Beautiful homemade Uzbek knives. What is Pchak? Rules for storage and care

Uzbek knife pchak (history of origin, working hypothesis).

Once upon a time in 1991, as a student at the Department of Archeology of Moscow State University, I went on an archaeological expedition organized by the Museum of Oriental Peoples to Samarkand. One of the first impressions that struck me then in the village near Samarkand were old people (babais) constantly meeting on the street in wadded robes (chapans), belted with a belt, on which one could often see a knife hanging in a sheath. As the "senior comrades" explained to me at the time, old people are allowed to walk the streets with a knife, because the knife is considered an element of the national costume. I gathered my courage and asked an old man to show me his knife. Not without pride, he took it out of its scabbard and showed it (in the village they knew that I was from an archaeological expedition and were treated with respect). I had never seen such an instance before. It was very unusual - a thin hilt at the base of the blade, expanding to the pommel (as if ending with a "head"), made of horn, and a straight wide blade with a smooth rise to the back, forming a rather sharp tip. The knife was polished so that I could see my reflection in it, and on its blade, closer to the handle, there was an ornament made in "Arabic script". The old man called it a pichok (knife) and said that I could buy the same one at the market on the outskirts of the city.

On the next weekend, I went to the market and after a long bargain with the seller, I became the owner of the largest copy of those that he had on the counter that day. After returning from the expedition, for many years I became the owner of a knife that all my friends envied.

Figure 1. Pchak from Samarkand, 1991.

Today, of course, things are different. Buying a pchak in Moscow is not a problem. But when buying pchak, many do not know what they are buying.

The history and origin of the pchak is hazy and confused.

Today, pchak is called the traditional national knife of the peoples living in Central Asia - Uzbeks and Uyghurs.

The specimens of the 19th-20th centuries closest to modern ones (ethnographic material that became known to modern science after the entry of Central Asia into the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century, obtained as a result of various expeditions), which are now presented in museums, show us a completely different type knife - with a narrow blade and a long and smooth rise to the point. Explain this shape of the blade simply. The blades of these pchaks are sharpened to the limit, and the change in shape occurred as a result of long-term practical use.

Archaeological data also do not give us an unambiguous answer to the question of the origin of the pchak: in Sogdiana (the territory covering modern Uzbekistan) in the 5th-8th centuries, two types of knives were common: 1. With a straight blade; 2.With curved blade. The maximum width of the blades of the found specimens is 1.8 cm, the stalk is lamellar with a narrowing from the blade to the tip (from 3 mm to 1 mm). All knives were of various sizes, with a total length of up to 14.5 cm, while the length of the handle, at the same time, was up to 3.5 cm. Both types were widespread and were found in large numbers in Penjikent, Kairagach, and Shahristan. (Yakubov Yu. "Early medieval settlements of the mountainous Sogd. Dushanbe, 1988, p. 235).

It is worth noting the extremely poor preservation of the finds (the climate and layers of Central Asia are merciless to iron), which makes typology extremely difficult.

Figure 2. Images of found knives that date back to the 5th-8th centuries (numbers 4-6).

There are also archaeological data on knives found in the burials of nomads in Central Asia, dating back to the last quarter of the 14th century. These "Standard Utility Blade Design" knives represent a remarkably durable, consistent series. They have the following characteristic features. The back of the blades forms a weakly pronounced arc, smoothly descending towards the nose. The cutting edge is arcuate, but steeper than the back. The central axis of the blade and handle is shifted towards the back. The length of the blades ranges from 6 to 14 cm. The thickness is 1.5 mm, the width of the blade at the base is 1-1.5 cm (depending on the length). The handle is subtriangular in shape, 2-4 cm long. The width of the handle at the base is about half the width of the blade. The ratio of the length of the blade to the length of the handle is slightly more than 3:1.

The handle is always separated from the blade by strictly perpendicular ledges, which are structural features. A narrow - 1.5-2 mm wide and thick iron clip was welded to the base of the blade, which is a kind of lock that locks the knife in the sheath. This is a very fragile, often unpreserved part. Its presence is evidenced by the strict perpendicularity of the ledges and the traces imprinted by it, which can be seen on the unrestored metal.

The knives also had a wooden scabbard, which is fixed by traces of wood on the blades.
This type of knife was widespread among nomads already at the end of the first millennium AD.

Illustration 3. Image of nomad knives in the last quarter of the 1st millennium, type 3 according to Minasyan.

All mentioned types of knives have nothing to do with the current form of pchak. It is not yet possible to answer when and under what circumstances the hilt shank rose to the line of the back of the blade so that the hilt stalk is located in the upper third of the blade, and what it was connected with.
That is, ancient copies of knives show us a completely different structural type. The emergence of the modern type of pchak can be explained by the fact that it was introduced from outside or existed in the region, but such knives are still unknown and not described.

On the Internet, there is an opinion about the appearance of knives of a similar shape in Central Asia in the XIV-XV centuries. Their appearance is partly associated with the conquest of Asia by Tamerlane and "an indirect ban on local men to carry weapons / daggers." The authorities could not deprive the Uzbeks of the right to carry weapons, and the most common type of weapons, due to their availability, were knives or daggers. This is an age-old tradition, sacredly revered in the East. And then they turned to the pichakchik artisans (knife artisans), who were "convinced" to change the design of the knife for the population, turning it into a household item. To compensate for the loss of the combat qualities of the knife, Uzbek craftsmen turned to the external form. So a new form of hilt arose, very reminiscent of the hilt of a saber or card.

Changing the form simultaneously solved another problem - in the fights with knives (in Uzbek "pichakbozlik"), the opponents tried not to kill, but only to injure, otherwise it was supposed to pay the relatives of the victim a large "khun" for the murder - a ransom for blood. The emerging form of the knife reduced the likelihood of death in such knife fights.

But this point of view does not have full-fledged reasonable sources, transitional/early forms of pchaks are unknown.

It is possible to consider a hypothesis about the independent development of the pchak, which was originally an exclusively household (kitchen, cook, table) item and appeared in Central Asia under external influence, but so far its early finds are unknown.

It should be said right away that the typological form of the pchak (one line of the back and the handle) is found in different cultures, in different eras and refers, first of all, to knives for household (kitchen) purposes. For example, bronze knives of the Karasuk type.

Figure 4. Karasuk knives. (D.A. Avdusin, "Fundamentals of archeology")

Another example is the knives of the first millennium of Eastern Europe, which are characterized by a smooth line of transition from the back to the handle with a slight "top" in the central part. A stalk in the form of a narrow triangle 4-5 cm long, as a rule, is separated from the side of the cutting edge by a smooth ledge. The cutting edge of whole specimens of such knives is straight and only towards the end is bent upwards.

Figure 5. Knives with a "blade back turning into a stalk without ledges", type 1 according to Minasyan.

Direct transitions of the line of the back of the blade (butt) into the handle are also found on Russian "table / kitchen" knives of the XV-XVI centuries from Zaryadye (Moscow).

Illustration 6. Knives from Zaryadye, dating back to the 16th-17th centuries.

A typologically similar knife shape is found even on the other side of the globe - gaucho knives in Argentina.

Figure 7. Gaucho knife from Argentina.

Finally, if we turn to the present, we immediately recall Japanese kitchen / chef's knives, which also have a configuration similar to the pchak, with thin handles and a direct transition from the back of the blade (butt) to the handle.

One cannot fail to say that Central Asia is a huge territory along which the Great Silk Road from China ran in ancient times, trade relations were carried out with India and the countries of the Mediterranean. This land is full of historical events. Today we learn about them from the writings of ancient Greek and Roman authors, medieval manuscripts of Arab scribes, discovered archaeological sites.
At the dawn of human history, until the 4th century AD, empires were created and collapsed on the territory of Central Asia: Persian, Alexander the Great and the Seleucids. The Greco-Bactrian, Krishan and Parthian kingdoms existed and disappeared. Later, part of these lands was part of the Sassanid state, in the Arab Caliphate. In the XI-XIII centuries. no less powerful states arose on these lands: the Ghaznavids, Karahnids, Ghurids and Khorezmshahs.

After the conquest of this territory by the Mongols, the Chagatai Khanate was formed, and then the huge power of Timur and his descendants.

The lands of Central Asia became the homeland of many Turkic nomadic tribes engaged in cattle breeding. But this is also the place where the most ancient agricultural cultures appeared.
Located at the crossroads of trade and migration routes, there has always been a cultural influence from the outside: the influence of nomads from the eastern degrees, the influence of Iranian (Persian) culture from Asia Minor (Persia), the Hellenistic influence, the influence of the cultures of India and China.

Undoubtedly, similar forms/types of knives of Indo-Iranian and Turkic origin - Iranian kard, Turkish bichag, Indo-Iranian peshkabz, chura, karud and khayber, Indian kirpan - influenced the appearance of the pchak among the Uzbeks. All these knives are more often dated no earlier than the 16th, or even the 17th-18th centuries, only peshkabs are sometimes attributed to the 15th century.
At the end of the "historical review", one can make an assumption about the emergence of pchaks already after the 15th century under the influence of the Indo-Iranian tradition with a "hard functional purpose" - a kitchen/chef's knife. The owners of pchaks are well aware of how great they are for cutting meat and vegetables.
But for Uzbeks, this is not just a good kitchen knife, but also a wonderful gift for a man, which has a sacred meaning. Edged weapons are an indispensable attribute of national clothing among many peoples of the East. Even those who, due to their social status, do not have the right to own long-bladed weapons (farmers and artisans), wear a knife in a sheath on their belt.

In contrast to the superstition that prevails among us that it is impossible to give knives (it supposedly brings misfortune), in Central Asia such a gift is still considered prestigious and desirable. According to the ideas of the peoples of Central Asia, sharp and pointed objects acquire the power of protective amulets that drive away misfortune and disease. And the pchak is also credited with a similar power of a talisman. A knife placed under the pillow in the head of an infant is considered a means of protecting his health. If an adult falls ill, a knife can be put on his head instead of a compress, thus protecting him from the action of evil forces.

A pchak presented by a son to his father demonstrates great attention and love, and such a gift is considered a great honor for the father.

The knife is also given to a “real dzhigit”, to each potential warrior - a young man who has reached the age of 18.
Most often, knives (household, not weapons), as elements of national clothing, are found among nomadic cattle breeders and hunters - North American Indians, the Argentine people of Gaucho, Yakuts, Buryats, Laplanders.

And in the case of pchak, there is a direct influence of the Turkic-speaking nomadic peoples who came in the Middle Ages to the territory of settled farmers - the Uzbeks.
In this part of the review, some aspects of the origin and purpose of the pchak were considered. In the second part, we will talk about the design and types of the modern pchak knife.

Depending on national traditions, geographical location and culinary preferences, each nation and nationality has its own knife, different from others. Uzbek, Finnish, Tajik, Indian - each of them is different. A Russian knife implies its use: on a hunt, on a camping trip, in close combat, for self-defense. The Japanese knife is associated with the samurai sword, which is the sharpest blade in the world. French cleavers resemble a saber with a handle. Knives are especially popular among the Central Asian peoples.

Uzbek knife - pchak

According to various sources, the pchak knife appeared among the peoples of Central Asia in the 14-15th century. To this day, its form has not changed. The name of the blade comes from a similar Uzbek word "pechak". Literally translated as "knife". Such forms of the knife are used throughout the Central Asian territory with minor changes in proportions and special decorations.

The width of the blade is within 5 centimeters, while its length is no more than 22 centimeters. The wedge-shaped section gradually decreases from the butt to the blade. The thickness of the knife, which is up to five millimeters near the handle, decreases closer to the edge of the blade. Excellent cutting qualities of the knife are achieved by slopes of various shapes: from straight to curved. The Uzbek pchak knife, the photo perfectly emphasizes its beauty, has an excellent balance.

Uzbek knives in 20-21 centuries

In the 20th century, the Uzbek handmade knife could be seen on European territory only in private collections of connoisseurs of Central Asian art. Very often they were brought home or to close friends after a tourist trip as a beautiful souvenir. Uzbek knives (the photo illustrates the beauty and a large selection) were industrially made only in the city of Chust, which is located in Uzbekistan.

Today, Uzbek knives are made almost by hand. The city of Shahrikhan, which is located in the Andijan region, is famous for the craftsmen who make the Uzbek pchak knife. This city has an area where several generations of blacksmiths and cutlers live and work. There are also knife makers in other parts of the country, but their work is not as well known. Author's knives are signed with branded emblems with the obligatory addition of stars and a crescent to emphasize the Islamic religion.

Varieties of pchak knives

The Uzbek knife is used in economic life, as well as in the kitchen. Given the different design options for the sharp end, there are several forms of pchak knives:

• blade "kaike" - the tip is raised to a height of up to eight millimeters - traditional Uzbek handmade knives;
• blade "tugri" - the end of the blade is sharp, the back of the knife is straight;
• blade "tolbargi" - another name for willow leaf, the butt of the knife is slightly lowered, which is practical when butchering animal carcasses;

• blade "Kazakhcha" - on the blade, not far from its sharp part, there is a depression, and the sharp end of the knife is above the line of the butt; a knife is used to work with fish;
• blade "kushmalak" - a distinctive feature is the presence of a doubled fuller along the butt.

The size of the Uzbek knife is:

• small (chirchik) - less than fourteen centimeters;
• ordinary (sharkhon) - up to seventeen centimeters;
• large (cow cutter) - up to twenty-five centimeters.

Finishing and decoration of Uzbek knives

Uzbek handmade knives are a masterpiece of the master's work. Each knife is made in a single copy. It goes through all stages: steel processing, hardening, finishing and sharpening. The master applies an ornament on the handle and blade. Expensive knives are decorated not only with national drawings. Here they add a generic family sign, add their own inscriptions, the “islimi” floral ornament, etc. The more carefully each part of the applied ornament is made, the more valuable the Uzbek knife is.

The handle is made of apricot, sycamore, plexiglass, parts of bones and horns are added. Often the handle is made from brazed sheet metal. The shank of the blade coincides with the shape of the handle and, expanding at the bottom, ends with a bend in the idea of ​​a hook. If the handle is made of wood or bone, then it is not decorated. If plexiglass was used, then it is supplemented with colored inclusions and wire. The handle made of horn is decorated with rhinestones and mother-of-pearl. The metal handle is decorated with engraving, rhinestones against the background of floral ornaments.

The bend at the bottom of the knife, or pommel, completes its design. It is made in the form of a hook to make it comfortable to hold the handle of an Uzbek knife. On the bottom of the handle there is always a notch for a convenient location of the little finger. The pommel is made of a hollow horn or special metal inserts.

Sheath for Uzbek knife

For an Uzbek knife, a sheath is considered an obligatory element. Masters used leather or dense fabric. The knife is located deep in the sheath, which does not require an additional lock. Inside the scabbard there are wooden inserts that protect them from being cut from the inside. National Uzbek knives are worn on the left side on the belt. To do this, a wide loop is added to the scabbard.

If the case is made of fabric, then it is decorated with national embroidery. Leather sheaths were decorated with brass and copper inserts. On black leather, craftsmen place a multi-colored pattern in a traditional style. It is not uncommon to see wooden cases.

Rules for storage and care

The blade of the Uzbek knife was forged from carbon steel. Previously, until the twentieth century, worn-out weapons or pieces of iron brought from other fears were used for this. Blade hardness should be between 50 and 56 Rockwell units. Given the low hardness of the material, the owner of the knife always undermines the blade. For this, it is not necessary to use special grinding bars. The soft material is easy to sharpen with a stone or the back of a bowl.

There are general rules for caring for a knife:

1. Sharpening of steel must be carried out from the butt to zero. The use of this type of blade sharpening allows you to cut very thin slices of food.
2. It must be remembered that soft steel sharpens well if a ceramic product is used, and may bend or dull when cutting hard foods or bones.
3. Carbon steel is quite porous. After use, the knife must be rinsed immediately and wiped dry.
4. If rust has appeared on the blade of an Uzbek knife, you can get rid of it with the help of mild cleaning products or sand.

Uzbek knives should be stored, after wiping, on a wooden knife stand. Their location in limbo is also welcome.

Uzbek kitchen knives

To work in the kitchen, you need to have several types of Uzbek knives. Small ones are great for peeling fruits and vegetables. Medium-sized vegetables can be easily cut and finely chopped. Large Uzbek kitchen knives are used to work with meat. A thin curved blade perfectly develops fish.

The Uzbek pchak knife can serve not only in the kitchen, but also be a wonderful gift. It is believed that such a gift from a best friend can protect from ill-wishers. A knife placed under a child's pillow protects the health of the baby and mother, attracts wealth and prosperity. The image of the Uzbek knife in embroidered items, on forged items, on ceramic items protects the owners from all sorts of misfortunes and troubles.

Article for the weekly Darakchi.

The news that the famous craftsman from Shakhrikhan, Khairullo Abdurahimov, exhibits his works in Tashkent quickly spread to all fans of the art of creating Uzbek national knives. Even those who were not going to buy a new knife just went to admire the steel blades of a great master. We also met with the master in order to tell you about the choice of the Uzbek pichak.

Pichak is our everything

Pichaki, Uzbek handmade knives have long been a national brand known all over the world. For the people of Uzbekistan, pichak has been more than just a working tool or weapon since ancient times. Pichak is a sacred gift, a great value and a powerful amulet. The largest handicraft centers are still operating in Shakhrikhan, Chust, Bukhara, Tashkent and Samarkand.

Is it possible to buy a good pichak in Tashkent?

Certainly you can. For example, in the Chorsu or Alai bazaars. However, it is worth considering that behind the counter in the bazaar is not a master, but at best one who simply understands the craftsmanship of creating an Uzbek knife. The master has no time to engage in sales, he works tirelessly in the workshop, and, he delivers finished products for sale to resellers. Taking into account the interest of the latter, the prices for national knives are 20-30 percent higher than directly from the master pichokchi or in traditional centers for hand-made knives.

The best option for buying a pichak is to buy it from the hands of the master himself, at exhibitions-fairs, which are held weekly in various halls of Tashkent.

From hand to hand

When you go to choose a knife from a good master, you will not just buy. Ahead of you is a creative meeting with questions and answers, stories, legends and a unique master class on choosing a knife. This meeting brings great joy to both the master and you. The master is pleased to see admiration in your eyes, he wants to tell you about his work. You become richer for the whole world. You are discovering this amazing world of Uzbek knives, one of which will definitely find a place of honor in your home.

When choosing a pichak, you need to remember that no one will tell you about the properties of a knife like the person who created it. Therefore, when meeting with the master, sorting through the knives on his counter, be sure to ask questions in detail about each pichak. The master will gladly tell you everything.

Ask, ask!

We are going with you to the master Khairullo to learn how to choose the Uzbek pichak correctly. There are dozens of luxury knives on the counter. Different sizes, different shapes, different metal of shiny blades, different handles. How to get oriented?

For starters, just look. Pick up each knife in turn, on which the eye stops. Ask the master questions:

What is the name of such a pichak?

What is the shape of the blade called?

What metal are the blades? How do blades made of different metals differ from each other?

What is the handle made of?

What is gulband made of? (the junction of the blade and handle)

What do the patterns on the handle mean?

How to care for a knife? How to sharpen it?

You will be amazed by the master's story. You will learn that knives have personalities and names. And there are many of these names: osh pichak, kassob pichak, chust pichak, arabcha pichak, sherkhan pichak, bola-pichak, Kazakh-pichak...

After you first immerse yourself in this many-sided world of Uzbek knives, start choosing your pichak. To do this, tell the master in detail why you need a knife. For work in the kitchen: as a main working knife, or a meat knife, a fruit knife, a shredding knife. Or maybe you need a knife in order to take it on hikes, or to make a gift to a friend? Or maybe the gift is intended for a foreign guest? Then specify if your guest is a connoisseur of knives, a collector, or just a lover of oriental exotics.

From now on, you need to trust the master. He will lay out several knives in front of you according to your requirements. Take each one again in your hands, and again ask questions about each. Do you think this will end your knife selection process? No no! The most important thing follows...

Find "your" pichak out of ten identical ones!

A young man stands in front of the counter of the master Khairullo and chooses a working knife for the kitchen - osh pichak. The master has already laid out in front of him 10 identical-looking pichaks with white bone handles. With the approval of the master, we offer the young man our help in choosing. The young man happily agrees.

Take any? They are identical? he asks

They are different

But do they look the same?

Looks identical. But you understand, this is not factory stamping, these knives were made by hand. They only appear to be the same, in fact they are different.

How then to choose? Where to look? - the young man sorts out knives in confusion

You don't have to look. Need to feel. Connoisseurs say that the Uzbek pichak is an animated thing, and he himself chooses his owner. Therefore, you now have a special task - to "hear" your knife.

The young man looks at us with disbelief. But we keep on learning.

Take the knives in hand, one by one. Squeeze the handle. Swing your hand, feel the movement of the blade, feel how the handle fits into your hand. You will feel "your" knife immediately. He will call back to you. We don't know how he will do it. Respond definitely and strongly. Maybe it will be like a push or the handle will instantly heat up in the hand.

The young man picks up knife after knife. Master Hyrulla smiles as he watches us. He watches the expression on the young man's face. He appreciated our way of choosing.

Here the young man froze with another knife in his hand. The movements of his hand became more confident, he seemed to be listening to something.

"Aha! He found it!" - we rejoice

But the young man puts down the knife and takes on the next one. That's right, you need to make sure! Moreover, he chooses a man-made knife for the first time in his life.

We follow him through the knives, completely confusing them. But remember where THAT knife went.

The young man, having gone through all the knives, starts the search again.

Not him... Not him... - he mutters, putting down knife after knife.

This! Exactly this one! - the guy exclaims, reaching the very knife marked by us. So he responded, so he felt and understood.

You see, we said that he would certainly respond! We are happy for the young man. - Now be sure to ask the master Khairullo about what kind of metal, bone it is, how to care for the knife and how to sharpen it.

On the issue of sharpening Uzbek knives.

Watch any Uzbek oshpoz. Before starting work, he automatically makes several movements of the knife along the bottom of the bowl or cash desk, tucking the blade. This process is akin to meditation or tuning a musical instrument. It's like you tune into the same frequency with your pichak and resonate. The fact is that inexpensive knives need to be refueled constantly. Their steel is such that once properly sharpened, it requires periodic refueling.

For good pichak, it is enough to take them to the grinder once every one or two years. However, the sharpener here needs a knowledgeable one, because sharpening handmade knives is different from sharpening factory kitchen knives. And inept actions can ruin a great blade.

Uzbek, Uighur knives (Pchaks)

Pchak is a traditional, national knife of Uzbeks and Uighurs. Distributed throughout Central Asia and not only. Its appearance is original and easily recognizable, and after many years the shape has remained unchanged. Uighur craftsmen have a wider assortment and more variety in the form of blades. In the standard version, Uzbek and Uighur pchaks with a raised blade (Kayik) and a straight butt (Tugri) do not differ from each other. The difference is only in the handle and inlay.

The wide blade of the pchak was forged from steel of various qualities. Low quality steel was used in the manufacture of knives for the poor. Highly skilled craftsmen preferred to work to order and made blades only from high quality hardened steel. The pchak blade was made in different versions, according to its purpose.
Option 1 - the most common, when the tip of the blade is raised up above the butt of the blade by more than 5 mm - "Kayik".

The 2nd option is a knife with a blade with a smooth and straight butt - "Tugri pchak" or, as it is also called, "Kassob pchak". This option was intended mainly for butchers.

A feature of the Uzbek and Uighur knife is a thin rounded handle, which is attached at the level of the butt, expanding towards the end. Sometimes the handle ends in a hook-like bend. In ancient times, the pchak handle was made from materials available at that time: wood, bone, horn. Today, the variety of materials is much wider. In addition to traditional materials, handles are made of plexiglass, textolite, brass, copper, and so on.

The shape of the handle is of two types:
1) Yorma - this means lining on 2 sides on the shank. It consists of two dies that are attached to the shank.
Before fixing the dies that form the handle, a guard is soldered and a strip of copper, brass or silver is soldered to the shank around the perimeter. The plates are fastened with metal or copper rivets. Also, the handle can be typesetting, made of colored, precious or semi-precious stones (for example, from sadaf (pearl).

2) Suhma - i.e. full-mounted handle. It consists of a solid material that can be inserted into the shank and thus give the handle a classic shape that fits almost any hand. A variant of the shape of the sukhma handle is made from the horn of various animals, plexiglass, textolite, brass, copper and other materials. The inlay can also be used materials from colored, precious or semi-precious stones.

In the old days and to this day, every respected master must put his mark, the so-called "tamga", on a high-quality knife made. The main elements of the stigma were Islamic paraphernalia - the image of stars and a crescent. Modern knife makers also mark their unique products with Islamic symbols or put a cotton mark, the name of the town where these knives are made, or the number of the house where the master himself lives. But there are craftsmen who do not put a stamp, because the work of these masters can be recognized by unique, clear drawings on the guard or amazing, high-quality work. The master, if desired, can engrave his personal data on the other side of the blade or on the handle of the knife.

The blade of an expensive pchak is decorated with a national ornament, and the handle is decorated with round decorative elements called "kyoz" or in Persian "chashmak" - this means "eye, eyes", which are made either from non-ferrous or precious metals, or from bone or mother-of-pearl, which are pressed in into the handle plates.

Scabbards for pchak are sewn from genuine leather or dense fabric and decorated with precious or semi-precious materials (for example: brass, copper, silver). Inside them, special wooden inserts are provided so that when the knife is pulled out, the sheath remains intact. The sheath is quite deep, since the pchak is inserted there without additional fixation. Like the handle, they are decorated with decorative colored circles, often simply painted with paint. On more expensive products, an application is used. They also have a loop that goes through the belt.
According to its purpose, the pchak is a household accessory. For home cooking, this is the perfect knife. Pchak with a curved tip "Kaiik" is more used by hunters, as it is very convenient for skinning, and for the most part, butchers choose "Tugri pchak" for carcass cutting. Pchak is not a combat knife, since the hardness of the blade and sharpening from the butt, reduced to zero, do not allow such serious work as, for example, planing metal or opening cans with it or chopping bones. For historians, it remains a mystery even now what was the reason for the need for the appearance of a knife with a blade shape that was convenient only for economic activities. Uzbek and Uighur pchaks are sure to become indispensable helpers in the kitchen. Or they are suitable as a gift for a person who knows history: after all, every time we touch a bee, we join the history of the Ancient East.