Uzbek knives pchak production. Types and characteristics of national Uzbek knives pchaks. Pchaki: national pride and utility knife

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 are of 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 purpose. 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 the central regions of Asian cities.

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 shape 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 located on the back side along the center 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 the modern world of edged 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 of 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.

Each people, depending on the characteristic geographical, climatic and socio-cultural conditions of life, adopted and received the greatest use of its own type of knife, which has distinctive features from similar tools of other nationalities. Among them belongs national Uzbek knife "pchak". Appearing, according to various sources, among the Central Asian peoples at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries, it has retained its form almost unchanged to this day.

General description of the Uzbek knife "pchak"

The name of the product comes from the Uzbek word "pechak", which means directly "knife". Pchak knives distributed throughout Central Asia with minor differences in proportions and decoration. Their characteristic features are a wide straight blade with one-sided sharpening and a thin (already blade) handle, which is attached flush with the butt.

The knife blade can be up to 50 mm wide. Its length is usually 16-22 cm. The section of the metal part is wedge-shaped, tapering from the butt to the blade. From the handle to the tip, the thickness of the knife gradually decreases: from 4-5 mm to zero. The descents are most often straight, less often - convex or concave. This geometry provides the product with excellent cutting properties.

Traditionally, carbon steel is used to make the blade. As a result of burnishing with ferrous sulfate, ferric chloride, or local varieties of clay, the metal surface acquires a specific dark color with a bluish or yellowish tint. Often the blades are hardened, decorated with an engraving or an embossed brand. It does Uzbek knife not only a necessary element of everyday life, but also distinguishes it as an object that characterizes the culture and life of an entire people.

The history of the spread of pchak knives since the times of the USSR

During the Soviet Union pchak uzbek knives could be found in the European part of the country in single copies, brought as souvenirs from tourist trips or expeditions in Central Asia. The most common was the production of the only knife factory in Uzbekistan in the city of Chust. To date pchak knives are made in semi-handicraft industries. Most of them are produced by the masters of the city of Shakhrikhan, Andijan region. There is a whole handicraft area where dynasties of blacksmiths and cutlers work.

Regular deliveries national Uzbek knives to Russia began to occur by the end of the 90s of the last century. It became possible to purchase them in retail trade: in specialized stores and oriental culinary shops. At the same time, specialized online stores, guided by increased demand, began to offer pchak knives: them a photo filled up many electronic catalogs. Today, not factory stamped products are in special demand, but products of specific craftsmen. Author's works are marked with engraved emblems of the manufacturer who made them. do-it-yourself pchak knife, depicting stars and a crescent in Islamic traditions.

Popular varieties of pchak knives: sharkhon and old Bukhara

On practice Uzbek knife pchak designed for household needs: cutting meat products, cleaning and cutting vegetables. Depending on the type of operations performed, knives of various shapes are used. Therefore, to complete the collection, it makes sense to purchase the main types of Uzbek knives the most common forms:

• kaike - with the tip of the blade raised up;
• tugri - with a straight blade and a smooth butt;
• kushkamalak - with a double fuller along the butt.

The most versatile in use are samples with a blade length of more than 14 cm. Such models are called "sharhon". They are very convenient for professional cutting of various products: without knocking on the cutting board, but in a fluffy manner, as in video culinary forums.

Along with the most popular Chust and the most common Andijan (Shakhrikhan) bees, you can find varieties called “Old Bukhara” in online catalogs. Their characteristic feature is an arcuately curved blade, evenly tapering towards the tip. Their second frequently used name is “Afghans”.

National Traditions of Finishing “Pchaka” Gift Samples

For souvenirs and collectibles, it is preferable to choose from piece goods from famous craftsmen. Each such pchak knife, a photo which can be seen on thematic sites and forums, is a masterpiece of a particular master. At the same time, custom-made knives go through all the necessary stages of hardening and sharpening, allowing them to be used in practice.

In addition to providing practical functions, gift pieces are finished in the best traditions of oriental color. To a large extent, this applies to the decoration of the handle, which Uzbek knives rather narrow in cross section, with a characteristic beak-shaped bend at the end. Valuable specimens are made from various types of wood, hoofed horns or metal. Often they are inlaid with mother-of-pearl or semi-precious stones.

Sharpening knives and care rules

The master in the manufacture sharpens do-it-yourself uzbek knife pchak on a corundum circle. The end of sharpening is determined by the tone of the sound that makes pchak knife, a video online can demonstrate this. You can adjust the sharpness of the blade from time to time simply on the bottom of the ceramic plate.

Subject to corrosion, the metal of the blade requires careful handling. Blades must not be left wet after use. They should be stored in a suspended state or on a stand, you need to wipe dry.

Uzbek, Uighur knives (Pchaks)

Pchak is a traditional, national knife of Uzbeks and Uighurs. Distributed throughout Central Asia and not only. Its appearance is original and easily recognizable, and after many years the shape has remained unchanged. Uighur craftsmen have a wider assortment and more variety in the form of blades. In the standard version, Uzbek and Uighur pchaks with a raised blade (Kayik) and a straight butt (Tugri) do not differ from each other. The difference is only in the handle and inlay.

The wide blade of the pchak was forged from steel of various qualities. Low quality steel was used in the manufacture of knives for the poor. Highly skilled craftsmen preferred to work to order and made blades only from high quality hardened steel. The pchak blade was made in different versions, according to its purpose.
Option 1 - the most common, when the tip of the blade is raised up above the butt of the blade by more than 5 mm - "Kayik".

The 2nd option is a knife with a blade with a smooth and straight butt - "Tugri pchak" or, as it is also called, "Kassob pchak". This option was intended mainly for butchers.

A feature of the Uzbek and Uighur knife is a thin rounded handle, which is attached at the level of the butt, expanding towards the end. Sometimes the handle ends in a hook-like bend. In ancient times, the pchak handle was made from materials available at that time: wood, bone, horn. Today, the variety of materials is much wider. In addition to traditional materials, handles are made of plexiglass, textolite, brass, copper, and so on.

The shape of the handle is of two types:
1) Yorma - this means lining on 2 sides on the shank. It consists of two dies that are attached to the shank.
Before fixing the dies that form the handle, a guard is soldered and a strip of copper, brass or silver is soldered to the shank around the perimeter. The plates are fastened with metal or copper rivets. Also, the handle can be typesetting, made of colored, precious or semi-precious stones (for example, from sadaf (pearl).

2) Suhma - i.e. full-mounted handle. It consists of a solid material that can be inserted into the shank and thus give the handle a classic shape that fits almost any hand. A variant of the shape of the sukhma handle is made from the horn of various animals, plexiglass, textolite, brass, copper and other materials. The inlay can also be used materials from colored, precious or semi-precious stones.

In the old days and to this day, every respected master must put his mark, the so-called "tamga", on a high-quality knife made. The main elements of the stigma were Islamic paraphernalia - the image of stars and a crescent. Modern knife makers also mark their unique products with Islamic symbols or put a cotton mark, the name of the town where these knives are made, or the number of the house where the master himself lives. But there are craftsmen who do not put a stamp, because the work of these masters can be recognized by unique, clear drawings on the guard or amazing, high-quality work. The master, if desired, can engrave his personal data on the other side of the blade or on the handle of the knife.

The blade of an expensive pchak is decorated with a national ornament, and the handle is decorated with round decorative elements called "kyoz" or in Persian "chashmak" - this means "eye, eyes", which are made either from non-ferrous or precious metals, or from bone or mother-of-pearl, which are pressed in into the handle plates.

Scabbards for pchak are sewn from genuine leather or dense fabric and decorated with precious or semi-precious materials (for example: brass, copper, silver). Inside them, special wooden inserts are provided so that when the knife is pulled out, the sheath remains intact. The sheath is quite deep, since the pchak is inserted there without additional fixation. Like the handle, they are decorated with decorative colored circles, often simply painted with paint. On more expensive products, an application is used. They also have a loop that goes through the belt.
According to its purpose, the pchak is a household accessory. For home cooking, this is the perfect knife. Pchak with a curved tip "Kayik" is more used by hunters, as it is very convenient for skinning, and for the most part, butchers choose "Tugri pchak" for carcass cutting. Pchak is not a combat knife, since the hardness of the blade and sharpening from the butt, reduced to zero, do not allow such serious work as, for example, planing metal or opening cans with it or chopping bones. For historians, it remains a mystery even now what was the reason for the need for the appearance of a knife with a blade shape that was convenient only for economic activities. Uzbek and Uighur pchaks are sure to become indispensable helpers in the kitchen. Or they are suitable as a gift for a person who knows history: after all, every time we touch a bee, we join the history of the Ancient East.

Depending on national traditions, geographical location and culinary preferences, each nation and nationality has its own knife, different from others. Uzbek, Finnish, Tajik, Indian - each of them is different. A Russian knife implies its use: on a hunt, on a camping trip, in close combat, for self-defense. The Japanese knife is associated with the samurai sword, which is the sharpest blade in the world. French cleavers resemble a saber with a handle. Knives are especially popular among the Central Asian peoples.

Uzbek knife - pchak

According to various sources, the pchak knife appeared among the peoples of Central Asia in the 14-15th century. To this day, its form has not changed. The name of the blade comes from a similar Uzbek word "pechak". Literally translated as "knife". Such forms of the knife are used throughout the Central Asian territory with minor changes in proportions and special decorations.

The width of the blade is within 5 centimeters, while its length is no more than 22 centimeters. The wedge-shaped section gradually decreases from the butt to the blade. The thickness of the knife, which is up to five millimeters near the handle, decreases closer to the edge of the blade. Excellent cutting qualities of the knife are achieved by slopes of various shapes: from straight to curved. The Uzbek pchak knife, the photo perfectly emphasizes its beauty, has an excellent balance.

Uzbek knives in 20-21 centuries

In the 20th century, the Uzbek handmade knife could be seen on European territory only in private collections of connoisseurs of Central Asian art. Very often they were brought home or to close friends after a tourist trip as a beautiful souvenir. Uzbek knives (the photo illustrates the beauty and a large selection) were industrially made only in the city of Chust, which is located in Uzbekistan.

Today, Uzbek knives are made almost by hand. The city of Shahrikhan, which is located in the Andijan region, is famous for the craftsmen who make the Uzbek pchak knife. This city has an area where several generations of blacksmiths and cutlers live and work. There are also knife makers in other parts of the country, but their work is not as well known. Author's knives are signed with branded emblems with the obligatory addition of stars and a crescent to emphasize the Islamic religion.

Varieties of pchak knives

The Uzbek knife is used in economic life, as well as in the kitchen. Given the different design options for the sharp end, there are several forms of pchak knives:

• blade "kaike" - the tip is raised to a height of up to eight millimeters - traditional Uzbek handmade knives;
• blade "tugri" - the end of the blade is sharp, the back of the knife is straight;
• blade "tolbargi" - another name for willow leaf, the butt of the knife is slightly lowered, which is practical when butchering animal carcasses;

• blade "Kazakhcha" - on the blade, not far from its sharp part, there is a depression, and the sharp end of the knife is above the line of the butt; a knife is used to work with fish;
• blade "kushmalak" - a distinctive feature is the presence of a doubled fuller along the butt.

The size of the Uzbek knife is:

• small (chirchik) - less than fourteen centimeters;
• ordinary (sharkhon) - up to seventeen centimeters;
• large (cow cutter) - up to twenty-five centimeters.

Finishing and decoration of Uzbek knives

Uzbek handmade knives are a masterpiece of the master's work. Each knife is made in a single copy. It goes through all stages: steel processing, hardening, finishing and sharpening. The master applies an ornament on the handle and blade. Expensive knives are decorated not only with national drawings. Here they add a generic family sign, add their own inscriptions, the “islimi” floral ornament, etc. The more carefully each part of the applied ornament is made, the more valuable the Uzbek knife is.

The handle is made of apricot, sycamore, plexiglass, parts of bones and horns are added. Often the handle is made from brazed sheet metal. The shank of the blade coincides with the shape of the handle and, expanding at the bottom, ends with a bend in the idea of ​​a hook. If the handle is made of wood or bone, then it is not decorated. If plexiglass was used, then it is supplemented with colored inclusions and wire. The handle made of horn is decorated with rhinestones and mother-of-pearl. The metal handle is decorated with engraving, rhinestones against the background of floral ornaments.

The bend at the bottom of the knife, or pommel, completes its design. It is made in the form of a hook to make it comfortable to hold the handle of an Uzbek knife. On the bottom of the handle there is always a notch for a convenient location of the little finger. The pommel is made of a hollow horn or special metal inserts.

Sheath for Uzbek knife

For an Uzbek knife, a sheath is considered an obligatory element. Masters used leather or dense fabric. The knife is located deep in the sheath, which does not require an additional lock. Inside the scabbard there are wooden inserts that protect them from being cut from the inside. National Uzbek knives are worn on the left side on the belt. To do this, a wide loop is added to the scabbard.

If the case is made of fabric, then it is decorated with national embroidery. Leather sheaths were decorated with brass and copper inserts. On black leather, craftsmen place a multi-colored pattern in a traditional style. It is not uncommon to see wooden cases.

Rules for storage and care

The blade of the Uzbek knife was forged from carbon steel. Previously, until the twentieth century, worn-out weapons or pieces of iron brought from other fears were used for this. Blade hardness should be between 50 and 56 Rockwell units. Given the low hardness of the material, the owner of the knife always undermines the blade. For this, it is not necessary to use special grinding bars. The soft material is easy to sharpen with a stone or the back of a bowl.

There are general rules for caring for a knife:

1. Sharpening of steel must be carried out from the butt to zero. The use of this type of blade sharpening allows you to cut very thin slices of food.
2. It must be remembered that soft steel sharpens well if a ceramic product is used, and may bend or dull when cutting hard foods or bones.
3. Carbon steel is quite porous. After use, the knife must be rinsed immediately and wiped dry.
4. If rust has appeared on the blade of an Uzbek knife, you can get rid of it with the help of mild cleaning products or sand.

Uzbek knives should be stored, after wiping, on a wooden knife stand. Their location in limbo is also welcome.

Uzbek kitchen knives

To work in the kitchen, you need to have several types of Uzbek knives. Small ones are great for peeling fruits and vegetables. Medium-sized vegetables can be easily cut and finely chopped. Large Uzbek kitchen knives are used to work with meat. A thin curved blade perfectly develops fish.

The Uzbek pchak knife can serve not only in the kitchen, but also be a wonderful gift. It is believed that such a gift from a best friend can protect from ill-wishers. A knife placed under a child's pillow protects the health of the baby and mother, attracts wealth and prosperity. The image of the Uzbek knife in embroidered items, on forged items, on ceramic items protects the owners from all sorts of misfortunes and troubles.

Let's start simple. These photographs depict a knife that any person who is at least somehow interested in knives or who has been to Central Asia will call “PCHAK”, or, in Uzbek, “PICHOK”. The appearance of the pchak is peculiar and easily recognizable.

This is the most common pchak with a kaike blade. Such a blade involves raising the tip above the line of the butt by 3-8 mm. More advanced and inquisitive people will say that this is the Andijan Pchak.

Someone else will add: "Sharkhon."

The pchak blade itself is traditionally forged from carbon steel (in ancient times, broken weapons or iron ingots from India were used, since the 19-20th century, automobile springs, bearing cages and other improvised materials have been used, now factory-made steel bars of the ShKh type are most often used -15, U12, 65G or cheap fittings from St3).

In Uzbekistan, they still say: “Pichok made of carbon for work, stainless steel for decoration!”

If the blade is made of high-carbon tool (U12) or bearing (ШХ15) steels (which allows you to get a better product), then St3 shanks are usually welded to it, which is noticeable in the form of a triangle near the pchak handle.

By the way, many Japanese and Russian masters do the same, for example, G.K. Prokopenkov. This is due to the fact that U12 and ShKh15 have low impact strength and strength, and if the blade with the shank are forged from a single piece of steel, there is a high probability of the blade breaking in the neck area, for example, when falling.

The length of the blade is usually 16-22 cm, the thickness always decreases wedge-shaped from the handle to the point, and at the handle it can be 4-5 mm. In cross section, the blade of the pchak also tapers wedge-shaped from the butt to the blade. The slopes are usually straight, rarely convex or concave lenticular. Blade width can be up to 50 mm. All this together gives a good geometry of the knife and provides an effective cut of any food products.

As already mentioned, carbon steel is used on pchaks, from what is at hand, hardening (as a rule, zone - only at the cutting edge) is usually carried out up to 50-52 Rockwell units, less often up to 54-56, and then only in recent times. On the one hand, a hardness of 50-54 units does not allow long-term retention of the sharpness of the cutting edge, but it allows you to edit such a knife on anything (the bottom of a ceramic bowl is usually used, but there are also special stones of a traditional shape for dressing pchaks and scissors), which, of course, is a big plus. But in this case, the knife quickly wears off and turns almost into an awl, so you have to buy a new one. Although the cost of pchaks (not souvenir ones) has always been small.

Recently, more and more often there are pchaks made of ShKh-15 steel, which can be hardened up to 60 Rockwell units, which we see on some blades.

Such hard blades are made specifically for the Russian and Ukrainian market in order to compete with Japanese kitchen knives. From my point of view, such hardness is not very justified, because pchaks have a very thin reduction and working with such knives requires certain skills and special equipment, otherwise the blade will crumble and break (similar to Japanese kitchen workers).

On the other hand, there is no special point in heating ShKh-15 to 50-52 units (the norm for a pchak) - just a translation of good material.

The surface of carbon steel blades is usually oxidized (burnished), immersed in a solution of Naukat clay (traditionally), ferrous sulfate or ferric chloride, due to which the blade acquires a dark gray color with a blue or yellow tint, and is decorated with a fuller (“komalak”, moreover if there is only one dol, then it will definitely be from the side of the tamga), stamped with a brand (“tamga”) or engraved. The knocked-out recesses are filled with brass. On carbon blades, a hardening zone is often noticeable.

The names of the parts of the pchak are presented below:

"GULBAND", or bolster, is cast from low-melting tin or tin-lead alloys, soldered from sheet brass or cupronickel and filled with tin or its alloy. I note that the use of lead in cooking is not good, and it is advisable not to use leaded knives (or at least varnish them). You can distinguish lead by trying it with a soldering iron (lead melts worse), it is highly oxidized, acquiring a dark gray tint, and gets dirty (like newsprint). It seems to me that the use of lead and alloys is a cost of the easy availability of old car batteries and bearing babbits.

They decorate the gulband with engraving (traditionally, with the Uzbek floral ornament “islimi”), often with filling in the recesses with enamel paint (black, red, green), as well as inserts of mother-of-pearl (“sadaf”), turquoise or rhinestones.

"BRINCH" - a strip of sheet brass or cupronickel, up to one millimeter thick, soldered around the perimeter of the shank when the handle is mounted on the surface ("erma dosta"). Handles are riveted to the brinch, decorated with engraving and decorative oxidation. I note that usually the brinch protrudes beyond the shank by 1-2 mm, and there is an air gap between the linings and the shank.

The meaning of this action is not very clear, except to save the material of the overlays when expensive material is used (for example, ivory). Perhaps this design allows you to dampen the stress in the handle, because. the same installation is traditionally used in the handles of Central Asian sabers (filling the air cavities with mastic).

"CHAKMOK" or pommel.

A specially made and decorated pommel is used on expensive pchaks with surface mounting (“yorma dosta”), in the form of metal pritins, or mounted mounting of handles (“sukma dosta”) from a hollow horn, in this case it is performed by soldering cupronickel, brass.

Decorate with engraving, sadaf, rhinestones.

On inexpensive pchaks, chakmok is designated by changing the cross section of the handle (from rounded to rectangular) and / or the presence of a beak-shaped protrusion.

"DOSTA" - black, handle.

For manufacturing, local wood (apricot, plane tree), textolite, plexiglass, bones, horns are used, soldered from sheet metal (cupronickel, brass)

Wood, textolite and bone are usually not decorated, colored “eyes” and wire are inserted into plexiglass, the horn is decorated with decorative carnations, sadaf inserts or rhinestones, engraving is applied to metal handles, usually in the form of a floral, floral (“chilmikh guli”) ornament with adding rhinestones.

Handle shank with surface mounting ("erma dosta") usually has the same thickness in gulband and chakmok, rarely thickens towards chakmok. Often the thickness of such a handle exceeds its width - this is convenient for traditional cutting of vegetables in the preparation of Uzbek dishes: pilaf, salads "chuchuk", or "shakarob"

"TAMGA" - brand

As a rule, each craftsman (“usto”) who produces any product (especially knives) uses a workshop brand (tamga).

For Uzbek masters, in the center of the tamga, a crescent is usually used (as a symbol of faith), stars are often used (they say that their number used to indicate the number of children-heirs or students who became masters) and the symbol of cotton.

Anything can be found on modern hallmarks - even the image of a car.

It should be noted that at present it is impossible to fully rely on the tamga to identify the master. I saw tamga, which is used by at least four different masters (although maybe one makes it, but different people sell it on their own behalf).

As with any household knife, a sheath is required for a pchak. As a rule, they do not differ in good materials and workmanship. Today, it is usually leatherette with cardboard inserts, sometimes decorated with appliqué and imitation beads.

More expensive pchaks may have a leather scabbard decorated with embossed or woven leather cord.

Rarely there are metal scabbards (melchior, brass) with engraving or combined ones (leather, wood, metal).

At the end of the review of the Andijan pchak, I will quote from O. Zubov’s article “The Sign of the Master” (magazine “Vokrug sveta” No. 11, 1979):

“... Wide, ringing with a black-violet tint, inlaid with red, green, blue and white pebbles - specks, three stars and the moon shine on the blade - the ancient brand of the Abdullayevs.

This knife is an indispensable assistant at a meal with friends, an integral part of Uzbek cuisine. the master said. And, after a pause, he smiled: “But the best thing is to cut a melon!”

Considering the Uzbek pchaks, willy-nilly one wonders what led to the appearance of just such a form of blade.

The fact is that this form is suitable exclusively for cooking, while the neighboring peoples had a typical knife that could somehow be protected and used for other (non-cooking) needs, that is, they were used all over the world more versatile knives. The Uzbeks also had such knives, but ... only until the 14th century. The exact reason for the emergence of this form is not known, but if we recall that the 14th century is the century of the empire of Timur (Tamerlane), an empire with centralized power and strict laws, then we can assume that Timur's officials, or himself, were somewhat concerned about the subjugation of the conquered peoples , and, in order to prevent the appearance of edged weapons among the people, they brought all the master gunsmiths to the Shah's forges, to the capital of the empire, Samarkand, and for the civilian population they forced the craftsmen to make knives with a point raised up.

It is almost impossible to inflict stab wounds with such a knife, and, therefore, the danger of an uprising and other “terror attacks” is reduced.

Recall that in the days of another empire, already close to us in time, pchaks also did not belong to edged weapons precisely because of the shape of the blade, and for their manufacture they were not sent to places not so remote. Although there may be other versions. In any case, it turned out to be a very convenient knife for cooking, which quickly gained popularity in Central Asia. If it were not convenient, it would not have received such distribution!

In addition to pchaks with a “kaike” blade, there are pchaks with a “tugri” blade, that is, with a straight butt.

Let's compare two types of blades: the photo below clearly shows the difference between the blade "tugri" (above) and "kaike" (below)

The blade "tugri" has a constant or decreasing width towards the tip. Convenient for slicing meat, usually included in the butcher's kit ("kassob pichok").

In addition to the already mentioned "Andijan" pchak, one can come across the names "Old Bukhara" and "Old Kand".

In the "Old Bukhara" blade evenly narrows to the point, the rise is less pronounced, but the entire blade is often arched, the blade is more specialized for meat work - skinning, deboning.

Interestingly, to this day, the narrow Bukhara pchaks are often called "Afghan", although there is a difference between the pchaks from Bukhara and Afghanistan - on the "Bukhara" rivets go in one row, and on the "Afghan" - a half-envelope.

Also, traditionally Bukhara pchaks have a sheath with a ball or leaf at the end.

"Starokandsky" - the blade of this pchak is distinguished by its small width, most likely used as an auxiliary when deboning or peeling vegetables.

You can also meet the names "tolbargi" (willow leaf) and "kazakhcha". These are functional highly specialized knives designed to perform a specific job.

"Tolbargi" - a butcher's knife for butchering animal carcasses,

"Kazakhcha" - for cutting fish.

Pchaks "Kazakhcha" were distributed mostly among the inhabitants (fishermen) of the coast of the Aral Sea, mainly Kazakhs.

The line of the “Kazakhchi” butt approximately one third to the point forms a smooth notch, again rising to the point, located on the butt-handle line. The recess is sharpened on one or both sides. With a blade of this shape, turning the knife over, it is easy to clean and gut the fish.

The handles of the "tolbargi" and "kazakhcha" are usually made of wood and, as a rule, are not decorated (only the presence of a colored ornament on the gulband is allowed).

Here is a photo of the knives of the master Mamurjon Makhmudov from the city of Kokand:

"Tolbargi"

Well, another photo of knives from Tashkent

Photo from the Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan, the selection is called "Tashkent 1985"

The Uigur pchaks deserve special mention.

These are knives from XUAR (Xinjiang - Uighur Autonomous Region of China). Sometimes the name Yangisar knives is found - the name was fixed in the center of production - the city of Yangisar. They also have the "Old Bukhara type-Afghan" and "Old Kandish", but if you look at the photos, you can see the differences. The higher quality (and beautiful) manufacture of the handles and the absence of a cast gulband (bolster) made of tin are striking, the blade shanks are almost always open, the brinch is not used. But the blades are often processed roughly, or not sharpened at all, because. the production of Uyghur knives with sharpened blades longer than 200 mm is prohibited by Chinese law!

Starobukharsky. Uyghur masters

Afghan. Uighur masters.

Starokandsky. Uighur masters.

If the Uzbek pchaks are more specialized for cooking, then the Tajik KORDs are more versatile knives.

Cords come in three typical sizes. The most common (most working) has a length of 14-17 cm, a large knife "Gov kushi" ("cow cutter") is used for slaughtering livestock and has a length of 18-25 cm and the smallest knives (less than 14 cm) are for women.

The blades of traditional cords are powerful, up to 4 mm thick at the guard (I note that if the thickness of the knife blade is more than 2.4 mm, then it can already be considered as a cold weapon and is prohibited for free circulation), lenticular slopes from the butt or the middle of the blade width, less often straight (for Uzbek pchaks, as a rule, the opposite is true). The cutting edge is displayed on each knife, depending on the purpose. The butt of a cord blade, as a rule, machined from a finished strip of metal, is straight and parallel, and not wedge-shaped, like a pchak. On the blade, valleys are usually machined, one or two on each side, or two on the right and one on the left.

Installation depends on the area of ​​manufacture. In the southeastern mountainous regions, preference is given to mounted installation, and in the western and northern regions, which are closer to Uzbekistan, to overhead installation. Moreover, the overhead installation of the cord is somewhat different from that of the pchak: a brazed brinch is not used, and the entire shank is poured around the perimeter with a tin alloy, so the handle on the pchak is lighter, and on the cord it is stronger! In general, the device for cords is only cast, made of tin and its alloys (or silver), the ornament is only engraved and more geometric, radially symmetrical, in contrast to the complex floral Uzbek “islimi”. The ornament is individual for each master and can replace the stigma (the cords are traditionally not stigmatized, at least on the blade, on the guard there is a certain ornament or stigma)

The overhead handles of the cords are always wider than those of the pchaks, they expand towards the pommel and have a characteristic notch for the little finger.

Horn, bone, wood, plastic go to the handle of the cord. When mounted or overhead mounting, the cord blade shank is always full for the entire length of the handle (with the exception of small knives for women in the kitchen).

Photo from the Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan, the selection is called "Khorezm, Khiva. 1958"

I would like to once again dwell on the terminology - pchak, pichok, bull, cord, card.

The fact is that some time ago I got a knife somewhere in the 17th-18th century

Length 310mm, blade length 185mm, butt width 30mm, butt thickness (3.5-2.5-1.5)mm. The purpose of the groove on the butt is not clear to me, except perhaps to increase the thickness of the butt, which slightly increases when the groove is minted. The yellow metal in the ornament is gold. Hardness about 52 units. I was struck by the blade structure (as the famous cutler Gennady Prokopenkov put it, “just aerobatics!”): - a wedge from the butt with a concave lens, and turning into a drop-shaped view a few millimeters (from 3 to 5) from the cutting edge. Of course, this is all - tenths of a millimeter, but everything is visible and palpable. After some persuasion, G.K. Prokopenkov agreed to make me a modern copy, preserving the entire blade structure as much as possible.

Here is the knife:

It turned out that when working in the kitchen, it surpasses almost all the knives I have - both in terms of cut quality and ease of use. Well, it’s easy to edit anything (even musat, even ceramics). Although if you chop vegetables for a long time, that is, on a stream, a good chef will apparently be more convenient. But for home...

In addition, its design allows you to cut off / cut the stick and protect yourself from any evil spirit.

That is, we got an excellent wagon.

Naturally, the question arose about the type of knife. There were two options - card or pchak. The cord was not considered for obvious signs. According to the materials of the Internet and, in particular, the RusKnife conference, the Bukhara knife turned out to be the closest.

Knife from Bukhara. Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps. Exhibition "Weapons of the East 16-19 centuries"

I note that the “museum” exhibit is simply called “Knife from Bukhara”

Further searches resulted in the following photos:

Pchak is old. Bukhara

Pchak. Bukhara.

Bukhara card

Bukhara card

Pchak Bukhara with turquoise

Pchak Afghanistan

Persian card

Note that in the last photo the knife (Persian card) has an armor-piercing thickening on the tip.

Thus, it is apparently not possible to determine exactly the type of my knife.

From the point of view of collectors and connoisseurs of edged weapons, a card is a knife created primarily for military purposes: it looks more like a stiletto and its edge, as a rule, is strengthened.

So I think that I have a pchak. Tugri-pchak, most likely, of Bukhara production.

However, I am most impressed by the position of Marat Suleymanov, who claims that card, cord and pchak are not brands at all, but simply the names of one product - a knife - in different languages ​​("pechak" - in Tatar, "pichok" - in Uzbek, "pshah" - in Azerbaijani, "kord" - in Tajik, "kard" - in Persian. Kard and Kord are close in sound, since Tajiks and Persians (Iranians) belong to the same language group, Uzbeks, Tatars, Azerbaijanis - to another, Turkic)

There is also a "bychak" - a Karachay knife (see the article "Bychak - the knife of every Karachay" on this site), but the Karachays and their closest relatives - the Balkars, as you know, are also Turkic-speaking peoples.

There are also knives of the Turkmen-Saryks (photo from Rusknife)

Thus, without touching on military topics, it seems most correct to say:

National Uzbek knife (pichok, or pchak)

National Tajik knife (cord)

National Uighur knife (pchak)

National Karachai knife (bull)

Here is another photo from the “Turkestan Album” 1871-1872

Samarkand, Pichak Bazaar (By the way, the original says “Pisyak Bazaar”)

In previous years, Uzbek pchaks came to the European part of the USSR in the form of single specimens, most often they were brought from expeditions in Central Asia. As a rule, their quality was not at a high level.

Since the end of the 90s of the last century, the Soyuzspetsosnaschenie company began regular deliveries of Uzbek pchaks to Russia, and it became possible to purchase them at the company's office or in retail. Currently, they can be purchased in many knife stores and oriental culinary shops, including online stores (in particular, in Dukan Vostoka, Pchak-handmade knives, etc.).

At first, suppliers bought pchaks in bulk at the bazaars in Uzbekistan, so it was impossible to find out either the name of the master or the place of manufacture from the sellers. As the market became saturated, the trade began to "civilize", and now you can buy a pchak made by a specific master (especially from those sellers who buy products directly from the masters), and choose the type, style and materials of the blade and handle.

During the Soviet Union, the most popular were pchaks from the city of Chust, where there was the only knife factory in Uzbekistan.

Photo from the Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan, the selection is called "Chust 1987"

At the present time, the bulk of Uzbek pchaks are produced in the city of Shakhrikhon, Andijan region of Uzbekistan, where there is a whole urban area (“makhalla”) of cutlers (“pichokchi”), in which entire family dynasties of blacksmiths and pchak fitters work.

Photo from the Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan, the selection is called "Shahrikhon 1999"

Thus, the famous craftsman Komiljon Yusupov, who devoted more than 50 years of his life to his craft, and was elected the elder of the mahalla pichokchi of Shakhrikhon, passed on his art to his sons and now the brothers can make, if they wish, very good products.

Usto Bakhrom Yusupov

Usto Bakhrom Yusupov

In other regions of Uzbekistan, individual craftsmen (“usto”) and pichakchi families also live and work, but their products are much less common. For example, the Abdullayev family, who lives and works in Bukhara, also makes pchaks, but their true “horse” is hand-forged scissors for various purposes, famous throughout Uzbekistan.

Related to the Uzbek pchaks, Tajik knives (“cords”) are mainly produced in the city of Istaravshan (former Ura-Tyube).

Also, stands with pchaks and cords are always present at various knife exhibitions: “Blade”, “Arsenal”, “Hunting and Fishing” and others ...

Usto Abduvahob and his knives:

The director of the store "Dukan Vostoka" Bakhriddin Nasyrov with Uzbek masters - "usto": usto Ulugbek, usto Abdurashid, usto Abduvakhob.

Usto Ulugbek

Usto Abdurashid

Usto Abdurashid

Both pchaks and cords are made by hand, and it is safe to say that each such knife carries a particle of the master's soul.

Already with an external examination, you can judge the level of quality of the knife:

- good build and processing of the blade, a pronounced hardening line and a thin cutting edge allows you to count on a good and long cut;

- well-soldered or cast from pure tin (light and shiny) gulband allows you to use pchak or cord in the kitchen without the risk of lead poisoning;

- a clean and long ringing after clicking on the blade, the absence of a shank at the saddle handle indicates a high-quality assembly;

- the absence of gaps between the device and the handle, or cracks in the handle handle prevents the reproduction of microorganisms in them;

If possible, pchak and cord, like any other tool for work, need to be selected “by touch” so that it becomes a “natural extension of the hand”.

The only (today) pchaks that cannot be faulted are the pchaks of Mamirjon Saidakhunov

Blade 140x4mm at the butt, evenly descends to the spout. Reduced to zero, the double-sided lens is light, sharpened perfectly. Powdered steel DI-90, heat in the oven, 61 hardening somewhere. Handle 110mm, walrus bone. Gulband is a hard alloy based on tin. The food cuts brutally, the tree cuts dry, the chicken cheerfully butchers. Sheath: 3mm leather, water resistant

True, there is a small nuance - the master lives and works in Ukraine and the price for this knife is quite high (compared to other pchaks)

To date, more than 30 knives from Shakhrikhon, Samarkand, Tashkent and so on are presented in Russia ...

In addition, such knives could not fail to interest Russian manufacturers.

So, at the request of their customers, they make pchaks:

Gennady Prokopenkov

We can see this knife almost every weekend on the NTV channel in the hands of Stalik Khankishiev. Fiber composite based on 40X13, hardened up to 52-54

Dmitry Pogorelov

Steel CPM 3V, HRC - about 60. Length 280 mm, blade length 150 mm, width 33 mm, thickness (3.5-2.5-1.5) mm, weight 135g. Handle -cocobolo Zeroing, excellent cut

Mezhov's workshop

Knife of S. Kutergin and M. Nesterov

H12MF steel, silver, rosewood, rosewood, bone. Knife length 280mm, blade 160mm, width 40mm, thickness 4mm, HRC 57-59

But even from the photograph it is clear that the mixing is by no means "Pchakovsky"

Zlatoust gunsmiths

Steel 95X18, HRC 58, length 292 mm, blade 160 mm, width 35 mm, thickness (2.2-2.0-1.8) mm, weight 120 g. The handle is walnut. Despite the small thickness and good reduction, the cut of this knife leaves much to be desired.

Gunsmith

Damascus, gilding. Length 260 mm, blade 160 mm, width 35 mm, thickness (4.0-3.5-2.0) mm, weight 140g. HRC is about 56. Convergence is about 0.2-0.3 mm.

Despite the various decorations, the cut is much better than the previous AiR.

A little testing showed predictable results - first Prokopenkov with Pogorelov, then Oruzheinik and then A&R by a wide margin.

It is interesting that the usual pchak (see photo) proved to be slightly worse than the pchaks of our eminent masters (in terms of cut quality), but better than the Gunsmith, but not by much.

In the middle of the last century, knives similar to pchak were made by the German company Herder, but I could not find out its specialization

Of course, a pchak, even a good one, is difficult to compare in terms of manufacturability and hygiene with a European chef, and in modern food production it will be less convenient, but in a home kitchen and especially somewhere in nature, this knife can give you a lot of pleasure!

For a more complete picture of the work of the pchak, I recommend that you read Roman Dmitriev's review "Pchak in real life" on this site.

Great help in writing the article was provided by Marat Suleimanov, Roman Dmitriev and the RusKnife forum

Special thanks for providing photos to Bakhriddin Nasyrov ("Dukan of the East") and Alexander Mordvin ("Pchak - handmade knives")

Taken from CookingKnife.ru