Khyber knife

tom hyle · 22nd March 2005, 07:56 AM

I have very little doubt the tang ends where seen; what I wonder is does the engraving continue on around the end, where we can't see it, within the handle. The area around the corners may be more readable in person than in photos.....

ariel · 22nd March 2005, 02:23 PM

The more I look at the silverwork, the more I think of Bukhara, Samarkand etc.These belong to Uzbekistan, a Turkic state. Uzbeks migrated to the area relatively recently (1500 years ago? Is it recent?). By the way, they chose to call themselves Uzbek after one of the most successful Khans of the Golden Horde, Ozbek, who was Chingiz Khan's grandson or close to that.
The adjoining Tajikistan employs a language that is almost purely Persian and there are many Tajiks living in the current borders of Afghanistan.
This "khyber" might have been made in Northern Afghanistan, influenced by the "Central Asian" motives. Would be fascinating to find Russian markings on the blade.

spiral · 22nd March 2005, 02:45 PM

A wonderful & fascinating knife, & a very intresting thread, excelent,

thankyou.

Spiral

22nd March 2005, 07:56 AM	#1
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	I have very little doubt the tang ends where seen; what I wonder is does the engraving continue on around the end, where we can't see it, within the handle. The area around the corners may be more readable in person than in photos.....

22nd March 2005, 02:23 PM	#2
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	The more I look at the silverwork, the more I think of Bukhara, Samarkand etc.These belong to Uzbekistan, a Turkic state. Uzbeks migrated to the area relatively recently (1500 years ago? Is it recent?). By the way, they chose to call themselves Uzbek after one of the most successful Khans of the Golden Horde, Ozbek, who was Chingiz Khan's grandson or close to that. The adjoining Tajikistan employs a language that is almost purely Persian and there are many Tajiks living in the current borders of Afghanistan. This "khyber" might have been made in Northern Afghanistan, influenced by the "Central Asian" motives. Would be fascinating to find Russian markings on the blade.

22nd March 2005, 02:45 PM	#3
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	A wonderful & fascinating knife, & a very intresting thread, excelent, thankyou. Spiral