Uzbek knife - Pichok by Chust

[nozh2002]

This is one of my oldest knife. I got it as a present ages ago before come seriously addicted to knives. I thought it was lost, but it was found accidently in my tool box in Moscow and now it is here back with me!

This is Pichok - traditional knife from Fergana valley in Uzbekistan. Made in Chust which is uzbeckistan Zolingen or Seki or Zlatoust - historical center of bladesmithing.

Surface pattern lets me hope that it is forged. It is flat ground full width, but it has mark of my unprofessianal sharpening when I tryed to do 15 years ago (shame on me!). Also it is gun blued and have "Chust" label. I sharpen it now to extreme sharpness - scare, hair popping etc...

Circles on the handle are not painted but embeded somehow in the handle wood scales. Amaizingly it looks pretty similar to super modern Alaskan Guide - black blade, goldish label.

Also I was surprized that it has so called "scandinavian" sheath. It seems that sheath wich covers handle also is generic solution for knives and does not really belongs to Scandinavia only.

This is working knives used all ower Uzbekistan and Middle Asia - at least what was part of Russia for sure. It is quite handy because of very thin handle which allow you to delicately hold it with fingertips only like pen and do delicat operations. But blade is big and wide and exteremely sharp. It is almost mandatory tool if you are doing Plov - thaditional dish with lamb and rice...

Thanks, Vassili.

 

[untamed]

Its always interesting to find out other cultures' cutting tools. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Andrew Nik]

This is my P'chak knife - gift of my Uzbek friend:

 

[Keith Montgomery]

That looks like a knife that I could have made.