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Old 14th July 2020, 08:53 PM   #12
Gavin Nugent
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Quote:
Originally Posted by motan
Hi,
Burl wood indeed. Possibly from a small bush, judging by the fact that they needed two pieces to make one scale. The chances of finding out what kind of wood depends on finding evidence in literature. Beautiful dagger
Thank you Motan. A bush perhaps Or a tree with a small burl growing on it
It is an interesting pursuit pondering the possibilities.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ariel
Motan has a point about the bush.
If this is correct, Saxaul ( saksaul, Haloxylon ammodendron) might be the answer. It is a ubiquitous desert plant with gnarly and very hard wood.

The raised tip of the blade suggests utilitarian use and such p’chaks were called «Kayке». I found a Russian article about Central Asian knives and it alleges that such form was dictated by Timur, to make these knives less useful for stabbing.The form with the tip below the spine line was called tolbargi ( ivy leaf) and was used by butchers. The third forn had a wide semilunar and sharpened indentation of the distal half of the spine and was called kazakhcha, after Kazakh fishermen of the Aral sea. Allegedly the indentation was used for scaling the fish.

The same article mentioned chinar (Platanus orientalis) and apricot trees as handle materials.

Mass produced p’chaks were forged from cheap low-carbon soft steel . This required very frequent sharpening usually done with the use of the bottom of ceramic tea cups. The positive side was the ease of sharpening in the field: any rock will do. Because of that p’chaks got progressively more narrow and were rather short lived. Expensive examples for rich people used high quality steel, including Indian wootz.
You raise some good points there Ariel, utility being key and social standing bringing quality to the mix, sometimes exotic quality as seen in the turquoise encrusted examples with wootz blades in my collection.
Olufsen notes knives of this similar shape and construction as being from Hissar and are known as Karatagh knives which are made in Karatagh, Hissar and Kulab.
He goes on to note from his collecting, double knives (of this form I've presented), in their stunning textile covered and leather lined sheaths complete with textile suspension were a sign of dignity for the Emir's cook, another of the type mentions an armed messengers belt, "dshigit or mercenacy"
It's hard to distinguish by descriptions alone what profiles constitute what role. Some are noted as weapons, others are distinctly noted as not weapons, others being for cooks in prominent families.
I was lucky enough to be in touch with Thomas Otte Stensager in years past. Thomas had a wonderful little collection of the types which he wrote about in The Journal of the Danish Arms and Armour Society. A very good article from Nov 1995.

Gav
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