a chakmak on steroids

John Powell

John Powell

Joined
Mar 9, 1999
Messages
1,440
This thing blew me away. 6" of great steel designed and made to work hard. Now if we could only get someone to make these....
chakmak.jpg
 
Yikes! Thats quite a chakmak there JP!:eek:

Is the point there to stick it in a tree so you can use two hands to sharpen the mighty khuk that must go with this chakmak?
 
Very interesting. The top one looks like it has an armour piecing point, while the bottom one is similar to spanish knives used to deliver the cue-de-grace in bullfighting. Do you have photos of the rest of the set?

n2s
 
The armour piercing tip is also very commonly seen with types of pesh-kabz, katars and certain Japanese daggers. By producing such a design they have incorporated a honing steel, flint striker and a type of piercing spike which is one of the common "third knives" you would find along with a karda & chakmak.

I will be putting up more photos after the negatives are scanned. The prints just aren't clear enough and I hope going the digital route helps.

I didn't put on the "not for re-use..." warning on this picture, but I want to emphasize these are just for the forum and nothing else.
 
John,

These pix that you are posting are phenominal and...tantalizing...frustrating...Thank you for sharing them with us.

I presume that there is no way to know whether an item like this is a one-of-a-kind, or a tool perhaps limited to a particular area, tribe, or whatever?

Given the size, and grip it looks to me like more of a clever combination of an awl and a chakma, than a weapon. Was leather armor in use at this time? It occurs to me that an awl maybe would be useful for field repairs.

(Please remember to include the disclaimer--I'd hate to see any problems arise for you. If your book gets back on course, will it be possible for these photos of these remarkable things to be included?)
 
Hi JP! Is the overall length 6", or is 6" the length of the burnishing portion of the chakmak? I should have my forge up and going pretty soon and I'd be willing to take a crack at one of these.

N2, I think that the picts JP posted are just 2 different views of the same chakmak. The top pic being in the 1st view, and the bottom in the second view(American style drafting).
 
Unless specified I give an overall measurement from pommel to point.

This is definitely a one-off among thousands of one-offs. Although I think this is an awl/burnisher/striker, this type point on a larger blade would pierce chainmail and thin metal plate, but I don't know about the effective leather armour then used. The tortosie shell and horn combinations also used in Asian armour appears impervious, but I know nothing about this subject.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top