used by the Nanai (Fig. 18), Nivkhs (Fig. 19), Chukchi, and Karyak (Fig. 20). The same group of national household knives can include Uzbek knives(about 400 mm long) for chopping meat (Fig. 21), Ossetian knives (about 300 mm), made entirely of horn and used for cutting wefts when weaving, as well as for smoothing seams when sewing clothes (Fig. 22), Afghan knives for cutting meat (Fig. 23), etc.

Another group of national knives has acquired more than pronounced character weapons that were used mainly in combat operations. It is characteristic that knives of this group, widely used in the last century, and in some cases even now, have pronounced national characteristics. For example, the same Afghan knives are distinguished by a massive, rather long (about 200-300 mm), almost straight butt blade, somewhat widening towards the heel with a thickness of 5-6 mm (Fig. 24). In general, they are characterized by a typical Central Asian form. The scabbard is wooden, covered with leather, with a metal device consisting of a mouth with a belt ring and a tip. The blades of Central Asian knives of this type usually have a straight, thick spine, gradually tapering towards the tip. The handle does not retract into the sheath; it is round or oval in cross-section; its shape resembles the handle of a Central Asian checker, often thickened towards the end or curved towards the blade. The same knives are from Khiva (Fig. 25), Bukhara (Fig. 26, 27), Persian, or Iranian (Fig. 28, 29), etc. Their sheaths are usually covered with leather. In some cases, they are entirely bound in gold, silver, decorated with precious stones and ornaments characteristic of the area where they are made. Turkish scimitar knives have a blade about 300 mm long and about 3 mm thick with a straight spine. The bone handle expands and bifurcates at the top, like the handle of a scimitar (Fig. 30), which is where their name comes from. Arab knives have a straight (Fig. 31) or curved (Fig. 32) blade about 400 mm long and 5-6 mm thick. The carved handle is not retracted into the sheath, but is entirely located outside. The scabbard is wooden, covered with leather or fabric, and has a metal device consisting of several rings, a mouth and a tip.

Similar knives of peoples South-East Asia also differ in the originality of their forms. In Fig. 33, 34 show Malay knives with a blade length of 300–400 mm and a thickness of 5–7 mm. In Fig. 35 shows a combat knife of the Gurkhas, one of the nationalities of Nepal. Its blade is 400 mm or more long with a spine thickness of up to 10 mm. The handle is usually made of hard rocks wood or horn. The knife is called “kukri”, which means a large curved knife. Indian (Fig. 36-38), Spanish (Fig. 39, 40) and other knives are also characterized by their unique forms and decorations. National knives of some peoples, in accordance with their traditions, have a highly specific purpose.

For example, a Japanese knife is known that is used to perform a suicide ceremony (Fig. 41). In general, it corresponds to the usual traditional shape of Japanese national knives, and is distinguished by the care of its manufacture. Handle and scabbard made of varnished cherry wood. The total length of the knife is about 300 mm. The samurai credo is depicted in hieroglyphs on the handle: “Death with honor.”

Along with knives, daggers were also used as weapons. In the Caucasus, two types of daggers have long existed: with a straight (Fig. 42) and a curved blade (Fig. 43) with a length of 400-600 mm. Most widespread received kama daggers with a straight blade. Their blades are parallel and come closer to the end of the blade. Blades usually have stiffening ribs and fullers. The dagger handles are small in size, narrow, with sharp expansions in both directions. They are made of bone or horn, sometimes bound with metal. The scabbard is wooden, covered with leather or forged with metal.

The bebut dagger, compared to the kama dagger, has a slightly curved end of the blade. The daggers of the peoples of the Caucasus differ in some design features, ornamentation and the method of its execution. Thus, Georgian daggers (Fig. 44) have a relatively short and wide blade and a small handle head. In addition, the handle often has studs with hemispherical heads and spacers underneath them. The edges of the spacers are cut in the shape of flower petals. Curly slots are often made on the heel of the blade. Khevsur daggers usually have a general Caucasian shape or one close to the Georgian one. The device parts of the handles and scabbards are made of brass and decorated with simple ornaments made with copper notches. Armenian daggers differ from common Caucasian daggers by the elongated head of the handle, shaped like an eastern arch. The spacers for the nail heads are diamond-shaped. Azerbaijani daggers are distinguished mainly by their ornamentation. Dagestan daggers are valued for the skill of their artistic execution. Their blades are often made according to the Lezgin type, that is, with the fullers shifted in opposite directions from the center line of the blade. The handle, metal scabbard device or solid metal frame is decorated with small stylized plant and floral patterns.

In Turkey, two types of daggers also became widespread: straight (Fig. 45) and curved (Fig. 46). Straight daggers with blades 300-400 mm long have a relatively thick handle, usually bone, sometimes forged with metal plates made of copper and silver. The scabbard, as a rule, is completely encased in metal with engraved or chased patterns. The blade can also be ornamented. The blades of curved daggers have a length of 200 mm or more. They are rarely ornamented, but if they are decorated, it is usually with gold or silver notching. The handle is thin with sharp flat extensions at both ends. The handles and sheaths are made of wood and are often completely covered with metal (copper, silver), onto which an ornament is applied by chasing or engraving. In addition, daggers
sometimes decorated with precious and semi-precious colored stones.

Iranian daggers (Fig. 47) are similar in design to Turkish curved ones, but the blade has a sharper curve and a more pronounced expansion at the heel. In addition, the blades at the tip are often made thicker to enhance fighting qualities. They are somewhat smaller in size than Turkish ones, but the handles (bone or horn) are somewhat thicker. The scabbard is wooden, covered with leather or covered with metal. There is usually no metal device. Even a sword belt ring is not always made. Sometimes the scabbard is completely encased in metal and decorated with floral and floral patterns with painted or cloisonné colored enamel.

The length of Syrian daggers (Fig. 48) is somewhat shorter compared to Turkish and Iranian ones, and the blade is slightly curved. But the sheath is sharp
bending at the end, reaching 180° or more. If Turkish and Iranian daggers have an almost flat top of the handle, then Syrian ones have a different shape. The handle itself is usually thicker than the handles of Turkish curved daggers, but thinner than Iranian ones.

Scottish daggers (Fig. 50) with a total length of about 500 mm had a wedge-shaped blade and a black wicker handle. A sheath with two additional slots in which a knife and fork were placed was attached to a leather belt. This entire set was decorated with silver and amber.

For most peoples of the African continent, the dagger was not a typical weapon; a spear was used much more often for this purpose. Nevertheless, daggers are also known in this part of the world. The most typical blade shape for rayons central Africa- leaf-shaped fig. 51, for districts North Africa- less symmetrical (Fig. 52). The sizes of such daggers apparently vary widely. According to the materials at our disposal, the length of their blades is 200-250 mm.

Among the Arab tribes, another type of dagger was known, about 500 mm long, with a curved blade and an ornate handle (Fig. 53). It served as a sign of the high position occupied by its owner, and was a weapon of sheikhs and leaders.

Daggers existed in India various shapes: with straight and curved blades approximately 170–300 mm long and 3–5 mm thick. A typical representative of daggers with straight blades is the kutar, a weapon for the left hand (Fig. 54); for daggers with curved blades, the most typical are daggers with a double curve (Fig. 55, 56). Cutar blades are straight and wide, sometimes wedge-shaped and narrow. The handle is located perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the blade. At the ends of the handle parallel to the blade there are two metal plates, facilitating the correct position of the dagger in the hand and at the same time protecting the hand from enemy strikes from above and below. Some koutars, mainly the Marat variety, have an additional wide plate that protects the back of the hand. It is characteristic that the handles and blades of Indian daggers are made of the same material - steel and damask steel. The handle can also be made of wood or from various types of jade. Large floral designs are usually cut into jade, additionally decorated with inserts and overlays made of precious metals and stones. The tip may have a thickening. The scabbard is usually wooden, covered with leather or fabric, the mouth with a belt ring and the tip are metal. Sometimes the scabbard is completely covered with precious metal and decorated with floral and floral patterns and precious stones.

The daggers of the Afridis, one of the small Afghan tribes living on the northwestern border of India, have a unique shape. The blades of their daggers have a leaf-shaped curved shape with pronounced stiffening ribs located along the midline. On the sides of the stiffening ribs there are wide, flat valleys. At the heel, the blade narrows sharply. The handle of the dagger is made of bone, in the upper part it is decorated with the head of a lion (Fig. 57).

Japanese daggers (Fig. 58) have straight blades 250 mm or more long with a stiffening rib in the middle part. Between the blade and the handle there is a protective plate - “tsuba”. The handle is usually wooden, secured to the blade with a small wooden pin. The scabbard is also wooden. The handle and scabbard are covered with multi-colored multi-layer varnish, inlaid with bone or mother-of-pearl inserts, and sometimes covered with shark skin, on top of which metal parts are attached. In addition, the handles are often intertwined with colored braid in dark tones. The daggers are decorated in a characteristic Japanese style.

The characteristic daggers of Indonesia are kris (Fig. 59). The blades have a length of 300 mm or more and are distinguished by a wavy shape, symbolizing the mythical serpent Naga. It is believed that the more sinuous the blade, the more valuable it is. At the heel, the blades sharply expand, usually more in one direction. At this point they are often decorated with a notch or slotted design. The handles are made of wood, ivory, horn, silver, and gold. In form, they are mostly a stylized human torso with the head of an animal or bird, as well as their various variations on this theme.

Being one of the objects of material culture, national knives and daggers, like other things, were naturally closely connected with the entire way of life of a given people, with its customs, traditions, beliefs, often incomprehensible or seemingly unnatural for people of another nationality. This manifested itself most in various ways- in the number of knives or daggers, their location, etc. Thus, a traditional Javanese wears not only his own kris with his festive clothes, but also the kris inherited from his father. The groom also wears a third kris, which is presented to him by his father-in-law. The first and second kris are carried on the right, and the third on the left. In the company of high-ranking, respected people, the kris is worn only behind the belt in such a way that its handle is located at the right shoulder of the owner. In case of expected danger, all available kris rush to the left. In some cases, national knives and daggers are attributed to the manifestation of certain magical powers. There is, for example, a belief that one of the varieties of Turkmen knives “dzhoukhar-pchak” saves its owner from the machinations of evil spirits. Similar features apply to other national samples. But broad generalizations are unacceptable here, since each of these features must be considered primarily in connection with the customs and traditions of only a certain people. At the same time, it is precisely the close connection of the objects under consideration with the material and spiritual way of life of each people that is the main reason for the relative stability of each sample, its preservation over time with the succession of a number of generations.

Talking about national knives and daggers, we deliberately pay attention to them character traits and originality, since among the same peoples, due to natural migration, trade, exchange of information and other reasons, other knives also existed and exist to this day. However, each nation has always widely used its national samples in all areas of activity.
http://swordmaster.org/2007/08/06/nozhi_drevneruskie_i_drugikh_vostochnykh_narodov.html

Handmade Slavic knives: Damascus steel on the official website. The best store in Russia.

According to archaeological excavations, the Slavs had knives almost from the very beginning of the formation of society. Over time, the knife changed and improved. On this moment The knives have a very attractive appearance and excellent quality. We make all our knives by hand and when you receive your product, it will look even better in your hands than in the photo. We love our work and are proud of it.

Content:

• Russian knives
• Slavs have knives
• Damascus steel
• Store (official website)
• Handmade
• Buy
• Reviews

Russian knives

The knife helped the Slavic ancestors solve many issues. Such as:

• economic
• food production (hunting, fishing)
• ritual

I would like to say more, the knife played a huge role in the Slavic tradition and is considered part of the Russian (and many other peoples) costume. Centuries-old history Our people's life is filled with ups and downs, but at all times Russian knives have been distinguished by their quality and aesthetics. Continuing the glorious tradition of our ancestors, our craftsmen make masterpieces that truly delight their owner.

Slavs have knives

Traditional Slavic knife- This is part of the culture and tradition of our ancestors. In Rus', a knife was considered a sign of a free person. Just recently back in Russian Empire the sale of weapons was permitted and did not require any special permits. The situation changed only in 1900 - 2000, when a sharp refusal began at the behest of the state. Early in 1900, knives were distributed throughout Russia in huge quantities.



Damascus steel

Creating Damascus steel takes a lot of time and effort, but it is worth it. In order to make a product from this material, a deep understanding of blacksmithing and talent is required. For many people, Damascus steel is super high-tech and represents the highest bar in knife and ax making. The most important quality is that the layers are alternated to achieve ideal parameters. All work is done by hand and the product in your hands will look much better than in the photo. In addition to the fact that the knife has the highest technical characteristics, it also enchants with its beauty and aesthetics. Our craftsmen are number 1 specialists in Russia and for almost 10 years there has not been a single bad review. The works are really very worthy and would be suitable as a gift for the most dear people your heart and of course for yourself.

Shop (official website) knives

Our website is an official store that operates thanks to the work of hundreds of people. The Slavic site is a huge platform that is engaged in the development and promotion of old Slavic crafts. We have united the best specialists into one team and are guided primarily by quality. At your service we can offer a huge selection of knives from the best blacksmiths in Russia. Good job in kind hands. Glory to Rod!



Handmade knives

The most important advantage of our knives is handmade And individual approach for each product. Truly, the knives and axes are made at a very high level. Vast experience in creating masterpieces. Absolutely all customers are satisfied with their purchases from us and come back again. We made friends with many and became good friends.

Buy knives

In order to buy knives right now, you just need to call us:

• +7-988-896-83-12
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Knives reviews

In order to see reviews, you need to find a group on the VKontakte social network called: Slavic Shop Grad. In the discussions you will find reviews and if it is convenient for you to place an order through a social network, then write to Natalya Slavina. The order will be placed as soon as possible short time. An individual approach to each buyer.

The knife has been and remains one of the most important objects that accompany a person throughout his history. Nowadays we sometimes stop noticing it, because the knife dissolves among many other things surrounding a person’s life. But in the distant past, a knife was often the only metal object that a person possessed. IN Ancient Rus' a knife was an attribute of any free person. A knife hung on every woman's belt. A child, at a certain age, received a knife that he never parted with. Why was this subject given such importance?
The knife was not only an everyday functional item. Ancient people perceived the world through the prism of magic. That's why magic functions the knives that our ancestors believed in were no less important. He had many magical properties, which he shared with his owner, and they tried to never give him into the wrong hands. They swore on it. They protected themselves from witchcraft. The groom gave it to the bride upon engagement. When a person died, the knife went with him and was placed in the owner’s grave.
This is, of course, a somewhat idealized picture. In real life, people lost knives and bought new ones, lent them, gave them as gifts, and those that had served their purpose - knives ground almost to the butt - were simply thrown away. The knife was a universal and most common tool. This is confirmed by the fact that knives are often the most common finds during excavations. In Novgorod, at the Nerevsky excavation site alone, 1,440 copies of knives were found. During excavations of ancient Izyaslav, 1358 knives were found. The numbers are impressive, aren't they?
It seemed like the knives were simply lost in batches. But this is of course not true. Even if we take into account the corrosion of metal that has lain in the ground for hundreds of years, it is still clear that many knives are chipped and broken, that is, they have lost their working functions. This suggests the conclusion that the quality of the products of ancient blacksmiths was not very high... In fact, their quality was relative - just like in our time. There were high-quality knives that were expensive, and there were cheap consumer goods. The first category included precisely those knives that in Rus' any free person, regardless of his gender, wore on his belt. Such knives were of quite high quality by modern standards. They cost good money. The second category consisted of those knives whose quality was incomparably lower than Chinese stainless steel on the layouts. They really often just broke down. When this happened, they were given to blacksmiths for reforging. And more often, out of frustration, they threw it “to hell, out of sight.”
But we will not allow ourselves disrespectful remarks addressed to ancient Russian blacksmiths. Their capabilities and technical arsenal were very limited. Our contemporary, even very high level a blacksmith, deprived of high-quality steel and tools for its processing, will be able to do little in such conditions. Therefore, let us give a deep bow to the ancient blacksmiths - they are the best because they were the first!

Berestyannik, dezhnik, karnachik, kvashennik, dagger, treasure maker, rivet, gag, logs, hammer, mower, pigtail, braid, mower, bone cutter, jamb, kotach, kshennik, shovel, misar, musat, woman's knife, penny knife, man's knife, chef's knife, carving knife, nosik, secretok, cutter, chapel, chapel - 31 and that's not all.
The knife was used both during cooking and for various household needs: for pinching splinters, cutting brooms, in pottery and shoemaking, in the manufacture of wooden products...
The use of a knife at the dinner table required compliance with certain rules. A knife for cutting bread at dinner, in the family circle, was given only to the owner, when everyone was already at the table; the owner took a loaf of bread and drew a cross over it with a knife, and only after that he cut it and distributed it to family members.
The knife should be with the blade facing the bread. It was not allowed to eat from a knife, so as not to become evil (here the connection with murder and bloodshed is expressed - directors widely use this technique in films).
You couldn't leave the knife on the table overnight - the evil one could have killed you. You should not give someone a knife with its edge - there will be a quarrel with this person. There is another explanation, but that will come later. The knife served as a talisman against evil spirits, so it was not given to a stranger, especially if they knew that the person was bad, because... the knife will gain his energy (remember the Japanese and their reverent attitude to their swords).
The knife was widely used in rituals, during love spells, in folk medicine, etc. In maternity rituals, a knife was placed under the pillow of the woman in labor, along with fragrant herbs and three woven wax candles, to protect against evil spirits.
When the baby appeared, the father forged a knife himself, or ordered it from a blacksmith, and this knife accompanied the boy, youth, man all his life.
When a child was brought into the house, after the naming ceremony, a knife, along with coal, an ax and keys, was placed on the threshold of the house, over which the parents and the child had to step (step), and often the child himself was applied to objects lying on the threshold.
The knife, along with other sharp and hard objects: scissors, keys, arrows, stones, was placed in the child’s cradle immediately after his birth, which was supposed to make up for the “insufficient hardness of the child” and was not removed until his first teeth appeared.
If a child did not begin to walk for a long time, a “tow” was tied to his head. Without a spindle, the mother spun a long and thick thread and made “fetters” out of it, which she used to entangle her legs. standing child, took a knife and cut the “fetter” between the feet on the floor. The ritual was called “cutting the bonds” and was supposed to help the child quickly learn to walk.
When cutting a child's hair for the first time, he was seated on a table, usually on a casing, under which a spindle or comb was placed for a girl, an ax or knife for a boy.
In men's associations, parties, artels, everyone was obliged to carry a knife or dagger made specifically for combat use and not used anywhere else. The use and carrying of a knife was strictly regulated.
Known three ways to wear:
1- on the belt,
2- in the boot top,
3- in the pocket on the chest.
We are interested in the position “on the belt”, because it is considered more ancient.
During the ritual, the knife was often shown hanging on the belt, while on weekdays it was carried secretly. Hanging knife; (dagger) on the belt was very functional in wartime.

Everywhere in the Tver region they emphasize the connection of a combat knife with the concept of manhood, honor, and courage. The ban on carrying a knife was perceived as an insult to male dignity.
The knife (dagger) appears as an attribute of the masculine principle in small folklore genres, and the image is concretized by comparison with the male organ: “What does a Cossack have above the knee, below the navel?” Answer: "dagger". Apparently, the archaic consciousness is close to the association of a belt knife - a dagger and the masculine principle.
A very clear illustration of this assumption are the Scythian idols of the 6th-5th centuries BC.
In all of them, with a general parsimony of processing and a minimal presence of attributes (neck hryvnia, horn-rhyton), an unusually carefully depicted knife (dagger) located in the place of the male reproductive organ, as if replacing it with a qualitatively whiter, higher image of the male military principle, in Some of them do not even show facial features, but a knife is required, because it characterizes the quality of the subject.
A very typical ritual challenge to fight was sticking a knife into the ground (if the ceremony was on the street and into the mat - if in a hut). It was like this: one of the fighters performed a war dance to a ritual tune “with enthusiasm” with characteristic choruses, approached the one whom he wanted to see as his opponent and stuck his knife into the ground in front of him, after which he went out to a ritual dance, which developed into a ritual the battle.
What interpretation is offered of this ritual action? The opposition between masculine and feminine. There has long been a unanimous opinion of scientists about the deification of the earth Slavic peoples: mother is the raw land, native land, homeland, mother is the Russian land.
The feminine - the birthing principle of the earth - is perceived not so much in a sexual way, but in an epic, global, cosmic, universally giving birth.
Exactly the same - epic - masculine principle was traditionally endowed with a belt knife (dagger).
The ritual intercourse of these two epic principles is not an association with sexual intercourse or a fertility rite; the mystery transfers all the rituals of the ordinary plane into the subtle world, elevating the evaluative characteristics of any action, refracting it into the magical world.
Therefore, the fighter himself, who sticks the knife, participates in the act of mystical intercourse only nominally, insofar as it is an act of intercourse between the heavenly male spirit and the earthly female spirit. “The sky is the father, the earth is the mother, and you are the grass, let yourself be torn.”
As a result of this intercourse, we see, the fighter himself or his opponent must be born (transformed). He becomes related to the Heavenly Father and the Earthly Mother and receives from them strength and support for exploits. It is no coincidence that when they find themselves in trouble, the heroes ask the mother of the raw earth for help and strength immediately “arrives in two.” A standing knife is also compared to an erect penis, because... in folk medicine, an erection is a sign of recovery and male strength. Absence - dying, loss of yari - vital energy. The ability to stick a knife and keep it stuck means to maintain the status of a magical warrior, to ensure the right of access to the power emanating from the Earth - Mother and from Father Sky. (Pay attention to the center of the circle: the custom in communities, artels, among the Cossacks, when discussing issues, was to sit down, forming a circle, into the center of which a knife was stuck: I think now it’s clear why?).
Along with identifying a weapon with its owner, tradition spiritualizes the weapon and endows it, as if with its own will, detached from the will of the owner. Everyone remembers from childhood the images of a self-pick sword, a self-punching baton - wonderful helpers fairy-tale heroes, which, at the sole desire of the owner, begin to destroy the enemy and return themselves, having done the job. The attitude towards weapons as a comrade in battle is constantly emphasized: “A faithful friend is for a shoe’s leg.”

A knife is not just a household item or a weapon, it is a whole philosophy deeply rooted in Slavic culture, in the traditions and customs of our Ancestors.

A series of programs with V.I. Chulkin. "All about knives."
Chulkin Viktor Ivanovich designer (37 models of knives), technologist, inventor, creator of a patented multi-purpose knife " Siberian bear", knife throwing trainer.
Teaches topics: 1. Traditions and rituals, 2. Design, 3. Manufacturing 4. Operation, 5. Sharpening, 6. Throwing, 7. Forensics, etc.

Chulkin V.I. All about knives. Introductory lecture.

Chulkin V.I. All about knives. Traditions and rituals. Part 1.

Chulkin V.I. All about knives. Traditions and rituals. Part 2.

Chulkin V.I. All about knives. Traditions and rituals. Part 3.

Chulkin V.I. All about knives. Characteristics of a combat knife.

Chulkin V.I. All about knives. Knife sharpening.

Chulkin V.I. All about knives. Knife efficiency.