Ubiquitous throughout the USSR and satellite countries,this beast was the main tool of butchers in every market and shop.
https://imgur.com/JYPGGVt
https://imgur.com/2opYuCL
Ranging in size anywhere from 5 to 10 lbs it was produced in many a factory in many a variation on this one theme,short handle,and very wide,closely-set blade.
This particular specimen was brought by my good friend from Odessa,Ukraine,where they still struggle with shaking off that nightmare that was the Soviet State.
A fully functional modern version it is even filthier than most,crudely fabricated by arc-welding plate steel together,however i've no doubt the balance and it's basic functionality are unaffected.
Guys who wielded such tools prided themselves on precision,could indeed hit Exactly where they aimed,and commonly competed by chopping a match-stick laterally in halves and quarters(soviet matches were particularly skinny and meager,so i'd say the idea was to be within +/- 1/32" or less).
They say that sawing meat is an abomination,as it frays the fibers making it unsuitable for cooking
...A clean,smooth cleaved surface is supposedly far superior.
So this is where the Eastern side of Europe inclined towards,while to the West,before more modern methods,they gravitated towards the cleaver-like carcass-splitters,mass extending in length,whilst these remained a close-handled axe-like tools.
We briefly touched on these before,and there used to be some videos on the actual use of this ugly brutish thing.I'll try to look up and post some.
I think that this particular one is more for smaller critters,such as pig and mutton,the edge being straight it's a one-hit tool.Bigger ones for beef had a slight radius to the edge,for longer extended cuts.
https://imgur.com/JYPGGVt
https://imgur.com/2opYuCL
Ranging in size anywhere from 5 to 10 lbs it was produced in many a factory in many a variation on this one theme,short handle,and very wide,closely-set blade.
This particular specimen was brought by my good friend from Odessa,Ukraine,where they still struggle with shaking off that nightmare that was the Soviet State.
A fully functional modern version it is even filthier than most,crudely fabricated by arc-welding plate steel together,however i've no doubt the balance and it's basic functionality are unaffected.
Guys who wielded such tools prided themselves on precision,could indeed hit Exactly where they aimed,and commonly competed by chopping a match-stick laterally in halves and quarters(soviet matches were particularly skinny and meager,so i'd say the idea was to be within +/- 1/32" or less).
They say that sawing meat is an abomination,as it frays the fibers making it unsuitable for cooking
...A clean,smooth cleaved surface is supposedly far superior.So this is where the Eastern side of Europe inclined towards,while to the West,before more modern methods,they gravitated towards the cleaver-like carcass-splitters,mass extending in length,whilst these remained a close-handled axe-like tools.
We briefly touched on these before,and there used to be some videos on the actual use of this ugly brutish thing.I'll try to look up and post some.
I think that this particular one is more for smaller critters,such as pig and mutton,the edge being straight it's a one-hit tool.Bigger ones for beef had a slight radius to the edge,for longer extended cuts.
...).
