Today, in the collections of many naifomaniacs, you can see the Buryat knife. Some simply bear such a name, although they are made according to completely different principles and technologies. But the craftsmen who made others painstakingly recreated this instrument, taking into account all the features and unique features. And in general, these knives are widely known not only in Russia, but also in many Asian countries: Mongolia, China and even Korea. Therefore, we will tell you a little more about them.
What was it for
Before the Russians came to Siberia, the Buryats were mainly engaged in hunting - they did not know agriculture. Accordingly, knives were used primarily for butchering carcasses, picking up a wounded animal. This left its mark on the shape and dimensions of the instrument.
In general, Buryats, like many other peoples, have always had a very serious attitude towards a knife. It was forbidden to step over it, point it at other people, poke it into a fire, or even just take it out of its scabbard idle.
Appearance
The shape of the knife is as simple as possible, but at the sametime functional. Usually a large Buryat knife has a long and narrow blade. It is straight and rounded only at the very end. This form was not chosen by chance - it is impossible to finish off a wounded deer or elk with a short curved blade. And a good hunter always tries to alleviate the suffering of the beast as much as possible by making the gain quickly and as painlessly as possible. Against the background of a long blade, the handle seems rather short. Indeed, it is made not too long - exactly such that it fits comfortably in the palm of your hand.
But when cutting an animal carcass, a knife with a long straight blade is not very good. Therefore, along with a large, experienced hunters always wore a Buryat small knife. Its shape is exactly the same: with a straight blade. But the length of the blade is quite small, often less than the handle. It is almost impossible to draw with such a weapon. But it is very convenient to remove the skin, butcher the carcass.
Often they even made special scabbards with two pockets: for a long and a short knife, so that both were at hand, could be removed at any time.
Which steel to use
In the manufacture of knives, relatively mild steel was usually used. There were several reasons for this. On the one hand, among the Buryats there were practically no good blacksmiths capable of processing steel with high quality. Moreover, not a single iron deposit was developed on the territory of their residence - the metal was mainly bought from the Mongols in exchange for valuable furs. Of course, without developed metallurgy and certain knowledge, it is correctit was not possible to harden the steel to make matching knives.
But there was another reason why the Buryats continued to make knives from mild steel even after the arrival of the Russians, who generously shared their knowledge. A blade of high hardness can serve the owner for a long time without sharpening. But when it finally becomes dull, in order to sharpen it, you need to have a special whetstone on hand. But a mild steel knife, although dulling rather quickly, can be quickly sharpened to a sharp edge with almost any rough surface.
By the way, to improve cutting properties, Buryat knives often had an asymmetric sharpening.
What the handle is made of
In most cases, the handle was made of wood, usually birch. Durable, but at the same time easy to process, it could serve the owner for many years even with the most intensive use. In addition, wood practically does not absorb blood, which is very important if you use a knife for butchering carcasses. They often used a metal pommel, which additionally strengthened the handle, protecting it from accidental blows.
Also there are knives, the handle of which is made of horn. Of course, such material is much more difficult to process. But it also has a much longer service life - such a handle will definitely not crack if you accidentally drop the knife on a stone or other hard surface. And the horn is not afraid of excess moisture, as it is not subject to rotting, mold formation.
In any case, they tried to select a darker material so that it looked contrast against the background of a light blade. Say what you like, but the Buryats have always had a certain aesthetic and pronounced taste.
Sheath material
But the sheath of the Buryat knife, medium, as well as small and large, could have both wooden and leather - it all depended on the preferences of a particular hunter.
Their device was as simple as possible - the knife was fixed by simply clamping the handle. That is, it was slightly sunk into a tight sheath, which almost completely excluded accidental loss when carried correctly.
We althy hunters made or ordered sheaths inlaid with metal plates, usually cupronickel or even silver. Quite often they were decorated with various Buddhist motifs. In old photographs, as well as authentic scabbards that have survived to our times, you can see drawings: dragons, lotuses, lions and some others. However, it strongly depended on geography. In the south, in the lands adjacent to Mongolia, this was more common, but in the north it was much less common.
In order not to lose
Studying Buryat handmade knives, you can see an additional pendant buckle. The scabbard was connected to it with a metal chain. In more budget options, a regular leather lace was used.
Why is this needed? For two reasons.
Firstly, purely from a practical point of view. While hunting BuryatsI had to walk a lot through the forests, run through the windbreak and bushes in order to catch up with the beast. Of course, you can lose the sheath along with the knife with such a movement quite quickly. To prevent this from happening, the buckle-pendant was attached to the belt. Even if the scabbard slipped from the belt, it didn't go anywhere.
Second, observance of the ritual. It is connected with the fact that, when coming to visit, in the chum of neighbors or acquaintances, the Buryats pulled out the scabbard from their belt, leaving it hanging on a chain. In this case, it was simply impossible to quickly grab the knife - it was approximately at the level of the knees. Thus, they demonstrated peacefulness, the absence of treachery. The owner of the knife seemed to be saying: “You see, I’m not ready for a fight, which means I’m not plotting anything bad against you.”
Modern knives
As mentioned above, today Buryat knives are known in many countries of the world. Of course, they are also familiar to many domestic amateurs and connoisseurs. It is not surprising that they are produced by a variety of large companies, not to mention private craftsmen. Buryat knives are produced in Zlatoust, Bata, Baikal-Art and many others.
Of course, new products do not always correspond to the parameters that their counterparts of past centuries had. Most often, only the shape is preserved: long, straight blades, rounded only near the very tip.
But steel is used more modern, resilient and hard. Still, today many hunters who have to spend a lot of time in the forest, and then finish off and butcher the beast, are not lazycarry a small whetstone in your pocket or backpack.
Changes also affected the handle. Of course, you can find a photo of a Buryat knife, in which it is made of wood, and not only from birch, but also from other, more exotic species. There are also leather handles, birch bark and many others.
The scabbard has also changed a lot. Most often they are made of leather or leatherette. But the shape has changed a little. The absence of a guard on a classic Buryat knife makes it possible to manufacture very comfortable and reliable scabbards, in which the tool is deeply recessed and securely fixed. Even with a long steeplechase, the risk of losing the knife is minimized.
But some manufacturers have kept the tradition of attaching a knife to a belt with a special chain, and not so much for practical reasons, but as a tribute to traditions.
Conclusion
Now you know much more about Buryat knives: their device, the materials used in their manufacture. So, you can easily decide whether to buy such a knife or give preference to other analogues, more modern.
